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Frank

@frankvaladez.bsky.social
718 followers 2K following 1.1K posts

Director, ABA Division for Public Education. Skeptical of everyone, cynical about everything, but not without hope.

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Reposted by Frank
Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 6h
"I'm a pro-choice Republican," Minnesota GOP Senate nominee Michele Tafoya claims in a new ad... ...except she's hailed the demise of Roe v. Wade, vowed to confirm conservative judges, routinely backed a 12-week abortion ban and gaslighting anyone, what? www.huffpost.com/entry/michel...
huffpost.com
'I’m A Pro-Choice Republican,' Says Minnesota Senate Nominee Who Backs Abortion Bans
Michele Tafoya, who called herself a “first trimester gal” and hailed Roe v. Wade’s demise, seems to be gaslighting voters on her abortion stance.
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Anna Merlan @annamerlan.bsky.social · 7h
NEW: I wrote about why so many people wanted to believe that Ukrainian airstrikes on a Russian data center reduced troll and bot activity online, even though it's almost certainly not true. Featuring @noupside.bsky.social: www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
motherjones.com
Drone strikes didn't take out a Russian bot farm, but we were primed to believe It
A viral rumor illustrates people’s hunger to make sense of the division we see online.
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Gillian Brockell @gillianbrockell.com · 7h
The second of these ICE removal flights has now left Harlingen, TX, and is likely headed for Senegal. This one is operated by Journey Aviation.
An FR24 map showing N62FF leaving Harlingen and heading NE.
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Lee West @whodat35.bsky.social · 6h
Voter survival guide: The national, nonpartisan Election Protection coalition works year-round to ensure that all voters have an equal opportunity to vote and have that vote count.
REFORMERS
VOTER SURVIVAL GUIDE
Check your registration
Check it now, check it before your state's deadline, and check it again before you vote Know your polling place
Peave homations can change so double-check before Election Day and again before you Vote early if you can
Give yourself more time to fix unexpected problems
Bring the ID your state requires
Don't get caught off guard at the polls
Not on the voter rolls? Don't leave If your polling place says you're not registered, ask for a provisional ballot Voting by mail? Don't wait
Return it early and track it if your state offers ballot tracking
Problems at the polls?

Call the Election Protection Hotline
866-OUR-VOTE
866-687-8683
SHARE WIDELY

The national, nonpartisan Election Protection coalition works year-round to ensure that all voters have an equal opportunity to vote and have that vote count. Made up of more than 300 local, state and national partners, Election Protection uses a wide range of tools and activities to protect, advance and defend the right to vote.
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The New Republic @newrepublic.com · 7h
There is no evidence that Katie Zacharia was admitted to practice law in a single state or Washington, D.C. trib.al/oUhc5dW
trib.al
Did Trump’s New Press Secretary Lie About Being a Lawyer?
There is no evidence that Katie Zacharia was admitted to practice law in a single state or Washington, D.C.
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Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
I said this in a thread last night and in a thousand threads before it, but you really are doing the work of those who would destroy democracy and the rule of law when you are a doomer. You can be aware of — and vigorously oppose — the lawlessness of this administration without insisting on doom.
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Tech Policy Press @techpolicypress.bsky.social · 15h
New York Times tech reporter Natasha Singer, author of Coding Kids: Big Tech’s Battle to Remake Public Schools, makes the case for “tech civics”: teaching kids to ask who profits from technology and who is steered by it. “It’s about power,” she tells Tech Policy Press editor Justin Hendrix.
buff.ly
Natasha Singer Details Tech’s Grip on Public Schools
The New York Times technology reporter is the author of the new book, Coding Kids: Big Tech's Battle to Remake Public Schools.
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digby @digby56.bsky.social · 17h
He truly believes that because Putin and Xi put on a show for him that they are his allies. He's childlike and gullible even as he is unspeakably brutal and corrupt. What a horrifying combination. And such a mark for powerful leaders who are smarter than him. Which would be all of them.
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 21h
Our analysis found that from 2020 to 2025, the rate of deaths involving ectopic pregnancies nearly doubled compared with the previous six-year period. The uptick was steeper in states with abortion bans.
propublica.org
Ectopic Pregnancy Deaths Have Nearly Doubled. It’s Worse in States With Abortion Bans.
With prompt and appropriate medical care, experts say, people shouldn’t die from an ectopic pregnancy. Women in Texas and Oklahoma have sued over delays in care, which, coupled with our new analysis, ...
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Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 22h
A U.S. Air Force member jailed since August for publicly calling for President Donald Trump's impeachment is being held in solitary confinement 24 hours a day, according to his attorney. www.military.com/air-force-ma...
military.com
Air Force Maj. Jason Watson is in Solitary 24 Hours Daily After Publicly Calling For Trump’s Impeachment
Maj. Jason Watson has been jailed since August after publicly opining on the president and his administration, drawing a big legal battle.
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Sam Wang @samwang.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Four favorite dummymanders: Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas. Will they backfire? And how can you make a difference: samwang.substack.com/p/four-favor...
samwang.substack.com
Four favorite dummymanders
The biggest potential for backfires, according to Third Mountain Action
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Laura Vrana @callmevrana.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
So excited that my efforts have come to fruition and my institution will tomorrow host a screening of the new short doc In Search of Phillis Wheatley Peters - featuring (alongside others) @profmsinha.bsky.social - and a Q&A with the filmmakers behind it. Mobilians: 4pm, Marx Library Auditorium!
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davidrlurie @davidrlurie.com · 12/10/2026
Trump claims Ukraine is violating the cease fire by not surrendering.
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Garrett M. Graff @vermontgmg.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
There’s a reason that campaign finance reform was one of the first reforms after Watergate.
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Annie Leymarie @annieleymarie.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
One far better way to raise money than stopping heat pump subsidies is to "put fuel tax on the 1,000 private jets who take off from the UK each year": bsky.app/profile/clim...
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Liberal Currents @liberalcurrents.com · 12/10/2026
“For…Rothbard, the logic ran one way: if hierarchies are natural, then the most important question isn’t how to protect people from coercive sorting into what planners deem their “appropriate” places in society. The most important question is how to ensure the sorting happens correctly.”
liberalcurrents.com
A Hard Look at Libertarianism
Quinn Slobodian's 2025 book provides the starting point of a more thorough post-mortem.
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Liberal Currents @liberalcurrents.com · 12/10/2026
"Libertarians had the intellectual tools to resist the far right’s encroachment but, on the main, chose not to use them." www.liberalcurrents.com/a-hard-look-...
A Hard Look at Libertarianism: Quinn Slobodian's 2025 book provides the starting point of a more thorough post-mortem.
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James Graham @jamesgraham.theliberati.net · 12/10/2026
I’ve possibly said this before, but it’s worth reiterating: ever since Wes Streeting announced his vaunted cull of NHS admin staff, getting my cancer meds has gone from an automatic process I don’t need to think about too much to a constant fight to push the paperwork through the system.
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Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu · 12/10/2026
There is, writes @davidfrum.bsky.social, an "implicit quid pro quo in these lucrative deals offered to Trump’s family and friends: If you compel Ukraine to surrender, we will enrich you beyond reckoning" www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/1...
theatlantic.com
Trump Is an Easy Mark for Putin
The president’s diesel deal sells out Ukraine, and does nothing for Americans.
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Frank @frankvaladez.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Make a band meat The Meatles
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Rachel Maddow @maddow.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
NBC News: "Hunger grips a rural community hit by Trump’s cuts" www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
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John Pfaff @johnpfaff.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Source: abcnews.com/Politics/fed...
abcnews.com
Federal judge rebukes administration's use of force during 'Operation Midway Blitz'
The judge accused the administration of "widespread misrepresentations" on what was occurring during the Border Patrol enforcement operations.
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@NewsJennifer (Jennifer Schulze) @newsjennifer.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Hinojosa is "showing voters that Republicans represent heedless, exploitative oligarchs. “It’s 99 percent of us against, like, 15 billionaire dudes and the weak leadership that allows them to get away with whatever they want." Sounds like a winning argument to me. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/09/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Republicans Are Worried About Gina Hinojosa. In Texas, I Saw Why. (Gift Article)
The Texas Democrat who says the culture wars are over.
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Lee West @whodat35.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
🚨 Seven US senators from both parties say Trump broke the law by greenlighting Russian diesel imports, pointing to a 2022 ban meant to stop American $$ from bankrolling Russia's war & accusing regime of skipping Congress entirely. Russian blood diesel ship ETA in 3 hours at Wilmington, NC! 🧵
United States Senate Committee on
FOREIGN RELATIONS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 11, 2026
CONTACT:
James Nycz
Ranking Member Shaheen and
Six Bipartisan Senators' Statement on Legality of Imports of Russian Diesel Fuel
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Susan Collins (R-ME), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Thom Tillis (R-NC) and John Curtis (R-UT) issued a statement regarding the legality of Russian diesel fuel imports to the United States.
"Congress explicitly banned Russian energy imports in 2022 to prevent American dollars from financing Putin's brutal war against Ukraine. Congress was clear: the U.S. should not import oil from Russia until it ends its aggression against Ukraine and ceases threats against our NATO Allies.
"President Trump's decision to allow Russian diesel imports to the U.S. runs directly counter to that law. The Administration has also failed to consult with Congress or submit any explanation to justify its decision as required by statute.
"The United States should not provide Putin with a financial lifeline while Russia continues to kill Ukrainian civilians. The Administration must immediately reverse course."
### Photo of a large oil tanker on the ocean.
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Khashoggi's Ghost @urocklive1.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
It sounds contradictory, but people who believe elections are rigged should go be poll workers. They will quickly realize how difficult, if not impossible, it is to cheat on any kind of massive scale. The dumb things Trump claims literally could not happen, and our system is very secure.
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Nicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Uh oh, did someone’s website and personal account experience a big drop in activity after Ukraine hit a Russian data center?
Elon Musk: “Zelensky has gone too far”

https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2109033017184338141
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Christopher Hale @christopherjhale.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
St. Sabina Catholic Church in Chicago has placed more than 100 crosses outside the parish. Each bears the name of someone who died in ICE custody or during an immigration enforcement action. Union workers built the traveling memorial, which began at Holy Name Cathedral last month.
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Jake_Vig @jakevig.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Which chapter of "The Art of War" (Sun Tzu) discusses giving billions to the country that is supplying weapons against you in the war you're losing?
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Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Probably a good time to put this out there again.
vice.com
This Website Will Let You Know When Rich People Are Fleeing the Apocalypse
The “Apocalypse Early Warning” site watches for unusual spikes in private jet travel, just in case the rich know something we don’t.
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Kate Bevan @katebevan.com · 11/10/2026
Good. It's not the tiger's fault someone went into the enclosure www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Wildlife park confirms tiger will not be euthanised after man mauled to death
Ed Miliband, whose constituency includes the park, offers ‘deepest condolences’ to family of visitor who entered enclosure on Saturday
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Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Remarkable: As of now, Latino early vote is outpacing where it was at same time in 2024 in both percentages of vote share and in RAW VOTE TOTALS. That's big. Presidential turnout is usually higher than midterms. I obtained new analysis from Dem firm TargetSmart: newrepublic.com/article/2164...
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Susan McPherson @susanmcp.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
After Many Threats, an Arizona Lawmaker Asks: ‘Is It Really Worth It?’ www.nytimes.com/2026/10/11/u...
nytimes.com
After Many Threats, an Arizona Lawmaker Asks: ‘Is It Really Worth It?’ (Gift Article)
Threats have altered the lives of State Representative Alma Hernandez, her family, friends and neighbors. They have even transformed her policymaking.
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Gillian Brockell @gillianbrockell.com · 11/10/2026
“…the Supreme Court has effectively ratified third-country removal of the sort that Gakou faces…”
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Jamal Greene @jamalgreene.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
A massive, and massively underrated, threat to a functioning democracy. (gift link) www.nytimes.com/2026/10/11/u...
nytimes.com
Threats of Political Violence Have America’s Elected Officials Living in Fear (Gift Article)
A Times investigation has found that violent threats have become a new normal among public officials, reshaped private lives, cost millions in security and pushed people out of office.
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Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 10/10/2026
One day after the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the National Association of Evangelicals came out against the Pentagon’s plan to livestream an execution, Pope Leo has published a tweet reiterating the Catholic Church’s opposition to the death penalty.
Pope Leo XIV • @Pontifex• •4h
X
The death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person. The common good can be safeguarded and the requirements of justice can be met without recourse to capital punishment: effective systems of detention have been developed that protect citizens while at the same time do not completely deprive those who are guilty of the possibility of redemption.
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Shooti @bambooshooti.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
#ResistanceRoots Today in history, 1957: President Eisenhower apologizes to Ghanaian Finance Minister Komla Agbeli Gbedemah, who was denied service in a segregated restaurant. It was one of many incidents involving African dignitaries and a factor in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. /1
Ghanaian Finance Minister Komla Abela Gbedemah (left) meets with President Dwight D. Eisenhower (center) and Vice President Richard Nixon (right) at the White House on Oct. 10, 1957. The meeting was arranged after Gbedemah was refused indoor service at a Howard Johnson’s restaurant in Dover, Del. President Eisenhower issued a formal apology and invited Gbedemah to the White House for breakfast to address the incident. He and Nixon expressed regret and discussed financial assistance for Ghana’s Akosombo Dam project. Following the incident, Howard Johnson’s management instructed the Dover restaurant to serve all customers regardless of race. However, Howard Johnson’s operated largely through a franchise model, and individual owners often adhered to local Jim Crow laws or deep-seated regional customs. The refusal to implement a nationwide policy turned Howard Johnson’s into a prime target for civil rights groups. Photo credit: Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum.
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Photoonist @photoonist.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
When you're a star, they let you do it.
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James D'Emilio @demiliopics2.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Nothing was livestreamed in the Middle Ages. I'd guess that more killings were initiated by public authorities in the 20th century than in any century of the Middle Ages. We do the things we do. Let's stop pretending they belong to other places or times. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
‘Medieval’ and ‘disturbing’: US plan to livestream execution elicits global condemnation
Pentagon said execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, who killed 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009, would be broadcast live
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Jessica Pishko @jesspish.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Liliana has written extensively on the death penalty for a long time. So instead of looking like a fool, read her work. theintercept.com/staff/lilian...
theintercept.com
Liliana Segura
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Frank @frankvaladez.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Oof. Be safe people.
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Josh Gerstein @joshgerstein.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
JUST IN: Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett allows BBC to serve subpoenas on Don Jr., Ivanka & Jared in Trump's lawsuit over editing of 2020 election documentary. BBC said ordinary service methods were frustrated by Secret Service. Now can serve by certified mail & through counsel.
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Frank @frankvaladez.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
I hope so, … but I’m afraid it’s true of the worst people too
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Garrett M. Graff @vermontgmg.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
An amazingly stark example of how the US economy has broken: Zaslav clears nearly a *billion* dollars amid a CEO tenure where he made basically anything he touched worse, harmed multiple prestigious brands, led huge layoffs—but delivered a corrupt merger for shareholders. variety.com/2026/tv/news...
variety.com
David Zaslav Gets $606 Million Payout From Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger
David Zaslav will receive $606 million as he leaves Warner Bros. Discovery, after the company's merger with David Ellison's Paramount was completed.
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Sarah E. Bond @sarahebond.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
184 new cuneiform tablets ✍️ (total), dating to c.1400 BCE. “Preliminary examination of the texts has revealed references to military activities, epidemics, the death of an infant princess & requests for assistance sent to the king by Hittite military commanders” www.heritagedaily.com/2026/10/184-...
heritagedaily.com
184 cuneiform tablets discovered in Hittite royal archive
Archaeologists excavating the ancient city of Kayalıpınar in Türkiye have discovered a Hittite royal archive containing 184 cuneiform tablets and fragments. - HeritageDaily - Archaeology News
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ElieNYC @elienyc.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
When I started writing about Supreme Court expansion, you couldn’t get the question *asked* in a poll. The first time I saw it actually polled, it was 8%. Now, we here.
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Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @mayor.nyc.gov · 09/10/2026
I am angry tonight. Because tonight ICE shot a New Yorker. They shot a New Yorker while his five year old child was in the car. ICE makes this city less safe. We want them out. Now.
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Laura Bassett @lebassett.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
“If you don’t like public executions just don’t watch it” says the crowd trying to ban drag shows and books
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Spencer Reynolds @sreynolds.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
ICE agents have shot yet another person in the street, this time a man in his car in the Bronx while his small child sat in the backseat. www.reuters.com/world/us/per...
reuters.com
New York City man shot in car with child present by ICE agents, mayor says
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents shot and wounded a man on Thursday in his car with a ​child present in the vehicle in the Bronx borough of New York City, ‌according to the mayor, city po...
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Dave Byrnes @djbyrnes1.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Every single day is some new ICE atrocity
theguardian.com
ICE agent shoots man in New York City with five-year-old in car, mayor says
Police say man taken to hospital and mayor says child physically unharmed as he condemns ‘unconscionable’ act
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