Alexander Howard @digiphile.bsky.social · 40sFun fact: Sandy Boynton went to my high school & made a comic for our choir’s tour of Slovakia & Austria in 1993. As I found storage spelunking today, my Mom held onto a poster. As I recall, we sang a fine version of Handel’s “Halle-moo-ya”’ chorus that holiday season. 000
Reposted by Alexander HowardDavid Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 2hwas just having a conversation about this. it's true. of all the trump admin crimes since 1/2025, these killings are among the clearest cut, with the most law/jurisprudence to support prosecution of a whole range of ppl involved, from leadership to subordinates. 012235
Reposted by Alexander HowardRyan Goodman @rgoodlaw.bsky.social · 11hUnderstanding Senator Eric Schmitt. His track record includes bringing this expensive litigation chock-full with misinformation all the way to Supreme Court. My article with @justinhendrix.bsky.social in 2024: A Conspiracy Theory Goes to the Supreme Court: How Did Murthy v Missouri Get This Far?justsecurity.orgA Conspiracy Theory Goes to the Supreme Court: How Did Murthy v Missouri Get This Far?Murthy v Missouri may become a landmark case in which Supreme Court justices are led astray on the basis of a disinformation-laden record. 1125494
Reposted by Alexander HowardDavid Greene @davidgreene.bsky.social · 22hWin! CA Court of Appeal rules that the First Amendment protects to republish legally obtained police records even if they had been ordered sealed, affirms anti-SLAPP motion. law.justia.com/cases/califo... We @eff.org represented Jack Poulson who reported on the domestic violence arrest of a tech CEOlaw.justia.comBlackman v. Substack, A173244 (Cal. Ct. App. 2026)Blackman v. Substack, California Court of Appeals 2026 13616
Reposted by Alexander Howarddarth™️ @darthbluesky.bsky.social · 28/09/2026an odd moment was the president posting an image wearing one glove and posing with xi, a photoshopped blonde woman, and a row of droids the president running an overtly political campaign ad paid for by the us government is a sign of blatant corruption and disregard for the rule of law 545853
Alexander Howard @digiphile.bsky.social · 28/09/2026An investigation by @NYTimes.com has found that President Trump has aligned the USA “with an industry that is still plagued by the very criminality that he said he was fighting by arresting Mr. Maduro. Planes carried gold out of Venezuela before companies had even visited the mines.”nytimes.comTrump Brought Venezuelan Gold to the U.S., but Refiners Won’t Touch It (Gift Article)The administration is brokering deals in a notoriously corrupt industry, including one with a company that the United States deems a security threat. 172
Alexander Howard @digiphile.bsky.social · 28/09/2026Eventually, all repos merge into 1 & a service runs through it. The service was forked at the world's great hackathon & runs over cables from the basement of time. On some of the repos are timeless documentation. Under the repos are the code, & some of the code are theirs. I am haunted by binaries. 030
Alexander Howard @digiphile.bsky.social · 28/09/2026Useful comparison of DOGE to USDS & is 18F by @donmoyn.bsky.social donmoynihan.substack.com/p/doge-vs-ci... …tho US-centric & mixes human-centric design applied to govtech in the federal government, versus civic tech work outside of it, after a decade of rebranding by @codeforamerica.org & USDS/18F. 164
Reposted by Alexander HowardRebecca Solnit @rebeccasolnit.bsky.social · 28/09/2026@jkbjournalist.bsky.social reopened the Epstein case; Heidi Blake seems to have restarted the UK prosecuting Andrew Tate; Ronan Farrow, Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor made the system finally go after Weinstein for real. Journalism has again and again made the justice system do its job. 111595385
Alexander Howard @digiphile.bsky.social · 26/09/2026What would the United States be like without the five freedoms in the First Amendment? People who have lived, worked, studied in, or visited nations without constitutional protections the freedom of speech, religion, assembly, press, & petition can tell us. 181
Alexander Howard @digiphile.bsky.social · 26/09/2026I went to #1AFest at the Wharf & celebrated the constitutional rights every person in the USA has under the 1st Amendment: 💟freedom of religion 🗣️freedom of speech 📰freedom of the press 👥freedom of peaceable assembly 🤳freedom to petition government for redress of grievances 161
Alexander Howard @digiphile.bsky.social · 26/09/2026“The corrupt President of Kazakistan stoked hatred against press after a court ruled he could not ban independent news media from accessing the executive mansion in violation of the Constitution. He always complains when a court or justice upholds the rule of law against his authoritarian attacks.” 910321
Alexander Howard @digiphile.bsky.social · 26/09/2026“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had…”static.klipy.comAlf SleepingALT: Alf Sleeping 270
Reposted by Alexander HowardScott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 26/09/2026She was an FBI agent. She started an investigation of the murder of Renee Good. Trump forced her to reclassify it as an ICE agent assault. She was then forced to resign. Her evidence confirms that a cover-up of the homicide has been undertaken, directed from the highest levels.cnn.comFBI agent who initially investigated fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis has resigned | CNN PoliticsThe FBI agent who initially began working with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to investigate the fatal ICE shooting of Renee Good has resigned from the bureau, two sources familiar with... 281558900
Reposted by Alexander HowardMatt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 26/09/2026We’ve been in a constitutional crisis since Jan. 20, 2025 and a blue wave in November won’t fix it if Trump can just ignore legislation passed by Congress.cbsnews.comTrump cancels nearly $1 billion in spending approved by Congress, a move some lawmakers called illegalPresident Trump moved to cancel almost $1 billion in spending that was approved by Congress, marking the second time his administration has employed a rarely used tactic that some lawmakers in both pa... 721787474
Reposted by Alexander HowardBobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 26/09/2026I think something to consider here is that Collins voted to confirm Russ Vought as OMB Director despite the fact that he said a billion times that he thought Trump had a constitutional right to illegally impound funds, and now she’s doing shocked Pikachu reactions. 11738531015
Reposted by Alexander HowardJeff Merkley @jeff-merkley.bsky.social · 26/09/2026A pocket rescission is an illegal line item veto. It’s the president canceling the lines of spending he doesn't like. Republicans said they would never let this happen. Well here it is. If they have any integrity they’ll join us in ending this practice.cbsnews.comTrump cancels nearly $1 billion in spending approved by Congress, a move some lawmakers called illegalPresident Trump moved to cancel almost $1 billion in spending that was approved by Congress, marking the second time his administration has employed a rarely used tactic that some lawmakers in both pa... 46680232
Reposted by Alexander Howardkate conger @kateconger.com · 25/09/2026Next week, Google is putting an experimental satellite into orbit that is the first step towards building A.I. data centers in space. This technology is all still very speculative, but tech leaders are increasingly adamant that this is the future of compute. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/24/t...nytimes.comGoogle Is Sending an A.I. Data Center to Outer Space (Gift Article)Next Thursday, Google is sending an experimental satellite into orbit that will have enough computing power to answer simple A.I. queries from space. 2515655
Reposted by Alexander HowardProPublica @propublica.org · 24/09/2026A first-of-its-kind ProPublica analysis found that children who entered the U.S. by themselves are being detained and removed at about three times the rate they were during the final years of the first Trump presidency. (Published July)propublica.orgThese Immigrant Kids Were Once Protected. Under Trump, Their Deportations Have Tripled.A first-of-its-kind ProPublica analysis found that children who entered the U.S. by themselves are being detained and removed at about three times the rate they were during the final years of the firs... 23582352
Alexander Howard @digiphile.bsky.social · 24/09/2026“Maybe we can all be a little less certain about knowing what someone is going through,” said Duncan Robinson. “It’s important to be in tune with the notion that you just don’t know. Obviously, my brother’s situation was extreme, but there’s also the reality here that everybody has their own Eli.”nytimes.comAn improbable NBA breakthrough, a descent into darkness: ‘We weren’t all that different’ (Gift Article)Behind Duncan Robinson’s unlikely ascent was a hidden second life — a decade spent as his brother's quiet lifeline. 041
Reposted by Alexander Howarddanah boyd @zephoria.bsky.social · 24/09/2026Today is Pub Day for "Data Are Made, Not Found: A Story of Politics, Power, and the Civil Servants Who Saved the US Census"!!! ::bounce:: Please support me by buying a copy of the book or asking your library for a copy! press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/bo... 1238595
Alexander Howard @digiphile.bsky.social · 23/09/2026I saw a new yellow Porsche Taycan on Capitol Hill. Sleek electric sedan, without any uncommon political resonance. Unusual spare tire rack. Gorgeous design. 120
Reposted by Alexander HowardOliver Darcy @oliverdarcy.bsky.social · 23/09/2026Scoop: The anonymous source behind a POLITICO story that the White House is now using to justify a ban on the outlet was none other than JD Vance himself. Details in @status.news: www.status.news/p/white-hous...status.newsThe Source Behind The BanThe anonymous source behind one of the stories the White House cited to justify banning POLITICO was none other than Vice President JD Vance, Status has learned. 952538909
Reposted by Alexander HowardDavid Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 23/09/2026we get inured to the daily crimes but we shouldn't ignore this. an individual adjudicated by a US immigration court to face likely torture if returned to Peru is being deported, illegally, to the Central African Republic. a serious violation of domestic & international law. 02415
Alexander Howard @digiphile.bsky.social · 23/09/2026Mysky.social is wicked cool. Just set it up, as part of renengaging more constructively with the open social web on reentry this fall. Check it out: bsky.app/profile/mysk... Thx to @jonathanstray.com @noupside.bsky.social for showing how we might build a public sphere that belongs to all of us.mysky.socialMySky Social | Jonathan Stray | SubstackOpen-source AI-driven Social Media Feeds for Everyone. Click to read MySky Social, by Jonathan Stray, a Substack publication with hundreds of subscribers. 057
Reposted by Alexander HowardJonathan Stray @jonathanstray.com · 23/10/2025GreenEarth is creating open source AI-driven recommender infrastructure for BlueSky. Type a prompt, see your feed change. We are here for the users, the builders, the dreamers. Join us. greenearthsocial.substack.com/p/introducin...greenearthsocial.substack.comIntroducing GreenEarthWe're building advanced open source algorithms for social media 1010427
Reposted by Alexander HowardRenee DiResta @noupside.bsky.social · 23/09/2026New work featured in New Public!: There is no neutral feed algorithm. Each one makes source, ranking, & content diversity choices. @jonathanstray.com & I started MySky so you can see - and change! - these settings. Check it out here on Bluesky, in "Feeds" # newpublic.substack.com/p/meet-the-a...newpublic.substack.com🎛️📲 Meet the algorithm you can actually control and understandJonathan Stray and Renée DiResta introduce MySky, a feed that shows its work 37135
Reposted by Alexander HowardJesse Eisinger @jeisinger.bsky.social · 22/09/2026NEW: In ‘24, the FBI sought to launch a sweeping bribery probe that could ensnare top lawmakers, including Sen. Susan Collins. Then Trump eviscerated the FBI & DOJ public corruption teams. ProPublica unearthed the investigation and you can read it 👇 www.propublica.org/article/fbi-... 8634271343
Alexander Howard @digiphile.bsky.social · 22/09/2026@rtraister.bsky.social’s reporting in @nymag.com makes it clear Jackson didn’t “emerge from nowhere.” His long history in state politics and the relationships she describes are why he was able to become the candidate. The fact that DC & NY editors had never heard of him doesn’t mean Mainers hadn’t. 89317
Reposted by Alexander HowardProPublica @propublica.org · 22/09/2026Sen. Susan Collins helped steer millions in federal defense contracts to Navatek, whose CEO illegally funneled thousands of dollars to her campaign. The FBI sought to launch a probe and was eyeing Collins and other lawmakers. Then Trump gutted the unit in charge. THREAD 🧵 410113456033
Reposted by Alexander HowardJonathan Ladd @jonathanmladd.com · 21/09/2026The government moving or hiding jailed people to avoid review by courts isn't some loophole in our habeas corpus rights. This government behavior has been considered a violation of the people's habeas corpus rights since at least the Habeas Corpus Act of 1679. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habeas_... 4827861158
Reposted by Alexander HowardMiranda Yaver @mirandayaver.bsky.social · 21/09/2026Glad to see @lastweektonight.com take on health insurance denials and prior authorization. Hey, someone should write a book on that! Oh, wait, I did! If watching the excellent John Oliver piece rightly got you riled up, give my book a read for a comprehensive treatment www.amazon.com/Coverage-Den...amazon.comAmazon.com: Coverage Denied: How Health Insurers Drive Inequality in the United States: 9781009649810: Yaver, Miranda: BooksAmazon.com: Coverage Denied: How Health Insurers Drive Inequality in the United States: 9781009649810: Yaver, Miranda: Books 24219
Reposted by Alexander HowardJameel Jaffer @jameeljaffer.bsky.social · 21/09/2026Good to see these news organizations standing together at last. Civic courage is a public good, and so it's undersupplied. I wrote about this earlier this year in a lecture called "Spirit of Liberty." An essay from Geof Stone led me to the Norman Mailer quote. knightcolumbia.org/blog/the-spi... 34017
Reposted by Alexander HowardAstronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans @astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 20/09/2026NASA picture of the day today is a real 🏴beauty! This is a composite image of the ~5000yo Callanish Stones on the Isle of Lewis. The amazing Giuseppe Petricca has only gone and photographed the Sun at noon there, every few days, for a whole year. #Dedication 🔭🧪👌 ℹ️: science.nasa.gov/image-articl... 6644161391
Alexander Howard @digiphile.bsky.social · 20/09/2026I find @orinkerr.bsky.social’s argument persuasive: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.... The public should always be able to access & download our papers & records without having to sue for them & be secure in our right to privacy without a judicial warrant. Secret government preservation is problematic.papers.ssrn.comThe Fourth Amendment Limits of Internet Content PreservationEvery year, hundreds of thousands of Internet accounts are copied and set aside by Internet providers on behalf of federal and state law enforcement. This proce 032
Reposted by Alexander HowardJoe Bak-Coleman @jbakcoleman.bsky.social · 19/09/2026It’s been wild watching the @knightcolumbia.org team go from nuanced questions about blocking a follower to “of course it’s fucking unconstitutional” 0114
Alexander Howard @digiphile.bsky.social · 19/09/2026If President Trump “means to expel these news organizations from The White House press pool, his action is doubly unconstitutional because the press pool is a ‘public forum’ under the First Amendment, which means the president can’t exclude journalists from it on the basis of their viewpoints.”nytimes.comTrump Says He Has Banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico From White House (Gift Article)The president cited reporting from the outlets that he deemed “fake news.” It was unclear how such a ban would be enforced or defended in court. 39331
Reposted by Alexander HowardKyle Griffin @kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 19/09/2026WaPo Exclusive: More American service members have died during the Iran war than the Pentagon has disclosed publicly. Five of the officials said there have been at least 22 military fatalities — four more than what appears in the Pentagon's public database.washingtonpost.comMore U.S. troops have died amid Iran war than Pentagon has disclosed publiclyOfficials who spoke with The Post expressed frustration that the additional loss of life in the Middle East is not reflected in the Defense Department’s casualty database. 14029301384
Alexander Howard @digiphile.bsky.social · 18/09/2026“Defeatism is the death knell of a popular democracy movement, playing into the hands of despots…trying to convince the opposition…resistance is hopeless. What is crucial for pro-democracy forces at this stage is to realize that many of the guardrails are holding.” open.substack.com/pub/contrari...open.substack.comUNDAUNTED: Take The Wins🚨46 Days to the Midterms🚨 081
Alexander Howard @digiphile.bsky.social · 18/09/2026If you’re an American citizen who is eligible to vote now or will be on Election Day, make sure you’re registered & make a plan to cast your ballot: vote.org The historic midterm elections of 2026 have already begun. Democracy is never a spectator sport: you’re the ones we’ve been waiting for. 🗳️ 🇺🇸 💪vote.orgEverything You Need to Vote - Vote.orgRegister to vote. Check your registration status. Get your absentee ballot. Fast, free, easy, secure, nonpartisan. 086
Alexander Howard @digiphile.bsky.social · 14/09/2026This is how every federal, state, & municipal government entity should use ALT tags, images, and plain language to inform & engage the people they serve & protect — whether we’re consumers, constituents, citizens, or residents. Making public info clear & universally accessible helps everyone. 🇺🇸 032
Alexander Howard @digiphile.bsky.social · 13/09/2026Lucky knows how to forest bathe, properly. Dogs can teach humans how to be be fully present in woods, waters, & wilder lands. 🏡🦮🌳🌳🌳🌳 051
Reposted by Alexander HowardPBS News @pbsnews.org · 11/09/2026After President Donald Trump told attendees at the Republican midterm convention Thursday night that "we want honesty in our elections," he led them in a pledge to "cheat like hell" and "go out and vote" in the midterm elections. to.pbs.org/4yTjfzlto.pbs.orgWATCH: Trump leads RNC in pledge to 'cheat like hell' in November electionsAfter President Donald Trump told attendees at the Republican midterm convention Thursday night that “we want honesty in our elections,” he led them in a pledge to “cheat like hell” and “go out and vo... 41921401
Reposted by Alexander HowardAlondra Nelson @alondra.bsky.social · 10/09/2026Researchers across the country are turning to side hustles to fund their work. Behind the cuts sits a bigger shift: whether American science can still sustain durable research capacity. @lindseydcameron.bsky.social and I examine the stakes in a new piece @science.org: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...science.orgThe wrong platform for scienceDaniel Blumstein recently sat in a Colorado meadow waiting for yellow-bellied marmots to appear, as the ecologist and evolutionary biologist had done many times before, the New York Times reported. Bu... 5495264
Reposted by Alexander HowardAndy Carvin @acarv.in · 10/09/2026“The work necessary to implement the rule…cannot be responsibly accomplished in the time that remains in a manner that ensures both that the rule is implemented correctly and other crucial preparations do not fall by the wayside,” the election officials wrote in the brief.politico.comRepublican chief election officials say it is too late to implement Trump’s mail ballot orderSeven Republican election officials urged the Supreme Court to not let the Trump administration’s controversial proposal go into effect for November. 051
Alexander Howard @digiphile.bsky.social · 10/09/2026As @zephoria.bsky.social writes, “Every important decision about the 2030 census is about to take place NOW.” @whitehouse-47.bsky.social ordered the U.S. Census Bureau to violate the Constitution. Differential privacy abandoned. Critical data delayed. Appointees posted bogus report. Pay attention!made-not-found-by-danah-boyd.ghost.ioToday's Census News is a Big Dealtl;dr: "American democracy depends on the census. Trump is undermining it" is my new op-ed at the Guardian. Check it out! For census geeks, this summer has been one eeeek after another. Planks of the... 1105
Reposted by Alexander HowardAsawin Suebsaeng @swin24.bsky.social · 09/09/2026the scale of it is genuinely horrifying, no matter how much of it faceplants zeteo.com/p/19-ways-tr...zeteo.comHere Are 19 - Yes, 19! - Ways Trump and Republicans Are Plotting to Rig and Steal the Midterm ElectionsAttacking immigrants and Black voting power. Gutting election security. Voter purges. Threats of arrests and raids. And so much more. Trump’s assault on elections is truly unprecedented. 315962
Reposted by Alexander HowardCecilia Muñoz @ceciliamunoz.bsky.social · 08/09/2026This is terrible news, not just for the Smithsonian, but for the country. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/08/a...nytimes.comSmithsonian’s Secretary to Resign as Trump Tries to Rule the InstitutionIn the face of escalating White House attacks about how museums present American history, Lonnie G. Bunch III has announced his decision to depart. 213467
Reposted by Alexander HowardDavid Kurtz @davidkurtz.bsky.social · 08/09/2026The scale of Trump's percolating threats, the complexity of the legal battles to beat back the federal govt from an unlawful role in state elections, and the relentless disinfo campaign to deligitimate elections all combine intentionally to overwhelm the senses. talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...talkingpointsmemo.comTrump Launches Whole-of-Government Attack on Midterm ElectionsA Critical Week Ahead for Democracy As I sat down this morning... 15021
Alexander Howard @digiphile.bsky.social · 08/09/2026"You can plainly see Trump’s old 2020 [ #Authoritarian ] playbook at work again, but this time using a whole-of-government approach to tamper with the midterm elections on the front end & then discredit the election results on the back end. – @davidkurtz.bsky.social Deceive, deny, disenfranchise.morningmemo.talkingpointsmemo.comTrump Launches Whole-of-Government Attack on Midterm ElectionsINSIDE: Todd Blanche ... Tony Fauci ... Christian Castro 11611