iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Derek Barker

Dave Levitan @davelevitan.bsky.social · 2h

Wemby went into the Finals a fan favorite, left the Finals something of a villain, and with one quick preseason quote is once again the hero the NBA needs www.espn.com/nba/story/_/...

"Absolutely not," Wembanyama said when asked if he'd ever consider promoting a sports betting website. "I will never do that. Honestly, I think it's very sad to see some players promote it. Everybody does whatever they want, but without me."

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Derek Barker @dwmbarker.bsky.social · 5h

Great takedown of the polarization framework. Current issue of JOD is hitting it out of the park!

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Derek Barker @dwmbarker.bsky.social · 5h

This strikes me as very likely and exactly right. Great piece as usual by Levitsky and Way.

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Derek Barker @dwmbarker.bsky.social · 23h

"Establishing the office of religious affairs" sounds a lot like establishment of a religion. Last I checked that was not constitutional.

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Derek Barker @dwmbarker.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

I would add to Pettit that liberal democracy can be justified on democratic grounds vs electoral democracy in that the constitution represents a supermajority of the people that becomes binding on future temporary majorities. The question is not institutions vs "the majority" but "which majority".

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Reposted by Derek Barker

Shikha Dalmia @shikhadalmia.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Trump is too toxic for Ken Paxton????!!!!???? 😅😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😅😅😅😅😅😅😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 www.nytimes.com/2026/09/30/u...

nytimes.com

Ken Paxton, G.O.P. Nominee in Texas, Privately Said Trump’s Convention Hurt Him

Ken Paxton, one of the party’s top Senate candidates and a Trump loyalist, said that “everybody’s numbers dropped” after the event, according to audio obtained by The Times.

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Derek Barker @dwmbarker.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

More evidence of Singularity: America-dot-gov AI gives more accurate information than the human president, including who won the 2020 election. Well done by AP. apnews.com/article/trum...

apnews.com

Trump touts America.gov, but its government-sourced AI answers undercut many of his statements

The Trump administration has launched a revamped website, America.gov, to simplify access to government information.

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Derek Barker @dwmbarker.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Feels like the language change from Artificial to Super is a deliberate attempt to shift the headlines away from the actual contents (or lack thereof) of the self-regulation "pact".

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Reposted by Derek Barker

Deva Woodly @devawo.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Make the argument you want to make in resonant terms. It changes opinions.

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Andrew Whitehead @andrew-whitehead.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Who is resisting Christian Nationalism? Check out this new report from @prri.org & @snfagora.bsky.social's Meanings and Democracy Lab. State legislatures & religious diversity shape CN resistance across all 50 states prri.org/research/res... @ruthbraunstein.bsky.social @robertpjones.bsky.social

prri.org

Resistance to Christian Nationalism in All 50 States: A PRRI-Meanings of Democracy Lab Report

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Reposted by Derek Barker

Steve Saideman @smsaideman.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

this is a terrific statement.

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Derek Barker @dwmbarker.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

This is alarming considering our survey has found loneliness to be a predictor for anti-democratic beliefs, and perception that democracy isn't working, while attending social events was a predictor for belief that citizens have the power to create change.

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Derek Barker @dwmbarker.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Yes, the genius of the MAGA/nationalist platform is it ties cultural preferences to a purportedly economic agenda. Mass deportations and defending foreign aid were pitched to help Americans. What policies will connect the dots between inclusion and prosperity? Might not be the previous status quo.

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Kevin Elliott @kjephd.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

'Democracy' implies, this idea assumes, that Big Things must always be possible, which is surely true, but it leaves that category underspecified. It seems to me that removing an aspiring autocrat, or truly wrecking his power, could demonstrate to people that (good) things are possible in politics.

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Bill Kristol @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Last weekend, Trump's deputy chief of staff posted this. Today Trump yucks it up at the White House with the richest men in America. Cut-rate Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette come to America.

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Cathy Davidson @cathyndavidson.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Ah, not only are professions that are crucial to society--teaching, social work, nursing, libraries, arts--being denied support. Almost all of those are fields traditionally held by women. Not a coincidence.

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Derek Barker @dwmbarker.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

"The Indian Question" may very well be an accidental slip but the fact that it is even possible that it is an intentional racist dog whistle is concerning in itself

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Derek Barker @dwmbarker.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

2021 called and asked for its backlash to cancel culture back...

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Derek Barker @dwmbarker.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

I noticed that the NYT Top 100 TV shows since 2000 has a strong English language bias, with Squid Games astonishingly the only subtitled show on the entire list. So here is my ballot for only foreign language shows. What am I missing?

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Derek Barker @dwmbarker.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Next Congress needs to think hard about making civil service protections iron clad to prevent future Project 2025's. Are there any more critical than the Census and election officials?

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Derek Barker @dwmbarker.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

The only way ads for a sitting president can be "public service announcements" is if we are living in a personalist regime in which the good of the country is dependent on a single individual.

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Reposted by Derek Barker

Dana R. Fisher (aka the Apocalyptic Optimist) @fisherdanar.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Some hopeful AND concerning news in the just-released #DemocracyforAll Project from @kettering.org and @gallup.com: while local democracy is strong, Republican confidence in American Democracy has fallen significantly @dwmbarker.bsky.social Read my writeup here: danarfisher.com/2026/09/26/a...

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Derek Barker @dwmbarker.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

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Derek Barker @dwmbarker.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

I was actually wondering why Trump thought banning networks from covering him would be a good punishment. He thrives on attention, positive or negative. There might be a lesson here, even when the networks are allowed back.

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Derek Barker @dwmbarker.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Publish or perish! If you're not churning out at least 200 papers a year in the post human era you're doing it wrong.

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Andrew Whitehead @andrew-whitehead.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Interestingly, much of that movement regarding democracy performing poorly is among Republican and Republican-leaning independents. I write about some of my big take-aways below. Be sure to check out the full report, particularly as the midterms arrive! andrewwhitehead.substack.com/p/new-nation...

andrewwhitehead.substack.com

New National Survey: Over Half of Americans Say US Democracy Performing Poorly, An Increase from 2025

Compared to 2025, the biggest shifts downward were among Republicans and Republican-leaning Independents--could this spell trouble for GOP in November?

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Derek Barker @dwmbarker.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Great summary by Axios of the Kettering-Gallup Democracy for All Project annual survey results, with a quote by me. www.axios.com/2026/09/23/p...

axios.com

Poll: Americans see rule of law declining in U.S.

Just 28% believe political leaders will be held accountable if they don't follow the rule of law..

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Derek Barker @dwmbarker.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Our new Kettering-Gallup Democracy for All Project annual survey is out. Americans belief in democracy as the best form of government is strong, but few believe it is performing well, and most say the rule of law weakening and executive branch has too much power. kettering.org?research_pro...

kettering.org

Democracy for All Project

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Reposted by Derek Barker

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 23/09/2026

one thing i'm curious about is what republicans do if november is truly catastrophic. like, if we wake up and democrats have flipped iowa and kansas and florida and republican candidates have lost to independents in nebraska and montana. how do they react to trump?

bloomberg.com

Trump’s Grip on GOP Slips as Midterm Election Anxiety Sets In

As Donald Trump took an aggressive stance on the global stage at the United Nations on Tuesday, several Senate Republicans were breaking from the president back in Washington.

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Derek Barker @dwmbarker.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Completely, utterly outrageous.

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Derek Barker @dwmbarker.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

The quote buried in Pro Publica's story on the Collins bribery scandal. As shocking as this story is, it is likely the tip of the iceberg.

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Reposted by Derek Barker

Dan Froomkin/Press Watch/Heads Up News @froomkin.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

This is fantastic. And I'm delighted to see that @justsecurity.org is collecting articles under the rubric of "Questions for Congress." Particularly useful to help Democrats hit the ground running in January. www.justsecurity.org/157874/colle...

justsecurity.org

Collection: Questions for Congress

Collection of articles with key oversight questions for the U.S. Congress by leading experts, organized by topic.

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Derek Barker @dwmbarker.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Stephens' opening thought experiment is obviously a false analogy. Of course I would be troubled by a list of fascist books because they are fascist! No, I am not troubled by a "DEI checklist" because the only ideology they stand for is pluralism and multiculturalism. They are not equivalent.

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Derek Barker @dwmbarker.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

First reaction to the new Googlebook marketing is that having the OS built around AI is a negative, not a reason to buy a new computer. I've been mostly willing to make the "product is me" vs free apps tradeoff in the Google/Android ecosystem but making it AI-centric may lose me #Linux

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Reposted by Derek Barker

Dan Froomkin/Press Watch/Heads Up News @froomkin.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Sad excuse for journalism: Big profile of DOGE lord doesn’t say a word about all the damage he did. And it was not an “ill fated cost-cutting effort.” It was a malignant, catastrophic attack on the government and its workers by arrogant and ignorant assholes. www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...

washingtonpost.com

He spent 11 months inside DOGE. Now he wants to set the record straight.

In his first major interview about his tell-all memoir, Tyler Hassen describes the culture clash surrounding DOGE’s mission and the backlash that followed.

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Reposted by Derek Barker

Kettering Foundation @kettering.org · 17/09/2026

For the third year, we’re bringing together leaders and changemakers during CBCF’s Annual Legislative Conference for an evening celebrating the leadership and transformative impact of Black women.

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Reposted by Derek Barker

Deva Woodly @devawo.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

You’re never going to believe this but human beings are social animals and depriving them of interaction with each other in the name of efficiency turns out to make everybody so cranky that they start thinking about apocalypse all the time.

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Reposted by Derek Barker

Alex Ip 葉清霖 @alexip718.com · 18/09/2026

A thought exercise for transphobic Democrats: replace the "transgender" with "Jewish" in the ads and notice how uncomfortable you suddenly get. There is slightly more trans people in the U.S. (0.95%) than German Jews (0.75%) before the Holocaust. Can't you see how dangerous your slippery slope is?

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Derek Barker @dwmbarker.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

A different kind of singularity...When regulators have become so incompetent that AI is better off regulating itself.

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Derek Barker @dwmbarker.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

For this Constitution Day, @agtheodoridis.bsky.social joins our blog to look at UMass and Kettering-Gallup data on what unites and divides Americans on our democracy. Americans see each other as part of a common nation but differ over what that should mean. kettering.org/americans-ar...

kettering.org

Americans Are Divided About . . . America

America at 250 is deeply polarized on politics, faith, and national identity. But new polling reveals a powerful point of agreement: most Americans still want to move forward together.

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Reposted by Derek Barker

Doug Hanke @dougmakingstuff.com · 17/09/2026

This center is a farce but at least we’re paying some dingus a lot of money for it? Great work by the journalists at The Daily Iowan. Shame on the politicians who demanded a safe space in academia for their terrible ideas.

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Derek Barker @dwmbarker.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Not an economist, so can't say if the policies here are the right ones, but the question is essential: what economic policy alternatives to the status quo can help people while restoring faith in inclusive democracy? Tariffs and deportation are winning, and pushing people to the far right.

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Victor Ray @victorerikray.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

I didn't hold back. These centers are a blight on higher education and we should say so. dailyiowan.com/2026/09/15/u...

“Center for Intellectual Freedom is a really Orwellian name because they’re forcing mandatory classes on students who don’t want it,” Ray said. “Just as a matter of pure consistency, if closing African American Studies was just a financial decision, the center should be closed.” Ray said universities do a better job fostering free thought than any other institution — including churches, workplaces, and the military.

“You can say and do things at universities that you cannot do anywhere else,” he said. “So the notion that universities are a problem when it comes to free speech is just a lie.”

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Derek Barker @dwmbarker.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

I agree with this but one side effect (possibly intentional) is that actual centers that do promote intellectual freedom and civil discourse are going to get lumped in with the right wing ideological ones. Already starting to see this.

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