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Blaine Stum

@bstum.bsky.social
468 followers 629 following 418 posts

DC Council Staffer 🏛️ Staunchly Pro-Democracy Former CJ TA Provider/Researcher Gay Cat Owner 🏳️‍🌈😸 Movie and Music Nerd 🎥🎶🤓 **All Opinions My Own**

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Reposted by Blaine Stum
Susan Rinkunas @susanrinkunas.com · 30/09/2026
To recap: three GOP-led states that wanted the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade in order to "send abortion back to the states" are now asking the Court to strike down abortion protections in blue states
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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Russ Vought just sent a rescissions request to Congress, signaling he intends to illegally impound funds. The $810 million highlighted in this “request” (but this is a pretext to just illegally impound the funds) is not the exhaustive list of many billions of dollars he’s impounding this year.
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@GottaLaff @gottalaff.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Election interference
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Corey Rayburn Yung @coreyryung.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
He doesn't understand how risk pooling or insurance fraud works. People who "never file a claim" subsidize everyone else and cannot be committing insurance fraud (which requires filing claims).
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Blaine Stum @bstum.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Last few weeks have been super fun: Still experiencing my first bout with eczema (0/10 do not recommend) and sprained my back (also 0/10) the other day.
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Defector @defector.com · 28/08/2026
1998 should always be remembered as the year DMX took over the world. defector.com/the-year-dmx...
defector.com
The Year DMX Painted The World Blood Red | Defector
The most awe-inspiring thing in music is when an artist takes over the world. At least back when there was a monoculture, it was possible for a single person to dominate collective attention, at…
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Ally Whelan @amwhelan.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Dolly Parton, Superstar Whose Songs Spoke to Millions, Dies at 80
nytimes.com
Dolly Parton, Superstar Whose Songs Spoke to Millions, Dies at 80 (Gift Article)
Known for her outsize persona, appearance and talent, she rose from rural poverty to become a top-selling singer, songwriter and entrepreneur.
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Pierce @pierceah66.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
RIP Dolly www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
nbcnews.com
Dolly Parton, country music icon, dies at 80
Her death came after in May 2026 she announced she was canceling a Las Vegas show and said she’d been undergoing treatment for kidney stones for several years.
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NBC4 Washington @nbcwashington.com · 24/08/2026
“You come Monday, someone’s gone.” Students in the D.C. area describe the effects of immigration enforcement.
nbcwashington.com
‘You come Monday, someone's gone': How immigration enforcement is affecting DMV schools
As millions of students across the country prepare to head back to school, the News4 I-Team examined the impacts of President Trump‘s immigration enforcement operations on schools in the D.C. area, fr...
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Blaine Stum @bstum.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
The level naivety some academics possess is astonishing....
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Christina Henderson @chenderson.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Nope, we’re not. Downtown DC has had ongoing road closures since July 20 for this one event. And that will stretch until the first week of September. 7 weeks of this is enough.
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Blaine Stum @bstum.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
This is so real, and it's true for all policy-related jobs, frankly. I remember when I was interviewed for (what would become) my first policy job by a Councilmember in Spokane circa 2012....
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Nick Carnes @carnes.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Working-class people almost never go on to become politicians, and that's not a fluke or a recent development: it's a ***built-in feature of elections*** in all democracies (w/ @noamlupu.bsky.social) theconversation.com/why-working-...
theconversation.com
Why working-class people account for around 1% of lawmakers in the US – and only 2% in the average democracy around the world
Campaigning anywhere for any office at any level of government is personally burdensome.
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Brad Heath @bradheath.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
President Donald Trump sent thousands of National Guard to Washington as what he has said is an effort to get tough on an epidemic of crime. They seldom actually fight crime. Soldiers have been involved in about 1.3% of the city's criminal cases since they arrived. www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
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Adam Bonica @adambonica.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
The fundraising texts you delete are working on someone. It’s infuriating and heartbreaking. An 85yo in Ohio gave more than double the value of his home. A 91yo in an Indianapolis senior facility gave 25K times. The DCCC/DSCC don’t just tolerate the spammers who exploit seniors. They take part.
data4democracy.substack.com
Hook and Squeeze
How Democratic consultants, committees, and party leaders built a fundraising spam pipeline that funnels money from a captive pool of elderly donors into their own operations.
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Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
Disturbing @adambonica.bsky.social analysis of the Democratic scam PAC ecosystem and how the tactics they employ are also used by mainstream party orgs and elected officials to take advantage of vulnerable seniors data4democracy.substack.com/p/hook-and-s...
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Hakeem Jefferson @hakeemjefferson.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
“I was asked not to mention the Times at all. I’m choosing not to honor that norm, b/c silence abt how accountability journalism gets suppressed is itself a form of suppression.” Read the back story of how @nytimes.com and @thebulwark.com killed @adambonica.bsky.social’s piece. What a mf badass.
data4democracy.substack.com
With Fear and Favor
Institutions don’t have courage. They have incentives.
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Blaine Stum @bstum.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
I’ve been in my current place for 7 years, but am about to move to a new building so I can live with my partner. I’ve had a wonderful experience at my current property, but the cost of moving reminds me of why so many people who don’t have good experiences stay put.
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Reuters @reuters.com · 03/08/2026
About 60,000 ordered to evacuate from fires in Spokane, Washington reut.rs/4caRSYf
reut.rs
About 60,000 ordered to evacuate from fires in Spokane, Washington
Around 60,000 people have been ordered to evacuate as ​wildfires threaten the city of Spokane ‌in Washington state, local officials said Sunday, adding the fires in the region had destroyed 600 ​buildings, including homes and businesses.
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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
NEWS: @chairmanmendelson.com has fired back at @mayorbowser.dc.gov after she returned the 2027 budget unsigned and criticized the D.C. Council for its spending decisions. "At a time when our government is under siege, it not constructive to take gratuitous pot shots at your co-equal branch."
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Murshed Zaheed @murshedz.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
“Trump has rejected disaster aid for Democratic-run states at the highest rate in the 47-year history of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.” Right now people in blue states are basically paying federal taxes as if they’re colonized territories of red states. www.politico.com/news/2026/03...
Trump has denied most disaster requests from Democratic-led states

A graph  showing Presidential approval rates for disaster requests from Democratic-led states and Republican-led states

Source: POLITICO's E&E News analysis of FEMA records
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Blaine Stum @bstum.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
In their letter, DoorDash seems to be conflating the passive congressional review that all of our legislation undergoes with active approval. Suffice to say, those are not even close to the same thing.
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Blaine Stum @bstum.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Another day that ends in "y" and another proposal to interfere in the District's affairs. www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/ju...
washingtontimes.com
Comer moves to give Congress veto power over D.C. tax hikes
House Oversight Chairman James Comer on Thursday introduced legislation that would require congressional approval of any act passed by the D.C. Council that would impose or increase a tax or fee.
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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 13/07/2026
Sam Neill, the New Zealand actor who was perhaps best known for his star turn as Dr. Alan Grant in the “Jurassic Park” series, died on Monday in Sydney, Australia. He was 78. Read more about his life and legacy: nyti.ms/3SWU8vI
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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
ICE is engaged in a very large escalation nationwide, with the agency claiming to be hitting record arrest numbers amid the return of quotas. This has gotten very little attention from the media because ICE learned lessons from the chaotic disasters of Kristi Noem’s tenure. Keep a watch.
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Matt Binder @mattbinder.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
this guy is the co-founder of Airbnb
Joe Gebbia
@jgebbia
👇
John Birch Society
@The_JBS • Jun 30
Your taxes are paying for an Illegal Alien with an Anchor
Baby to live in the starter home your American kids can't
afford.
Last edited 10:40 PM • Jun 30, 2026 • 25.5K Views
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Mark Harris @markharris.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
45 years ago today. Buried on page 20 on a holiday Friday just like this one, news that changed the world. www.nytimes.com/1981/07/03/u...
nytimes.com
RARE CANCER SEEN IN 41 HOMOSEXUALS (Published 1981)
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Kelsey Reichmann @kelseyreichmann.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
BREAKING: Supreme Court rules against Trump on birthright citizenship, holding that the EO limiting right for for children of certain immigrants does not comply with the 14th Amendment
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Blaine Stum @bstum.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
This is a really poorly reasoned decision that leans heavily (and wrongly) on the Supreme Court's decision in Chiles v. Salazar.
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Gabriel Malor @gabrielmalor.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
In his decision for SCOTUS published this morning, Justice Alito dismissed the idea that the Trump administration would halt all asylum seekers as a mere "hypothetical" not even worth considering.
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Mark Joseph Stern @mjsdc.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Here is Sotomayor, in dissent, explaining the dire consequences of today's decision in Otro Lado. The government may now circumvent a vast range of laws protecting asylum-seekers by simply blocking their entry at the border. An insane loophole to open up. www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25p...
The Court today holds that the Executive Branch may
circumvent all these mandatory procedures by having U. S.
immigration officers stand at the border and physically
block noncitizens from setting a foot onto U. S. soil. They
may do so even if the asylum seeker is at the threshold of a
port of entry designated to receive all noncitizens who seek
entrance into the country. Even if the port of entry has ample capacity to inspect that person, including an available
asylum officer trained to process asylum applications. Even
if the asylum seeker is certain to be persecuted, or killed, if
she is turned away.
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Chairman Phil Mendelson @chairmanmendelson.com · 23/06/2026
I appreciate that building and protecting the reserve funds is the CFO's policy view, but the CFO does not have the authority to make a policy decision that the Council may not use local reserves to support appropriations. My full letter below or at: chairmanmendelson.com/wp-content/u...
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Blaine Stum @bstum.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
I know the race hasn’t been called yet, but with this kind of an early lead @janeese4dc.bsky.social is all but assured to win. Congrats to her and her team!
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Zach Israel @zachisrael.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
A friendly reminder that political candidates don’t control what type of messaging Independent Expenditure (IE) groups decided to put out (via text, mail, online, or on cable TV)
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Blaine Stum @bstum.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Just to clarify something here: A tax increase could not be moved at second reading of the Local Budget Act (LBA) on June 23rd. Why? Because a tax increase requires the inclusion of legislative language in the Budget Support Act BEFORE it can be recognized and directed in the LBA.
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Chairman Phil Mendelson @chairmanmendelson.com · 08/06/2026
Chairman Mendelson's Budget Recommendations have been circulated on the Council Hearing Management System. The documents are available here: lims.dccouncil.gov/Hearings/hea... Tune in to the Media Press Conference on the Budget at Noon on chairmanmendelson.com or on the Council website.
lims.dccouncil.gov
DC Council Hearings Management System
View Hearings, Register to Witness, Submit Testimony
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Joshua J. Friedman @joshuajfriedman.com · 31/05/2026
Hey, DC, check out the brand-new independent, free, and reader-supported @capitalweather.bsky.social (they got out of the gang life) www.capitalweather.com
Screenshot of the Capital Weather home page. The text reads: Welcome!
It's time for a new adventure. We hope you'll join us. by JASON SAMENOW, DAN STILLMAN, IAN LIVINGSTON, A. CAMDEN WALKER and MARK WOLLY
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Blaine Stum @bstum.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Jac is a friend who has done incredible work in Spokane. The charges against Jac and others (including those who accepted plea deals) should have never been pursued, but the Trump administration wanted to make an example out of them. Absolutely disgusted by the USAOs conduct and this verdict.
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Sahil Kapur @sahilkapur.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
Former Rep. Barney Frank, champion of Wall Street reform and LGBTQ trailblazer, dies at 86 www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
nbcnews.com
Former Rep. Barney Frank, champion of Wall Street reform and LGBTQ trailblazer, dies at 86
The most prominent gay member of Congress of his generation, the Democrat represented southern Massachusetts in the House for more than 30 years.
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Blaine Stum @bstum.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Not only did many Democrats vote to criminalize bail funds, even more Democrats (96) supported a bill (HR 5625) directing Trump’s Attorney General to develop and publicly post a list of states and localities that do not require cash bail for a variety of alleged offenses.
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Brianne K Nadeau @brianneknadeau.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Council gave final approval today to my bill to make it easier to building small and mid-size buildings. The legislation allows buildings up to 6 stories to have one staircase instead of two. With modern fire suppression, sprinklers evidence shows no need for 2 stairwells.
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Niko Bowie @nikobowie.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
By gutting the Voting Rights Act, the Supreme Court is killing the Second Reconstruction. The first Reconstruction shows how Congress should respond. Me and Daphna Renan in the NYT on the tools we have to save democracy from a hostile Court.
nytimes.com
Opinion | Ruling by Ruling, the Supreme Court Is Undoing the Civil Rights Movement
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Blaine Stum @bstum.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
This is basically how I described the decision to a friend earlier today.
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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 29/04/2026
this is very funny as well as good evidence — you know, beyond what we can see with our own eyes — that there is not some epidemic of anti-white discrimination
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Blaine Stum @bstum.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
Not sure how I missed this, but Niknam et al. (2026) released their evaluation of the District's (formerly) two violence-interruption programs: Cure the Streets and the Violence Interruption Initiative. The results are... not good. academic.oup.com/aje/advance-...
academic.oup.com
Effects of two community violence interruption programs on firearm violence in Washington, DC
Abstract. To reduce urban firearm violence, many cities have enacted community violence interruption (CVI) programs, which rely on credible messengers who
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Zach Halper @zanath.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
"Why won't Democrats tone down the rhetoric?"
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Blaine Stum @bstum.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Today, Acting Attorney General Blanche signed an order reclassifying FDA-approved cannabis products and state licensed medical cannabis products from Schedule I to Schedule III.../1
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Blaine Stum @bstum.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Policymakers and party leaders should be pre-ordering this book en masse. @noamlupu.bsky.social and @carnes.bsky.social are (in my mind) the most thoughtful researchers currently studying the under representation of working class people in legislative bodies.
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public health guy @publichealthguy1.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
i think folks might be unfamiliar with "the pharisees", so let's make it clear: he's saying the jews run the press, and that they are conspiring to undermine the military. it's not just antisemitism, it's indistinguishable from nazism.
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Spencer Ackerman @attackerman.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
We have entered the “you can’t kill me if I commit suicide” phase of American Decline
US President Donald Trump says the US Navy would immediately start blockading the Strait of ⁠Hormuz and would also interdict every vessel in international waters that had ⁠paid a toll to Iran.

https://aje.news/x545rk
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