iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Billie Jean Sweeney

Dhruv Mehrotra @dmehro.bsky.social · 17h

NEW: DHS agents tracked people observing ICE arrests, photographed them, ran their plates, pulled personal information, and added them to a Palantir database, according to newly unsealed court filings. w/ @regret.bsky.social

wired.com

ICE Has Been Dumping Protester Photos Into a Palantir Database

DHS agents not only tracked and intimidated people observing ICE activity in Maine, but stored information about them in a Palantir-built database, newly unsealed court filings say.

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Billie Jean Sweeney @billiejsweeney.bsky.social · 14h

Elon Musk is a very dangerous individual. He’s invaded the privacy of every American thru his DOGE scam and he provides a platform for virulent racism and exploitation of women. Death threats against doctors? Musk will stop at nothing until voters demand accountability from Republicans

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Billie Jean Sweeney @billiejsweeney.bsky.social · 14h

Every Democrat should demand from every Republican why they are taking campaign money from Musk, a racist, misogynist and scam artist subsidized by US tax dollars

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Evan Urquhart @evanurquhart.bsky.social · 23h

We expect victims to be pure at the start and act as if they're being victimized, but the truth is people who have already made some bad or risky decisions tend to be easier prey. Until our understanding of rape fully internalizes this we wont see change.

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Billie Jean Sweeney @billiejsweeney.bsky.social · 23h

The tide is turning. The poll finds “more Americans oppose bans on transgender youth care than support them, with the gap narrowing even among Republicans”

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Katelyn Burns @katelynburns.com · 23h

For my Friday Sick Burns paid newsletter post, I wrote about the Democratic party consultant problem and how it's killing a key Senate race. www.burnsnotice.com/fire-the-con...

burnsnotice.com

Fire the Consultants

The Democratic Party will win this fall in spite of the consultants, not because of them

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Billie Jean Sweeney @billiejsweeney.bsky.social · 22h

Exactly … “These guys get paid whether they win elections or not, and a lot of them are simply bad at winning elections” Consultant brain is what told Ohio’s Acton that she should call trans girls “boys” That’s a very winnable elex for D’s but it’s a dead heat rn

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Erin Reed @erininthemorning.com · 30/09/2026

When Third Way says that Dems should hold off their anti-trans strategies, you know things are changing. The organization tends to be more centrist, and they are noticing the same thing the far-right is... the Republican anti-trans campaign cycle is NOT working this year.

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Billie Jean Sweeney @billiejsweeney.bsky.social · 23h

The tide is turning. The poll finds “more Americans oppose bans on transgender youth care than support them, with the gap narrowing even among Republicans”

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Erin Reed @erininthemorning.com · 01/10/2026

This kind of stuff really shows how anti-trans sports bans and policies meant to segregate trans people really have nothing to do with "competitive advantage." All this trans girl wanted to do was run for homecoming queen. Like the students would still have to vote for her to even win!

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Riki Wilchins @rikiwilchins.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

@rikiwilchins.bsky.social 2026 Sep SCOTUS, which has given Trump everything he wants including of course on gutting trans rights is at its lowest approval ever: 61% vs just 34% who approve, with a 54% majority saying they have little trust or confidence it the court.

axios.com

Americans' thumbs-down verdict on SCOTUS

The high court's disapproval is tied for the record high.

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Marianne Dhenin @mariannedhe.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Have you seen my interview with Evan Urquhart? Evan founded Assigned Media, and I asked him what it's like to run one of the most trusted and most beloved trans news sites. Don't miss it! CC @evanurquhart.bsky.social @assignedmedia.org

newsletter.mariannedhenin.com

Journos on Journos: Evan Urquhart

The founder of Assigned Media shares what it means to write trans news that the community trusts.

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Stéphanie says… 🏴‍☠️🦈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ @stephaniejane.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Trans people have been saying this for YEARS. But, oh no, it’s not until they discover that punching down and beating trans people to a pulp is not having the desired effect and, if anything, it’s leading to things that could affect them and their loved ones. Honestly, this makes me want to scream

ASSIGNED MEDIA
: Menu
Republicans are using transphobia "as a wedge issue for the broader erosion of rights," Hack said. "We saw this playbook with abortion where they incrementally rolled back reproductive rights. And it's incumbent upon Democrats to prove to us that they will stand by our fundamental freedoms."

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Billie Jean Sweeney @billiejsweeney.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Schilling's group, American Principles Project, is funded by the billionaire right-winger Richard Uihlein. Uihlein also finances opposition to women’s reproductive rights and government environmental regulations, along with the promotion of strict voter ID laws that encourage disenfranchisement.

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Amanda Marcotte @amandamarcotte.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

"If the right really believes in the value of due process, then they would let it play out, instead of dogpiling and harassing accusers so that future victims are too scared to report crimes." www.salon.com/2026/10/02/c...

salon.com

Cornell assault case shows #MeToo didn’t go far enough

The backlash against the woman suing Chi Phi fraternity members is turning into a witch hunt

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Amanda Marcotte @amandamarcotte.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

It was hard, especially as a survivor, but I dug through the court documents and the right-wing reaction to the Cornell case. What I've learned is the backlash to #MeToo did its job, reinscribing hatred of survivors. We need more #MeToo, not less. www.salon.com/2026/10/02/c...

salon.com

Cornell assault case shows #MeToo didn’t go far enough

The backlash against the woman suing Chi Phi fraternity members is turning into a witch hunt

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Billie Jean Sweeney @billiejsweeney.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Terry Schilling, a main architect of Republicans’ transphobic campaign messaging, has talked about the "magic" in spreading hate-driven propaganda. "How do win, how do we replicate this on other issues?” he asked on a right-wing podcast. What might those issues be?

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Guardian US @us.theguardian.com · 01/10/2026

Many men rape; many men giggle encouragingly, or shrug indifferently, when their friends rape. Many men rape, and few seem to think that it’s a very big deal, writes columnist Moira Donegan

theguardian.com

The horror of the Cornell rape case is how ordinary it is | Moira Donegan

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Nicole Bedera @nbedera.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Every single newspaper that reported that Jane Doe “changed her story” should be rushing to publish retractions right now. This case should be a lesson in taking a DA’s victim-blaming statements at face value. Victims do not report to the police because they thought nothing happened to them.

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Nicole Bedera @nbedera.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Exactly.

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Billie Jean Sweeney @billiejsweeney.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Bacon: “The problem is that lots of liberal activists and elites are having their perspectives shaped by the nyt in 2026.” Me: For the past 4 years, the nyt has consistently misshaped news about trans ppl, promoting medical falsehoods and repeating right-wing fabrications.

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Billie Jean Sweeney @billiejsweeney.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Fwiw I’m imploring the “liberal activists and elites” Perry writes about to shun the nyt’s coverage of trans ppl as biased And as ever Arthur I’m imploring you to change course.

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Billie Jean Sweeney @billiejsweeney.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

At its worst, the nyt has demonised trans ppl themselves. I worked at the nyt 11 years and saw how this bias took shape. I’ve written to Sulzberger many times and have discussed this problem publicly on @assignedmedia.org and elsewhere assignedmedia.org/breaking-new...

assignedmedia.org

Does The New York Times Want to Eradicate Trans People? - Assigned Media

An analysis of its coverage reveals a pattern of misrepresentations, deceptions, distortions, the exclusion of trans voices, and the endorsement of contempt.

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Billie Jean Sweeney @billiejsweeney.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

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Perry Bacon @perrybaconjr.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

"A liberalism that forcefully confronts authoritarianism, oligarchy, climate change, and the numerous other enormous challenges that we face will almost certainly be one that is less attuned to the views of America's most influential paper." newrepublic.com/article/2160...

newrepublic.com

The Left Must Fight The New York Times’ Monopoly Too

The paper’s editorial vision is out of step with the robust liberalism needed today.

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Julia Carrie Wong @joolia.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Which is not to say that the Times shouldn’t report on what it gets, just that it is worth thinking about who benefits from focusing attention on the state of mind of a teenager, versus the practices of a major institution

Cornell, citing student privacy rules, declined to give details about how the individual men were punished. It said Monday that it gave the men "a range of sanctions, which included expulsions and suspensions." Thomas Giuffra, the lawyer who represents Jane Doe, has said in interviews that only two of the men were expelled, and that his client did not feel justice had been done.

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Lex McMenamin (they/them) @lexmcmenamin.com · 01/10/2026

in July an ICE agent killed Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero. just 6 months prior, agents abducted 100 people in 3 days during "Catch of the Day" I joined Mainers monitoring an ICE facility despite harassment, making memorials, protesting Congress, and caring for their neighbors @us.theguardian.com

theguardian.com

ICE got ‘quieter’ – then killed a father in Maine. Now watch groups are shifting their tactics too

ICE-watchers get creative after the killing of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, as Trump’s immigration crackdown takes a more secretive approach

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 01/10/2026

I recommend people read this to get a sense of the president's grave cognitive impairment. Trump is either unwilling or unable (or maybe both) to answer the questions he's actually asked, so he just rants and raves while the interviewers do their best to provide structure to his random brain firings

time.com

Read TIME’s ‘What Trump Has Built’ Interview Transcript

The U.S. President discussed the war in Iran, press freedom, AI, and more ahead of the midterm elections.

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Team Talarico @teamtalaricohq.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Ken Paxton offered plea deals to at least 10 students accused of raping their classmates.

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Billie Jean Sweeney @billiejsweeney.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

You “used machine learning and stylometrics” to allege someone has been “hiding AI-generated text” Lmao. What garbage. You claim to be a trans site? Jesse Singal is trumpeting your claims to advance his transphobic agenda

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I Scare You Like Sound Dog @chadstanton.blacksky.app · 28/09/2026

It’s been darkly amusing watching people deal with the fact that Trump actually had not imposed a permanent change to our culture and politics that would allow them to be their worst selves without friction. Some are doubling down, hence the neighborhood bar fascination, and others are pivoting hard

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I Scare You Like Sound Dog @chadstanton.blacksky.app · 01/10/2026

His entire business model hinges on hoovering up public money and then turning around to use some of that money to promote white supremacy which somehow brings in more public money.

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Barred and Boujee aka Madiba Dennie @audrelawdamercy.blacksky.app · 01/10/2026

This is exactly the shit I was talking about Apparently, as @chrisgeidner.bsky.social just put it, "harm is a feeling that Republican officials are not allowed to suffer," yet "an execution carried out while a case challenging that execution is still pending" is not www.lawdork.com/p/the-big-pr...

lawdork.com

The big problems with Wednesday’s SCOTUS order allowing a Tennessee execution

SCOTUS cleared the way for Tennessee to kill Christa Pike over the dissent of the Democratic appointees. The order from the court’s Republican appointees is alarming on several fronts.

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Olivia Messer @oliviamesser.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

This 33-year-old nurse told the FBI she knew she was “going to set him free” after border patrol agents brought in a man whose face was bloodied and seriously injured. She treated him and helped him escape, and she faces charges now. He got away, and they never relocated him.

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Billie Jean Sweeney @billiejsweeney.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Jonathan McKinsey was the victim. You @nypost.com demonised him on day 1 in the first few words of your lede. You are a disgrace to the press and humanity

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Maggie Astor @maggieastor.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

The 988 suicide prevention hotline's Press 3 option — which provides specialized services to LGBTQ callers — has been restored more than a year after the Trump administration shut it down. Confirmed by HHS and the office of Senator Tammy Baldwin, who led on legislation that forced its restoration

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Nicole Bedera @nbedera.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I hope the survivors who came forward years or decades ago know that they are the reason the Cornell case is resonating the way it is. Every single one of you helped pave a path for people to understand the harms of rape and institutional betrayal. Thank you. I know it’s hard. But thank you.

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Billie Jean Sweeney @billiejsweeney.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Transphobia is designed by the right to drive a wedge bw Democratic constituencies to undermine women’s health care rights, racial equity, voting rights and climate science. It’s “magic” one of the main architects of the strategy brashly says. But if there ever was a spell, it’s wearing off

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Gillian Brockell @gillianbrockell.com · 01/10/2026

The “states’ rights” people in the past knew it was bullshit back then too, because slaver states wouldn’t let free states pass laws protecting self-emancipated people within their borders.

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Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

It's hard to fathom that, let alone be OK with the fact that, the six people who allowed tonight to happen will start hearing cases next week, the outcome of which will affect us all.

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Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I've been covering the death penalty in depth for a dozen years now, and few nights have been as disturbing and dispiriting as tonight. This was a moral, ethical, and legal failure on several different fronts from many different actors. It wasn't *just* SCOTUS, though they sure were a key part.

lawdork.com

After SCOTUS allowed Tennessee execution to go ahead, Tennessee botched the execution

SCOTUS, over the liberals’ dissent, cleared the way for Tennessee to kill Christa Pike. The alarming order from DC was followed by even more disturbing developments in Tennessee.

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Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

In light of the news of Tennessee’s botched execution tonight, revisiting my colleague @laurengill.bsky.social’s piece on witnessing Alabama attempt to experiment with execution methods to kill a man. boltsmag.org/alabama-nitr...

boltsmag.org

“Agony” and “Suffering” as Alabama Experiments with Nitrogen Executions - Bolts

Alabama said Alan Miller’s execution by lethal gas would be “more humane.” He writhed and gasped for air in his final moments.

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Nicole Bedera @nbedera.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

This is a good list. The #1 biggest problem in Title IX is that there is no oversight and massive conflicts of interest. Schools can (and do) prioritize the institution over survivors, even when it requires breaking the law. Independent investigations would change that.

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