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Kim Lane Scheppele

@kimlanelaw.bsky.social
40K followers 1.7K following 922 posts

Tracking autocratic legalism around the world from Princeton University.

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Kim Lane Scheppele
Joseph Cox @josephcox.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
This is huge: a judge ruled a Flock search was 'indiscriminate mass surveillance' and unconstitutional. Says the search by a cop, who did it because a passing car had a plate from a different state, violated the driver's rights. Meaning, Flock should require a warrant www.404media.co/federal-judg...
404media.co
Federal Judge Rules a Flock Search Was ‘Indiscriminate Mass Surveillance’ and Unconstitutional
Flock’s nationwide network is quickly “approaching dragnet-type law enforcement practice” and the cop should have got a warrant, the judge wrote.
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Reposted by Kim Lane Scheppele
Sam Bagenstos @sbagen.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Exactly: "The point is we can't not have big government. And that means we need legal theories and institutions ensuring that those powers advance the common good and aren't hijacked by authoritarians."
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Collins Watch @collinswatch.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Washington Post confirms @propublica.org's reporting that the FBI shuttered a pay-to-play investigation into Susan Collins after Trump took over last year. #MEpolitics
WaPo: Three people familiar with the matter confirmed to The Washington Post that the FBI last year closed an early-stage inquiry into allegations that a defense contractor made concealed political contributions benefiting Collins in exchange for help securing federal contracts. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the previously undisclosed investigation.
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Josh Chafetz @joshchafetz.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Big fan of how Lina Khan answered @leahlitman.bsky.social's last question on the current episode of @strictscrutiny.bsky.social ... crooked.com/podcast/we-n...
crooked.com
We Need To Talk About Jurisdiction Stripping | Crooked Media
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Dean Baker @deanbaker13.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
A simple way to improve AI safety is to enforce the law. If Sam Altman knows that he will be treated like a drunk driver after an accident if his AI causes serious damage, he will be much more careful deanbaker22.substack.com/p/sam-altman...
deanbaker22.substack.com
Sam Altman is Driving Drunk, Let Him Face the Consequences
People need to face consequences for criminal negligence
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Andrew Weissmann @weissmann.substack.com · 24/09/2026
The new filing by the 3 media orgs re continued violation of J. Kelly's order: note this could result in Judge Kelly finding CIVIL contempt, which should not be subject to a Trump pardon, and its sole purpose is to coerce compliance with the ct order and can include daily mounting fines and jail.
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Danny Miller @danielmilleresq.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
I'm proud to have helped organize this. If you're a lawyer or law student, sign up for this nonpartisan rally next Tuesday. You'll hear from @meiselasb.bsky.social and @normeisen.bsky.social among other champions of the rule law about what YOU can do to protect our free and fair elections.
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The Economist @economist.com · 24/09/2026
Deaths now outnumber births in reliably Republican counties for the first time since at least 1982. We explain how this may already be affecting voting patterns in America bit.ly/471apDL
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Danny Miller @danielmilleresq.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
You can use the QR code on the image above to sign up. Or you can directly go to this link! nationoflaws.org
nationoflaws.org
National Law Day of Action
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Reposted by Kim Lane Scheppele
Tyler McBrien @tylermcbrien.com · 24/09/2026
This is one of the many consequences of the Trump administration’s war on the ICC: a two-year investigation meticulously documenting crimes may go to waste and, even worse, those perpetrators will continue with impunity when they may have faced justice. (6/7)
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Tyler McBrien @tylermcbrien.com · 24/09/2026
NEW: A new @hrcberkeley.bsky.social investigation found that in Mexico during President Andrés Manuel López Obrador's administration (December 2018 to September 2024), 337 journalists and human rights defenders were killed—a number much higher than previously reported. (1/6)
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
In 9 months, Zohran Mamdani has: -Secured millions in worker restitution from DoorDash and UberEats -Launched the first stage of his universal childcare program -Cracked down on bad landlords -Balanced NYC's budget without cutting major social services This is what leadership looks like.
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emptywheel @emptywheel.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Trump stole taxpayer $$ to destroy the White House and replace it with a firetrap and too few ladies stalls. www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...
McCrery informed the White House that Trump’s ballroom design did not meet fire safety codes, which require the majority of guests to be able to quickly exit through the main entrance during an emergency, according to the people and documents. The architect also pointed out that alternative emergency exit routes out of the building were insufficient, and that there was little in the design to prevent a kitchen fire from rapidly spreading into the event space on the floor above.

In addition to fire safety concerns, Trump’s desired ballroom design did not include enough toilets to accommodate the structure’s maximum occupancy, according to documents, and there were few options for adding more, as the event space occupied most of the building’s footprint. One early ballroom design featured just seven stalls in the women’s bathroom.
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Ryan Goodman @rgoodlaw.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
He is not wrong. "There are reasonable grounds to believe that the reported 68 attacks that killed 223 people constituted crimes against humanity of murder under customary international law" - United Nations Special Rapporteur on U.S. Killing “Narco-Terrorists” at Sea www.ohchr.org/sites/defaul...
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Elizabeth Warren @warren.senate.gov · 19/09/2026
As Trump tries to ban CNN from the White House, it would be a massive mistake to cave on the Paramount merger. The last thing we need is another Trump-controlled media conglomerate abusing its power to stomp out competition. This is a dangerous merger. variety.com/2026/film/ne...
variety.com
Paramount and California AG Bonta Reportedly in ‘Advanced Talks’ to Settle Antitrust Suit
Paramount Skydance is in "advanced talks" with California Attorney General Rob Bonta to settle the 12-state antitrust suit that's holding up its takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, the WSJ reported.
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Sally Deal - 📞 Call your legislators @ (202)224-3121 ⏰24/7! @sallydeal4.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
(D) REBECCA BENNETT is running for US Congress in New Jersey's district 7. She's ready to fight for NJ families. NJ-07 is ranked a ⭐️TOSS-UP! It's a real chance to ⭐️FLIP A SEAT from 🔴 to 🔵! Follow ➡️ @rebeccabennettforcongress.com ⬅️ Meet Rebecca/Volunteer/🤑 Donate 👇🏼 rebeccabennettforcongress.com
rebeccabennettforcongress.com
Rebecca Bennett for Congress - New Jersey's 7th District
Rebecca Bennett is stepping up to bring a new kind of leadership to Washington. She’s not interested in scoring political points—she simply wants to make the country a better place for her family and ...
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Reposted by Kim Lane Scheppele
Jennifer C @thejenniwren.teamlh.social · 20/09/2026
Twelve states sued to block the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger. Now organizers say a settlement could land before the case ever reaches trial. They're rallying Monday in New York and Tuesday in Los Angeles. Share everywhere to stop more corruption. Details and links in the thread.
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strea3m.bsky.social @strea3m.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
A breakdown of Paramount's arm twisting. "No company should be permitted to bully a state into abandoning its job of protecting consumers against increased market power" Tell AGs not to give in Petition: noparamountconcessions.com In/near Oakland, LA or NYC? Rallies: www.mobilize.us/notabovethel...
open.substack.com
AGs Must Not Cave to Paramount’s Empty Threat to Leave California
No company should be allowed to bully a state into abandoning its job of protecting consumers.
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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
It's supposed to be an arts center, they have been removing actual artwork and replacing it with this propaganda kitsch. 2/2
A gold picture of Elon Musk with an inspirational quote. Musk looks like a skeleton. The quote is unreadable. Absolute fucking dreck.
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Reposted by Kim Lane Scheppele
Ian Bassin @ianbassin.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
This is a stunning article, featuring interviews with sitting federal judges, including stalwart conservatives, warning that the Trump Admin's actions in Minnesota “created a grave threat to the rule of law.” www.nytimes.com/2026/09/17/u...
nytimes.com
Trump’s Minnesota Surge Threatened Democracy, Judge Warns
In a rare interview, Patrick Schiltz, who served as the federal court’s chief judge last winter, called the administration’s actions “a grave threat to the rule of law.”
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Mike Walker @newnarrative.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
“Our Dear Friend Umar”: How We Uncovered That a Russian Oligarch Bankrolled Donald Trump Jr.’s Wedding - ProPublica www.propublica.org/article/dona...
propublica.org
“Our Dear Friend Umar”: How We Uncovered That a Russian Oligarch Bankrolled Donald Trump Jr.’s Wedding
On social media and in tabloids, photos from Don Jr. and Bettina Trump’s Bahamas wedding were tightly curated. But sometimes, what — or, who — isn’t pictured is just as important as what is. Let’s go ...
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Reposted by Kim Lane Scheppele
Blake Emerson @blakeprof.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
I join over 50 my of UCLA Law colleagues in expressing our dismay at Chancellor Frenk’s public response to a disinformation campaign against a Law School symposium on the legacy of 9/11. We call for a retraction and the opportunity to meet with the Chancellor. sites.google.com/view/ucla-la...
sites.google.com
Home
We write to express our grave disappointment at Chancellor Frenk’s September 11, 2026 statement, which he has reaffirmed, that appears to condemn a symposium hosted by several law school centers on th...
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Kim Lane Scheppele @kimlanelaw.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Trump’s Minnesota Surge Threatened Democracy, Judge Warns www.nytimes.com/2026/09/17/u...
nytimes.com
Trump’s Minnesota Surge Threatened Democracy, Judge Warns (Gift Article)
In a rare interview, Patrick Schiltz, who served as the federal court’s chief judge last winter, called the administration’s actions “a grave threat to the rule of law.”
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Reposted by Kim Lane Scheppele
Verfassungsblog @verfassungsblog.de · 17/09/2026
New Project: Higher Education and Democratic Resilience As autocratic populists try to subordinate critical thinking and research, independent universities are indispensable for scientific progress as well as themselves a strong defence of democracy. verfassungsblog.de/higher-educa...
We have strated a new project: Higher Education and Democratic ResilienceHigher Education: As democratic backsliding accelerates globally, universities are increasingly facing political pressure and interference.
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404 Media @404media.co · 16/09/2026
NEW: Hackers ripped down a Flock camera above a roadway, made a near-complete copy of the data stored inside it, and shared the files with 404 Media and @wired.com, revealing in new detail how exactly Flock Safety’s cameras track the movements of both vehicles and people.
404media.co
Hackers Stole Flock’s Camera Software, Revealing How the Company Tracks Cars and People
While people around the U.S. are tearing down Flock cameras, one group of hackers went a step further: extracting the camera's software too.
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Kim Lane Scheppele @kimlanelaw.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
substack.com/@borowitzrep...
substack.com
Andy Borowitz (@borowitzreport)
Trump Explodes With Rage After Iranians Rename Strait of Hormuz After John F. Kennedy
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Clara Jeffery @clarajeffery.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
1/ This @propublica.org story is just gobsmacking. As table stakes: why does a family of billionaires need help paying for weddings? And why would they accept from Russian oligarch with ties to Putin and FSB? www.propublica.org/article/dona...
propublica.org
Donald Trump Jr.’s Wedding Bankrolled by Putin-Linked Russian Oligarch
The oligarch, Umar Kremlev, spent hundreds of thousands on expenses like renting out a private island. He appears to have met Trump Jr. only recently, but he attended the intimate wedding with a large...
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Reposted by Kim Lane Scheppele
Nora Benavidez @attorneynora.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
I just learned that reporter Luis Galeano has been detained in Miami by ICE. This is part of wider trend by the US govt to target immigrant reporters, violating core US press freedom principles. Galeano is from Nicaragua & is believed to have a pending asylum case in the US. I will report more ASAP.
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Cas Mudde @casmudde.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Reminder that Erdogan’s Turkey is still an authoritarian regime that represses minorities.
bbc.com
Turkish police detain dozens in raids on gay bars and homes of LGBTQ+ activists
Human rights groups in Turkey have accused the government of using a family- values campaign to target the LGBTQ+ community.
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Lawfare @lawfaremedia.org · 11/09/2026
Within months of 9/11, the United States made the unprecedented decision to establish a law enforcement relationship with the European Union, despite the EU having little operative responsibility for criminal justice at the time. Kenneth Propp explains why the U.S. decided to engage with the EU.
lawfaremedia.org
The Unexpected Emergence of the EU as a U.S. Counterterrorism Partner
How the U.S. and the EU built law enforcement and counterterrorism information sharing in the wake of 9/11
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Kim Lane Scheppele @kimlanelaw.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
How the midterms could be stolen - a warning. judgeluttig327269.substack.com/p/january-3-...
judgeluttig327269.substack.com
January 3, 2027 - The Final Battle for America’s Democracy
House Republicans are poised to claim that the midterm elections were stolen from them when they meet on January 3 to decide which Members-elect will be seated in the 120th Congress
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Being Liberal ®🗽🏳️‍🌈 @beingliberal.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Robots protested outside Poland's Digital Affairs Ministry, demanding stronger oversight of artificial intelligence. The protest was organized by Democratism, a social movement pushing for a debate on how AI and robotics affect the labor market. #robot #robotics #protest #demonstration #ai
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Brian Finucane @bcfinucane.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Couple notable aspects to this exchange with Rubio: --I read his response to the question of alleged covert action as "I can neither confirm nor deny" --Indication that the US is doing joint ops with other states in their territorial waters in which those states are taking strikes is news to me.
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Joe Sonka 😐 @joesonka.lpm.org · 10/09/2026
Unfortunately, very crappy news today from me, on the McClatchy hedge fund gutting Kentucky's second-largest paper 👇
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Caitlin McGlade @caitmcglade.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
I, the only data reporter at the Charlotte Observer, am among the McClatchy layoffs in the bloodbath today. The HR person asked me not to talk about it! AMA. Anyway, here’s a link to one of my most important stories this year. www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/a...
charlotteobserver.com
A Black teen found hanged near Charlotte church was a suicide, police say. Questions remain
In May, 16-year-old Juliana Nzita was found dead in a Charlotte churchyard. CMPD called it a suicide. Her family isn’t so sure.
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Matt Ortega @mattortega.com · 10/09/2026
"The Securities and Exchange Commission last week proposed scrapping a rule that restricts political giving by private equity firms. This move by the country’s top securities regulator has drawn a divided response from industry practitioners and watchdogs."
pitchbook.com
SEC's proposed scrapping of the 'pay-to-play rule' draws divided response - PitchBook
Industry watchdogs question the full rescission of a rule introduced after a spate of corruption scandals involving PE professionals and public pension plans.
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Luke Bones 🦴🦴 @lukemeister.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
"Our new Office of Metascience will rigorously assess the effectiveness of new initiatives, scaling what works and retiring what does not." 🙄 www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-lea... Our age of science is collapsing.
nsf.gov
NSF leadership in a new golden age of science
The U.S. National Science Foundation was established in 1950 to keep American discovery at the frontier. That mission has not changed. The science and technology ecosystem around it has...
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James Butler @piercepenniless.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
It was a pleasure - despite the foreboding subject - to catch up with @jwmueller-pu.bsky.social & discuss the AfD victory in Sachsen-Anhalt, and revisit the party's ordoliberal roots - & the difficulties it presents for apparently aligned reactionaries across Europe. open.spotify.com/episode/7Bxr...
open.spotify.com
On Politics: Germany's Far-Right Future?
The LRB Podcast · Episode
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The Wall Street Journal @wsj.com · 09/09/2026
An Anthropic researcher is quitting the artificial-intelligence industry over fears that the lab and its competitors are racing to build systems they won’t be able to control, a sign of mounting safety concerns within top AI companies.
wsj.com
Exclusive | Anthropic Researcher Quits Over ‘Out-of-Control’ AI Fears
Concerns are rising inside AI labs that competition is pushing tech companies to race toward self-improving models that risk spiraling out of human control.
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Digital Warrior - Combat Disinfo @digitalwarrior.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Read this today & was disturbed that Dems are spending so much energy condemning Hasan Piker & going on Fox News to attack Abdul El-Sayed or Mamdani, that we can’t even highlight that the GOP are literally killing women. #DV1 #ProudBlue #Voices4Victory #USDemocracy www.propublica.org/article/ecto...
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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Chris⚖️Justice @chrisjustice01.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
The Hellsite X just posted new terms. Like "you and X waive the right to a jury trial". Writing terms to circumvent criminal laws.
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Scott Dworkin @dworkin.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Trump’s morally bankrupt scheme was designed to strip health care from thousands of people just by making the paperwork impossible. Here is how one state is brilliantly fighting back, one person at a time: www.dworkinsubstack.com/p/michael-fa...
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Marc Elias @marcelias.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
🚨BREAKING: President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice (DOJ) wants a lower court order against the U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) new mail voting rule lifted — even if it means voters would be disenfranchised as a result. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
democracydocket.com
DOJ argues Trump’s mail voting restrictions should go into effect even if voters are disenfranchised
It made the alarming argument while asking the Supreme Court to lift a lower court order against the U.S. Postal Service's new restrictions.
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Kim Lane Scheppele @kimlanelaw.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Check whether you are registered to vote but NOT HERE. open.substack.com/pub/populari...
open.substack.com
The hidden dangers of Musk’s votesafe.org
The slick voter registration website, currently being promoted to millions of people, is a digital surveillance machine.
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Joseph Cox @josephcox.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
New: a secretive DHS predictive policing unit is analyzing Americans' financial activity, feeding those names to police, then having cops pull them over. Not suspected of any particular crime We're revealing the unit name too: Predictive Intelligence Targeting Team www.404media.co/a-secretive-...
404media.co
A Secretive DHS ‘Predictive Policing’ Unit is Analyzing Americans' Financial Habits and Pulling Them Over
404 Media is revealing the name of Border Patrol's predictive policing units, which analyze financial data and have local cops pull people over. The people are not suspected of any particular crime.
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Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
JUST IN: D.C. Circuit says IRS decision to share taxpayer info with DHS tens of thousands of violates the law — and that the administration's rebuttal to that claim is "weak sauce." www.documentcloud.org/documents/28...
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Christopher Webb @cwebbonline.com · 07/09/2026
Not BREAKING NEWS because the Trump admin has been deleting and altering federal datasets for over a year. You can argue about policy. But when the government starts eliminating the data we use to determine whether those policies are actually working, that deserves a hell of a lot more attention.
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 08/09/2026
This video on the rise of Trump's "shadow president" is based on scores of interviews, thousands of pages of emails and dozens of hours of videos and recordings of private briefings given by Russ Vought, most of which had not been previously reported:
youtube.com
Russell Vought: The Shadow President
YouTube video by ProPublica
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