Rebecca Erbelding (she/her)
@rerbelding.bsky.social
960 followers 630 following 130 posts
Historian of American responses to the Holocaust, author of "Rescue Board" (Doubleday, 2018). Love cats, books, TV, travel, teachers, fighting for a better world. Opinions mine.
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rerbelding.bsky.social
Merry Wives @shakespeareindc.bsky.social was so much fun. If you need a break from scrolling and the doom of DC, go see this show. 10/10, just a room of joy.
Reposted by Rebecca Erbelding (she/her)
jacobharr.is
I know it's ethically a no-no, but I still think the New Yorker could make a fortune if they had a Cameo-like service where you could pay for Isaac Chotiner to call a friend saying he'd like to schedule an interview to ask them a few questions.
rerbelding.bsky.social
My springform only fits half the amount as well, and it's delicious with 12 plum halves, which is how I do it. The batter does rise a surprising amount, considering how little there is, so if you do want to overlap your plums, you're probably fine.
Reposted by Rebecca Erbelding (she/her)
Reposted by Rebecca Erbelding (she/her)
kottke.org
I Am An AI Hater. “But I am a hater, and I will not be polite. The machine is disgusting and we should break it. The people who build it are vapid shit-eating cannibals glorifying ignorance. I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself.” [anthonymoser.github.io]
rerbelding.bsky.social
I feel like the newsletter needs a deep dive on that specific sandwich. Who knew the police would be so deli-cate?
Reposted by Rebecca Erbelding (she/her)
bcdreyer.social
"Recently I took a friend in a pink shirt to lunch. Insensitively, I led him into a gourmet sandwich shop. Suddenly I saw his face light up as he was confronted with sandwiches named “Padrino” and “Pomodoro” and ingredients like soppressata, capicollo and a striata baguette....
Reposted by Rebecca Erbelding (she/her)
peterbakernyt.bsky.social
The worst single-day crime spree in modern Washington history, of course, took place on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump issued no order to the National Guard to intervene -- Mike Pence did -- and later pardoned the perpetrators.
peterbakernyt.bsky.social
Citing a nonexistent crime crisis, Trump plans to take over the Washington DC police and put troops in the streets of the nation's capital. Contrary to his claims, violent crime in DC is at a 30-year low. @katierogersnyt.bsky.social Campbell Robertson Chris Cameron www.nytimes.com/live/2025/08...
Here’s the latest.
www.nytimes.com
Reposted by Rebecca Erbelding (she/her)
tombridge.com
Jesus Christ, these people are just so goddamned scared and weak all the time.
atrupar.com
Rick Scott: "DC is not safe. People don’t just walk the streets in DC and feel safe anywhere around DC. I mean, I gotta be careful in what I do. I've got people in my office that are very careful about where they go. So this is great when Donald Trump is doing."
Reposted by Rebecca Erbelding (she/her)
jburchdc.bsky.social
I literally sent my children (14 & 11yo) on a scavenger hunt around D.C. last week BY THEMSELVES. They walked, they took the bus, and they took the metro/subway. These folks are either the biggest liars for their own political purposes or the biggest bunch of sheltered wimps on the planet. Or both.
atrupar.com
Rick Scott: "DC is not safe. People don’t just walk the streets in DC and feel safe anywhere around DC. I mean, I gotta be careful in what I do. I've got people in my office that are very careful about where they go. So this is great when Donald Trump is doing."
rerbelding.bsky.social
My brain has responded to today's news by deciding that I need a mental loop of Rage Against the Machine's "Killing in the Name of."
Reposted by Rebecca Erbelding (she/her)
rebeccafachner.bsky.social
None of the problems DC has, not a one, wouldn’t be improved if DC had statehood.
rerbelding.bsky.social
Outside of a Dog was kind enough to arrange all the books and sales for a mini-tour I did in Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota last year. I bought the store's t-shirt in gratitude-and also 'cause it was awesome-and will now also wear it in solidarity. Vermillion lost a great place and amazing people.
kissphoria.bsky.social
most people are not bigots. they might not understand but they know meanness when they see it.
A man in his 70s pointed to the Phelans’ daughter, who was playing Old Maid with two other girls.
“What did that little girl do to hurt anybody?” he asked his wife. “Why are they going after such a small group of people?”
Reposted by Rebecca Erbelding (she/her)
theradr.bsky.social
If someone is being targeted

any
human
being

it's my responsibility

it's my obligation

even if i'm safe forever

because someone needs to do something and I'm someone
Reposted by Rebecca Erbelding (she/her)
sethcotlar.bsky.social
That photo of those people pointing at a sign celebrating the time when alligators will tear into human flesh reminded me of this photo (which I’ve cropped) of the 1930 lynching that inspired the song “Strange Fruit.” The man with the tattoo is pointing to a person who he’s just helped murder.
Reposted by Rebecca Erbelding (she/her)
jesszimmerman.com
This merch is the stuff people are going to find in their parents’ basements in 50 years and go “god, I know it’s important historical context but I just don’t want to touch it, do you think a museum would want it or should I just burn it”
marisakabas.bsky.social
My latest: Alligator Alcatraz, Florida’s immigrant concentration camp, has its grand opening today after being built in one week. Trump, DeSantis and Noem will be there to celebrate their collaboration.

I wrote about this fulfillment of a Republican wet dream—complete with tacky merch:
Alligator Alcatraz immigrant prison camp is Florida's sadistic 'one-stop shop' for mass deportation
Trump will attend the opening on Tuesday with Gov. DeSantis and DHS Sec. Noem.
www.thehandbasket.co
Reposted by Rebecca Erbelding (she/her)
ezralevin.bsky.social
It’s hard to overstate how angry rank and file Dems are at the Dem establishment right now. And if I were a self-preservationist incumbent I would take note.
Reposted by Rebecca Erbelding (she/her)
gonebabygone.bsky.social
Part of Zohran’s strength was a positive vision rather than an alternative to something worse but I think a lot of awful people were really banking on a result that allowed them to definitively close the book on the idea that MeToo shit is disqualifying, I wish them a harrowing night
Reposted by Rebecca Erbelding (she/her)
johnbrooks.bsky.social
Womp womp.

The wompest of all possible womps.
Andrew Cuomo is speaking at this election-night party, and is beginning by thanking his supporters, including former Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, who both endorsed Cuomo and put more than $8 million into a super PAC supporting him.
Reposted by Rebecca Erbelding (she/her)
kentremendous.bsky.social
NY Democratic machine genuinely befuddled after the charismatic, talented person with good ideas defeated the sex pest fuck-up with name recognition
rerbelding.bsky.social
Trans people deserve dignity, joy, health care, and love. Especially trans kids. I will die on this hill forever and anyone who disagrees can fuck off into the sun.
Reposted by Rebecca Erbelding (she/her)
jamellebouie.net
i just find this so bizarre. searching through texts and doing the reading for myself is how i actually think through ideas! trying to put together a sentence is how i figure out what i actually want to say!
Everyone Is Using A.I. for Everything. Is That Bad?
www.nytimes.com
Reposted by Rebecca Erbelding (she/her)
ericcolumbus.bsky.social
Please read and share this statement from Sophie and Colin Hortman, children of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark.

(via WCCO reporter Caroline Cummings on X)
"We are devastated and heartbroken at the loss of our parents, Melissa and Mark. They were the bright lights at the center of our lives, and we can't believe they are gone. Their love for us was boundless. We miss them so much.
"We want everyone to know that we are both safe and with loved ones. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support we have received, and we appreciate your respect for our family's privacy as we grieve.
"Our family would like to thank law enforcement for their swift action that saved others and for the coordination across communities that led to the arrest of the man who murdered our parents. We especially would like to thank the officers who were first on the scene to our parents' home and their heroic attempts to rescue our mom and dad.
"Our parents touched so many lives, and they leave behind an incredible legacy of dedication to their community that will live on in us, their friends, their colleagues and co-workers, and every single person who knew and loved them.
"If you would like to honor the memory of Mark and Melissa, please consider the following:
• Plant a tree.
• Visit a local park and make use of their amenities, especially a bike trail.
• Pet a dog. A golden retriever is ideal, but any will do.
• Tell your loved ones a cheesy dad joke and laugh about it.
• Bake something — bread for Mark or a cake for Melissa, and share it with someone.
• Try a new hobby and enjoy learning something.
• Stand up for what you believe in, especially if that thing is justice and peace.
"Hope and resilience are the enemy of fear. Our parents lived their lives with immense dedication to their fellow humans. This tragedy must become a moment for us to come together. Hold your loved ones a little closer. Love your neighbors. Treat each other with kindness and respect. The best way to honor our parents' memory is to do something, whether big or small, to make our community just a little better for someone else."
Reposted by Rebecca Erbelding (she/her)
rachaelt.bsky.social
I hope your biggest takeaway from today, whether you were in the streets or practicing self-care, is that we are not alone in this fight and we cannot act like we are