Rob Taber
@robtaber.bsky.social
5.9K followers 1.5K following 1.5K posts
Historian of Haiti 🇭🇹 and democracy in the Americas at Fayetteville State. Working for a welcoming + transformative UNC System & NC. Views my own. Formerly US ED Partnerships. Occasional live-poster of obscure panels and events.
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robtaber.bsky.social
Welcome new followers! I'm a historian of colonial Haiti and the Age of Revolutions. I teach Latin American and Black Atlantic History at Fayetteville State in North Carolina, where I also serve on the UNC Faculty Assembly. I'm an editor at @ageofrevolutions.bsky.social
Reposted by Rob Taber
charlotteclymer.bsky.social
"So, Democrats have three words for this: no fucking way. It's literally life or death. We will not let Republicans blow up our health care system."

This is, hands down, the best comms work Chuck Schumer has done in YEARS. Surprisingly good.
robtaber.bsky.social
It seems safe to say that Fayetteville will (continue to) have a Democratic mayor for the next two years. (Mayor Colvin defeated then-incumbent mayor Republican Nat Robertson eight years ago.)
robtaber.bsky.social
In the early vote, incumbent Mayor Mitch Colvin is out to a commanding 55% lead (he previously announced he wasn't running for re-election and then filed), followed by Mayor Pro Tem Kathy Keefe Jensen with 14% and City Councilor Mario Benavente with 10% and the other seven all in single digits.
robtaber.bsky.social
A wee bit of a collective action problem during filing
robtaber.bsky.social
We've got a 10-way nonpartisan primary for Mayor and primaries in five of our nine city council districts. Top two in each race go on to the November general election.
robtaber.bsky.social
PSA: remind your first-year university students that they need to turn on "anyone can view" if they're submitting assignments by pasting a link into the Canvas submission box.
robtaber.bsky.social
Blinks in Faculty Assembly.
rmfifthcircuit.bsky.social
I'm starting to think a good law school exam would be "produce a single draft that accurately reflects the comments you've received" and the question is a single word document with tracked changes from 8 different people at unspecified times interspersed with comment bubbles.
Reposted by Rob Taber
larrylevitt.bsky.social
We estimate that ACA marketplace enrollees will see their out-of-pocket premiums increase by 114% if enhanced tax credits are not extended. That translates to an average premium increase of $1,016 per enrollee.
www.kff.org/affordable-c...
robtaber.bsky.social
Rouzer's email today was particularly pathetic.
Reposted by Rob Taber
charlesgaba.com
33. #NORTHCAROLINA: ~945,000 ACA enrollees

Avg gross rate change: +28.9% (FINAL)

Avg gross 2026 premium: $821/mo

NET 2026 increase for 64-yr old couple earning $100K/yr if enhanced tax credits expire: +355%

acasignups.net/ira-subsidy-...
North Carolina: Impact on net benchmark Silver plan premiums if enhanced ACA tax credits expire
Reposted by Rob Taber
govpritzker.illinois.gov
This morning, the Trump Administration’s Department of War gave me an ultimatum: call up your troops, or we will. It is absolutely outrageous and un-American to demand a Governor send military troops within our own borders and against our will.
robtaber.bsky.social
Ok, but looking over the stats and Terry Sanford was the team that did the BEST against Chapel Hill High's A team today (😮)

(Love to walk Sarah through the stats to argue why a 475-190 loss is actually really impressive. And I'm sure she loves it too.)
robtaber.bsky.social
Took the local high school's quizbowl team to their first invitational tournament. Observations:

-The proper ratio for the lunch order is two medium pizzas for every three players, assuming there are sides available.

-If the next "team" you're facing consists of one sole boy, you will lose.
robtaber.bsky.social
Also, I always, always forget how tall teenagers are in other parts of North Carolina.
robtaber.bsky.social
I don't know if the gender ratio at NC invitationals is always this skewed (regionals & virtual play are more balanced) or if being in the thick of Homecoming season impacted things.
robtaber.bsky.social
Took the local high school's quizbowl team to their first invitational tournament. Observations:

-The proper ratio for the lunch order is two medium pizzas for every three players, assuming there are sides available.

-If the next "team" you're facing consists of one sole boy, you will lose.
Reposted by Rob Taber
sarahtaber.bsky.social
me, a small farmer: Small farmers in the US aren't poor. Most are middle class at LEAST. Here's the data if you don't believe me

City Folks(TM): But have you considered all the Details? This info distresses me. Therefore you, Small Farmer, must be mistaken

ppl from farm country: haha I know right
Reposted by Rob Taber
erininthemorning.com
Democrats are holding strong on the shutdown, which means that this will likely go into next week. This is showing signs of being a very protracted shutdown.

Nobody wants to vote for the “clean CR” without the ACA protections and protections against Trump’s rescissions.
jamiedupree.bsky.social
Same switches as the previous 3 Senate filibuster votes:
Cortez Masto D-NV, Fetterman D-PA, and King I-ME voted for the House-passed CR.

Rand Paul R-KY voted with the Democrats.

2 Senators missed the vote: Coons D-DE and Moran R-KS.

Next vote expected on Monday.
robtaber.bsky.social
Weird that after an episode of Jeopardy ends, Peacock plays Days of Our Lives. Wheel of Fortune is right there!
Reposted by Rob Taber
prisonculture.bsky.social
Let's annotate:
1. Who did it? Clearly assigns blame.
2. Why did the culprits do it? Motive.
3. What must be done in response?
zohrankmamdani.bsky.social
Overnight, Trump and Republicans in Congress shut down the federal government.

They shut it down because they’re determined to strip healthcare from millions of Americans, to enrich the billionaires they serve, to continue the assault on our rights.

We must fight back.
Reposted by Rob Taber
almsnatalie.bsky.social
NEW: At least 10 watchdog websites are dark after OMB withheld funds from a watchdog council, removing access to thousands of watchdog reports and required whistleblower links.

OMB's move to withhold funds - which has received Republican pushback - is separate from the shutdown.
Government watchdog websites go dark as OMB withholds funds from IG committee
The Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency is funded largely through a no-year revolving account, rather than the regular appropriations that lapsed Oct. 1.
www.nextgov.com
Reposted by Rob Taber
joshuajfriedman.com
One of my favorite anecdotes from THE PREHISTORY OF THE FAR SIDE: "That doesn't sound like the Jane Goodall we know."
A few days after this cartoon was published, my syndicate received a very indignant letter from someone representing the Jane Goodall Institute.
Not only did my syndicate and I both get read the Riot Act, there was a vague implication that litigation over this cartoon might be around the corner.
I was horrified. Not so much from a fear of being sued (I just couldn't see how this cartoon could be construed as anything but silly, but because of my deep respect for Jane Goodall and her well-known contributions to pri-matology. The last thing in the world I would have intentionally done was offend Dr. Goodall in any way.
Before I had a chance to write my apology, another complication arose.
The National Geographic Society contacted my syndicate and expressed a desire to reprint the cartoon in a special centennial issue of their magazine. My editor, aware of what had just occurred, declined, explaining why.
Apparently, whoever it was that sent the inquiry from National Geographic was shocked. They told my editor that "that doesn't sound like the Jane Goodall we know." They did some checking themselves, and an interesting fact was eventually discovered: Jane Goodall loved the cartoon. Furthermore, she was totally unaware that any of this "stuff" was going on. Some phone calls were made, and the cartoon was not only reprinted in the centennial issue of National Geographic, but was also used by her Institute on a T-shirt for fund-raising purposes.
I've since had an opportunity to visit Dr. Goodall at her research facility in Gombe. It's a wonderful place (sort of like right out of National Geographic).
"To refer to Dr. Goodall as a tramp is inexcusable even by a self-described 'loony' as Larson. The cartoon was incredibly offensive and in such poor taste that readers might well question the editorial judgment of running such an atrocity in a newspaper that reputes to be supplying news to persons with a better than average intelligence. The cartoon and its message were absolutely stupid." —Excerpt from the above-mentioned letter that started the ruckus