iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Alex Hertel-Fernandez

JS Tan @js-tan.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

We're in @wired.com this morning with an excerpt from our book AGAINST TECH OLIGARCHY. Check it out- this excerpts goes into how tech worker activism and class struggle within the sector was one of the key factors in pushing tech elites to Trump and the MAGA right.

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Adam Bonica @adambonica.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

I wrote this because most journalists facing this pressure can’t. The paper we count on to check authoritarianism spiked an investigation into the Democratic Party because the party’s lawyers threatened to sue. Holding authoritarians accountable starts with holding your own side accountable.

data4democracy.substack.com

With Fear and Favor

Institutions don’t have courage. They have incentives.

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Alex Hertel-Fernandez @awhf.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

📢 TOMORROW! Join a @columbiaigp.bsky.social webinar joint with Workshop to understand what American workers think about AI and what they want from policy. Featuring a fantastic lineup from Workshop, @groundwork.bsky.social, @cljeharvard.bsky.social, @domesticworkers.bsky.social, @aflcio.org!

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Sam Bagenstos @sbagen.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Thread. I'm so pleased and honored to have been able to contribute in a small way to this project.

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Alex Hertel-Fernandez @awhf.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Over the past year, Sam Berger, Sophie Jacobson, and I have been thinking about how a federal rebuilding must center power-shifting, building civil society power for democracy. In @donmoyn.bsky.social's Substack we wrote up our lessons; we're excited to share what we're learning! 1/

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Henry Farrell @himself.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

I remember seeing someone (very reasonably) complaining here a few days ago that there seems to be next to no visible thinking on left and center about how to join the dots on administration and democracy. This is the beginnings of an answer to that complaint donmoynihan.substack.com/p/rebuilding...

donmoynihan.substack.com

Rebuilding Democracy Requires Rebalancing Power

What does a power-shifting agenda look like?

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Alex Hertel-Fernandez @awhf.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Join us for the second day of our annual @cape-team.bsky.social research conference, starting today at noon!

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Alex Hertel-Fernandez @awhf.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Could not agree more with @ryanenos.bsky.social. Columbia has lost so much credibility in the eyes of its faculty, students, and staff and is still at the whims of Trump. According to CU's climate survey, >80%of employees feel the university is not aligned with professional and ethical values.

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Alex Hertel-Fernandez @awhf.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Our annual @cape-team.bsky.social research conference on American Political Economy starts today at noon! Come join us for a discussion on new frontiers in APE scholarship, climate politics, and identity and symbolic politics and its intersection with political economy!

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Alex Hertel-Fernandez @awhf.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Excited to moderate this joint @columbiaigp.bsky.social + Workshop webinar with a great panel of folks to understand what Americans are thinking about AI policy amidst all of the debates about AI's impact on our economy and communities. Tune in live here August 5th at noon!

youtube.com

What Do American Workers Want from AI Policy?

YouTube video by Columbia SIPA

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Reposted by Alex Hertel-Fernandez

Columbia Institute of Global Politics @columbiaigp.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

How are American workers thinking about AI, & what do they want from AI policy? Tune in to this Columbia IGP webinar on August 5 @ 12pm ET: youtube.com/live/xcuyP9z... Speakers: Mary Beech, @alexsjacquez.bsky.social, @michelleimiller.bsky.social, @aijenpoo.bsky.social, @awhf.bsky.social, Jen Klein

youtube.com

What Do American Workers Want from AI Policy?

YouTube video by Columbia SIPA

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Alex Hertel-Fernandez @awhf.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Trump, his family, and his administration has been unprecedentedly corrupt. 2028 candidates should respond by pledging to return the money to the American people as a corruption rebate. Sabeel Rahman, Jamie Keene, Rakeen Mabud, and I flesh out the idea for @bharatramamurti.bsky.social's Substack.

bharatramamurti.substack.com

Guest Post: Americans Are Owed a Trump Corruption Rebate

In his second term, President Trump has illegally accepted a $400 million Boeing 747 from the government of Qatar.

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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 10/07/2026

really think that if democrats hold any chamber of congress next year that a condition of passing a budget is the removal of russ vought, who has a genuinely tyrannical vision of presidential power and is a focal point of the lawlessness of the trump administration

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Phil Rocco @philiprocco.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

In the last century, there has never been an attack on the whole edifice of federal fiscal policy this severe. The reason is that all of them have presumed to rely *on Congress to pass a bill*. Automatic sunsets (60s), block grants (70s), budget cuts (80s) all crashed on these shoals.

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Roosevelt Institute @rooseveltinstitute.org · 09/07/2026

Gig companies have long argued that classifying workers as independent contractors is the only way to preserve flexibility. A smart piece in @prospect.org from @profsheenalives.bsky.social explains why that narrative doesn't hold up and what flexibility is really protecting.

prospect.org

The Dangerous Myth of Flexibility - The American Prospect

Uber and Lyft insist it benefits their drivers. In actuality, it benefits Uber and Lyft.

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Columbia Institute of Global Politics @columbiaigp.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

“Democracy is not a static thing. We constantly need to fight to rejuvenate democracy and make it work for working people” IGP Faculty Advisory Board Member & American Democracy Initiative Director @awhf.bsky.social joined Mila Atmos (a @columbiasipa.bsky.social alum!) on @futurehindsight.com.

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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 29/06/2026

need to start thinking now about a full package of judicial reforms: new justices, new circuits, new district courts, ethics reforms, docket reforms, and transparency reforms.

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Alex Hertel-Fernandez @awhf.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

I really enjoyed chatting with @milaatmos.bsky.social for @futurehindsight.com about why we need to think about rebuilding people power as part of rebuilding our democracy after Trump, how government can unlock more organizing opportunities, and more!

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Senator Andy Kim @kim.senate.gov · 26/05/2026

I saw chaos inside and outside of the ICE detention center Delaney Hall today. Detainees protesting the lack of due process, the disgusting food and poor treatment while their families and advocates stood outside calling for help. 1/4

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Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin @ecmclaughlin.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

This photo of Andy Kim in the moments before ICE gassed everyone at Delaney Hall is going into the history books. We need more of this from our electeds.

Senator Andy Kim runs into the street as an ICE armored vehicle behind him prepares to deploy chemical agents against protestors in front of Delaney Hall concentration camp in Newark, NJ. His hands are outstretched and he appears to be shouting.

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Jameel Jaffer @jameeljaffer.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

Why do faculty and students have so little say in the governance of American universities? This terrific new paper by Daniel Hemel and David Pozen asks why American universities are liberal autocracies rather than stakeholder democracies. papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

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Sam Bagenstos @sbagen.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

I don't know that this is specifically the GC perspective, but I'd note a few things here. One is that this whole travesty underscores just how anti-republican and anti-constitutional is SCOTUS's current extreme unitary executive theory.

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Reposted by Alex Hertel-Fernandez

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

Extremely relevant today - our new report on the state of the rule of law in America brightlinewatch.org/erosion-of-t... Most notably, 91% of legal experts say Trump's DOJ provides favors or benefits to the his allies, including 56% of legal conservatives. Findings thread below; please read/share.

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Jameel Jaffer @jameeljaffer.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

If you're okay with everything in this speech except for the line about Gaza, as U-M's president seems to be, you're not advocating for "neutrality"--you're exploiting the rhetoric of neutrality to suppress ideas you don't like.

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Alex Hertel-Fernandez @awhf.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

Excited that this piece with my colleague Kate Andrias is out in the world! On the anniversary of abundance the book and May Day, we lay out how worker power has to be part of any abundance movement. Grateful to @monicapotts.bsky.social for writing about the report: newrepublic.com/article/2096...

newrepublic.com

Unions or Abundance? That’s a False Choice.

A new report argues that the labor movement is a key ally in the movement to build things more quickly.

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Groundwork Collaborative @groundwork.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

NY’s first-ever deputy mayor for economic justice, @juliesulabor.bsky.social, released new priorities: In: Affordable housing, free childcare, & city-owned grocery stores. Out: Billions in tax breaks & incentives to big developers & employers, unless they improve the lives of working New Yorkers.

thecity.nyc

Mamdani’s ‘Economic Justice’ Deputy Wants a Bigger Pie

In a dramatic shift, Deputy Mayor Julie Su says progressive policies will lift New York City’s economy.

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Reposted by Alex Hertel-Fernandez

Neil Lewis, Jr. @neillewisjr.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

One of the most clarifying passages I've ever read on what "polarization" actually means in the U.S."

Excerpt from the book How Democracies Die.

"America's democratic norms, then, were born in a context of exclusion. As long as the political community was restricted largely to whites, Democrats and Republicans had much in common. Neither party was likely to view the other as an existential threat. The process of racial inclusion that began after World War II and culminated in the 1964 Civil Rights Act and 1965 Voting Rights Act would, at long last, fully democratization the United States. But it would also polarized it, posing the greatest challenge to established forms of mutual tolerating and forbearance since Reconstruction."

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Jess Calarco @jessicacalarco.com · 27/04/2026

I remember, in grad school, Chuck Bosk telling us, re: ethnography--if you haven't pissed someone off with your research, you probably haven't done enough to interrogate systems of power.

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Michael Clemens @mclem.org · 27/04/2026

The United States now has the most government restrictions on academic freedom of any high-income country. www.chemistryworld.com/news/academi... Raw data from @vdeminstitute.bsky.social —> academic-freedom-index.net/research/Aca...

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Alex Hertel-Fernandez @awhf.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

Excited to be in conversation with distinguished labor leaders Mary Kay Henry, @aijenpoo.bsky.social, and @juliesulabor.bsky.social at @columbiaigp.bsky.social together with my colleague Jen Klein! We'll be talking about the intersection of workers, economic policy, and democracy. Tune in below!

youtube.com

Supporting Working Families for a Strong Economy and Democracy

YouTube video by Columbia SIPA

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Washington Center for Equitable Growth @equitablegrowth.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

New research from @awhf.bsky.social highlights how workplace technologies don't impact all workers equally—and why strong worker voice and protections matter as these tools become more common. Findings point to clear disparities that call for stronger safeguards. equitablegrowth.org/research-pap...

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Zach Dickson @zachdickson.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Thrilled that my paper (w/@sarahobolt.bsky.social,@catherinedevries.bsky.social,@simonecremaschi.bsky.social) was accepted at the American Political Science Review! We find that declining public services fuel support for the populist right — and show why the right benefits more than other parties 🧵

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Alex Hertel-Fernandez @awhf.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Excited to be co-hosting this event with a fantastic line-up of speakers discussing the connection between economic policy, workers, and democracy with Mary Kay Henry, Jennifer Klein, Ai-jen Poo, and Deputy Mayor Julie Su! Tune in on April 15th.

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Washington Center for Equitable Growth @equitablegrowth.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

2/ Alex's recent report highlights important findings about union members’ experiences with provisions related to automated management and surveillance tools in their collective bargaining agreements. Learn more ➡️ equitablegrowth.org/research-pap...

equitablegrowth.org

How union contracts are protecting U.S. workers from automated management and surveillance in the workplace

Findings from a survey of unionized U.S. workers about members’ experiences with provisions related to automated management and surveillance tools in their CBAs.

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Alex Hertel-Fernandez @awhf.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

Was great to share research on how workers are experiencing automated management and surveillance at the @aflciotech.bsky.social summit! Feeling inspired by the great labor focus on how workers can help steer design and implementation of AI tools in the workplace!

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Washington Center for Equitable Growth @equitablegrowth.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

1/ Our fellow for Policy and Advocacy, Megan Rivera, and visiting fellow Alexander Hertel-Fernandez (@awhf.bsky.social) spoke today @aflciotech.bsky.social's Workers First AI Summit, highlighting Equitable Growth's investments in AI research.

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Jesse Felder @jessefelder.com · 23/03/2026

‘While state and federal prosecutors have sent record numbers of people to prison for violent crimes and property- and drug-related offenses, the US retreated from prosecuting and punishing white-collar crime, despite a tsunami of elite-level wrongdoing.’ www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

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Washington Center for Equitable Growth @equitablegrowth.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

A new survey of unionized U.S. workers reaffirms that continuous productivity monitoring combined with explicit or implicit performance targets contributes to higher rates of mental distress and physical injury. More about the research from @awhf.bsky.social 🔗:

equitablegrowth.org

How union contracts are protecting U.S. workers from automated management and surveillance in the workplace

Findings from a survey of unionized U.S. workers about members’ experiences with provisions related to automated management and surveillance tools in their CBAs.

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Reposted by Alex Hertel-Fernandez

Tim Newman @tnewmsblues.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

“One of the best predictors of whether or not you apply for [unemployment] benefits and you receive them is if you belong to a union, because the union helps you understand the process and can even help you with the application,” - @awhf.bsky.social fortune.com/2026/03/09/a...

fortune.com

AI layoffs are coming. The problem may be compounded because nearly 75% of people don't apply for unemployment benefits | Fortune

Many don’t apply because they don’t believe they will be eligible for benefits.

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Jameel Jaffer @jameeljaffer.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

“The agents gained entry by stating they were police searching for a missing child.” Message from Claire Shipman, Columbia’s Acting President, to the Columbia community, sent a few minutes ago.

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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

What happens now that the Ellisons will have both CBS News, plus CNN? *Dems could set out a populist anti-trust platform for the next election *Desperate need for new independent media sources - follow nonprofit or other models What else?

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