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Laura Sell

@laurasell.bsky.social
1.2K followers 446 following 630 posts

I promote books at Duke University Press. Reader, cat lover, messy cook and lazy gardener. Will plunge into any nearby body of water.

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Reposted by Laura Sell
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 14h
I recommend people read this to get a sense of the president's grave cognitive impairment. Trump is either unwilling or unable (or maybe both) to answer the questions he's actually asked, so he just rants and raves while the interviewers do their best to provide structure to his random brain firings
time.com
Read TIME’s ‘What Trump Has Built’ Interview Transcript
The U.S. President discussed the war in Iran, press freedom, AI, and more ahead of the midterm elections.
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Laura Sell @laurasell.bsky.social · 13h
I like to host, but it's expensive if no one ever reciprocates, so we mostly eat at restaurants with friends. Which is also expensive.
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Reposted by Laura Sell
Matthew Dowd @matthewjdowd.bsky.social · 17h
Latest WSJ poll: "63% want to pause AI development 61% want a billionaire wealth tax 59% want Medicare for All 57% want a $20 minimum wage 58% want to end U.S. military aid to Israel" This is the center of the country politically. it is time all adjust to this political spectrum, esp. media.
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Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Something remarkable is happening: James Talarico is running an expansively pro-immigrant campaign in Texas, a state Trump won by 14 points, speaking in Biblical terms about our duty to "the stranger." And it's resonating. That's seismic. 1/ (new piece) newrepublic.com/article/2160...
newrepublic.com
In Texas, Something Seismic Is Happening—and It’s All Trump’s Fault
Thanks to the economy and ICE, Trump has lost Texas Latinos. And James Talarico is developing a humane pro-immigrant message that’s resonating—even in this ultra-Trumpy state.
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Laura Sell @laurasell.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Government playbook: Complain that higher ed is too expensive and bloated with administrators. Turn around and issue new regulations that require many hours of admin work: www.insidehighered.com/news/admissi...
insidehighered.com
Institutions Outline Challenges Collecting ACTS Data
About two-thirds of institutions needed at least the 200 hours that the Education Department anticipated they would require to compile ACTS data. Difficulty remedying errors and unclear definitions ma...
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Reposted by Laura Sell
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
ANOTHER death in ICE detention which appears likely to be the result of medical neglect. A diabetic who told his family members he wasn't receiving regular insulin shots OR getting diabetic-appropriate meals just died in custody. The U.S. prison-ICE detention-industrial complex kills.
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Democracy Docket @democracydocket.com · 23/09/2026
Tighter rules around envelope errors and voting assistance will disenfranchise scores of North Carolina voters, pro-voting groups argue. The state board skirted legislative review and ignored public dissent to pass new rules — the same day ballots were sent out: demdock.com/4dPzchy
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Laura Sell @laurasell.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
I ❤️Durham HEART!
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Laura Sell @laurasell.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
I'd love to see us expand class consciousness to everyone who works for wages, as opposed to the owner class. I agree that "working class" is very murky. newrepublic.com/article/2155...
newrepublic.com
The Term Working Class Is Useless
Too many political analysts and pollsters are relying on education to define the working class, and it’s leading us to the wrong conclusions.
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Reposted by Laura Sell
INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
An INDY investigation finds judges and magistrates in Durham have repeatedly flagged people for citizenship checks when they didn’t need to, landing some in ICE custody.
indyweek.com
Durham Judicial Officials Are Unnecessarily Putting People on ICE's Radar for Low-Level Crimes
Durham judicial officials flagged people for citizenship checks when they didn’t need to, landing some in ICE custody, INDY found.
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M Meerkat @kackbro.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
THIS 👇 HERE.......
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Laura Sell @laurasell.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Really great story. I stayed in South Beach for a weekend a couple of years ago & the ground floor apartment we rented flooded a bit. We got a $35 AirBnB credit for the "inconvenience."
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Laura Sell @laurasell.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
The stench of imperialism lingers on for more than a century.
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T. Greg Doucette @gregdoucette.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
The hilarious part about Trump arguing North Carolina is a shithole is that Republicans have had supermajorities in both chambers of the state legislature for a decade or so, and they have a 5-2 supermajority on the state Supreme Court, and have half of the statewide Executive Branch offices, and...
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Laura Sell @laurasell.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Another reason to hate ai & data centers.
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Laura Sell @laurasell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Maybe all police departments should have to prove they benefit their communities.
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Laura Sell @laurasell.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Very important read for NC voters. Capping property tax will make housing less affordable. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
theatlantic.com
The Property-Tax Revolution
States can’t afford these cuts.
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Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Here's a gift link to my 9/11 essay in the NYT. Civil libertarians long warned that before giving government new powers, we should consider how an administration with authoritarian ambition might abuse them. We were told that America was too exceptional to elect such a person. Well here we are.
nytimes.com
Opinion | Civil Libertarians Knew This Would Happen. We Should Have Listened. (Gift Article)
The civil libertarians’ warnings have come true.
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Elizabeth Warren @elizabeth-warren.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Here's what I think about Trump's pledge to give everyone $5,000 if he wins the midterms: It's as real as Trump's promise to lower costs on Day 1. Check the receipts from Groundwork for the 15 times Trump promised Americans $$$. Remember the DOGE dividend?
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Laura Sell @laurasell.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
What? The premise is, there are some Muppets, and they put on a show each week. With a different guest star.
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Judd Legum @juddlegum.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
🚨 BEWARE of VoteSafe.org 🚨 While it bills itself as a “safe” way to register to vote, it is actually a digital surveillance machine created by Elon Musk’s super PAC.
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🇵🇪✊🏽 Isabella Scarlett 🏳️‍⚧️♿️ @isabellascarlett.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Gender affirming care is suicide prevention. Using folk’s chosen pronouns is suicide prevention. Using folk’s chosen names is suicide prevention. Queer education is suicide prevention. Queer inclusion is suicide prevention. #SuicidePreventionDay
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lucaswaldron.bsky.social @lucaswaldron.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
New analysis from @propublica.org: Ectopic Pregnancy Deaths Have Nearly Doubled. It’s Worse in States With Abortion Bans. www.propublica.org/article/ecto...
A chart showing the rate of deaths after an ectopic pregnancy, comparing states that banned abortion after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 with those that did not. At the start of the chart, in 2014, the rate is higher in states with abortion bans, but the rates in the two groups of states are not far apart. The rate increases in both groups of states, but the climb is much steeper in states that banned abortion.
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Prism @prismreports.org · 09/09/2026
“‘His time is up & he needs to return to his cell block,' the supervisor said.” When I was prevented from completing the LSAT, I learned firsthand how North Carolina's carceral system blocks rehab & education for people on death row, writes Lyle C. May, an incarcerated aspiring law student.
prismreports.org
LSAT interrupted
When I was prevented from completing the LSAT, I learned how North Carolina's carceral system blocks education for people on death row
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Duke University Press @dukepress.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Tomorrow, here in Durham!
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Doktor Zoom @doktorzoom.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
After escaping the rubble of the WTC, Trump barely had time to get aboard Flight 93, lead the uprising against the hijackers, and parachute to safety.
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Laura Sell @laurasell.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
This is so terrible. His replacement may do so much damage to this treasured institution.
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Ruth Zakarin @ruthz.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Violent patriarchy. The leveraging of Lindsay Clancy’s story to demonize all women is violent patriarchy. Society’s silence on the scores of women who die at the hands of men while hyper focusing on the actions of this one woman is violent patriarchy. We have to call that out. 5/5
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Ruth Zakarin @ruthz.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Every single damn day men kill their family members, including an incident just last week where a man in MT killed 8 members of his family — 4 of them children. But you barely heard a peep about it in the national conversation. Men killing their families is so common there’s a name for it… 1/
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Rebecca Colesworthy @rcolesworthy.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
I’ve deleted The emails That were in My inbox And which You were probably Hoping I’d answer Forgive me They were torturous So long So old
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National Organization for Women @nationalnow.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Thank you, Gloria, for showing the world what it means to speak up for women’s equality. Thank you for fighting for our rights so that every woman and every person can live with dignity, freedom, and equality. #gloriasteinem
Thank you, Gloria, for showing the world what it means to speak up for women’s equality. Thank you for fighting for our rights so that every woman and every person can live with dignity, freedom, and equality. #gloriasteinem
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Tressie McMillan Cottom @tressiemcphd.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Because there are two Americas*, we are underestimating the amount of psychosocial grief unleashed this past week Michael Wright Cassandra Wilson Dolly Parton Tim Curry Gloria Steinem In basically one week
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Laura Sell @laurasell.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Be this crow.
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Jon Ossoff @ossoff.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
This corruption is why nothing works for ordinary people.
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Chad Loder @chadloder.dev · 02/09/2026
"Bottom 60% of households" is a wild phrase
CBS NEWS
The findings? For the bottom 60% of U.S. households, a
"minimal quality of life" is out of reach, according to the group, a research organization focused on improving lower earners' economic well-being.
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Tressie McMillan Cottom @tressiemcphd.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
One thing I wanted to say at the time but couldn’t find the strength: regular people have no idea how academics publish books. We rarely have editorial or fact-checking support or services. Academic stars — overwhelming white men — get those resources but we almost never do.
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Prisonculture @prisonculture.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Klein and his co-author hosted a podcast that reviewed the impact(s) of their Abundance book a year after its release. Forget the content, there is something to learn from the practice especially for marginalized people. Tout and talk about your own work. Don't be embarrassed to do so.
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Reposted by Laura Sell
Ruby S. @rubyji.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
A welcome statement from my Congresscritter! She's gone from accepting AIPAC money (to win her 2022 primary against a young progressive Muslim woman) to naming the genocide. Next: Let's see her do something about it.
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Laura Sell @laurasell.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
This was so good. Parents and students need to fight back. The billionaires want us ignorant.
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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 01/09/2026
Breaking News: A whistle-blower at the U.S. Postal Service said Trump officials were defying court orders with a “secretive, rushed” effort affecting voting by mail.
nyti.ms
Whistle-Blower Says Trump Officials Are Defying Court Orders on Voting by Mail
A report detailed “grave concerns” that a new system being rushed into use by the U.S. Postal Service could imperil millions of mail ballots ahead of the midterm elections.
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Joel Pinckney @jpinckney.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
A picture of an open book with a poem titled simply “I”, from Wendell Berry’s Sabbath poems. The text reads:

“Whatever happens, 
those who have learned 
to love one another 
have made their way 
to the lasting world 
and will not leave, 
whatever happens.”
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The Intercept @theintercept.com · 31/08/2026
Western North Carolina asked the Trump administration for hurricane recovery help. It got ICE instead. theintercept.com/2026/08/29/h...
theintercept.com
Western North Carolina Pleaded for Hurricane Help. It Got ICE Instead.
As the G20 descends on Asheville, North Carolina, the communities that helped rebuild after Hurricane Helene live in fear of Trump’s immigration regime.
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Laura Sell @laurasell.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
I think the beaches in NYC and LA and Miami are not like the rest of the country. Was just at the beach in NC and there were bodies of all sizes, shapes & ages, most unaltered surgically. You don't need to go to Italy. slate.com/life/2026/08...
slate.com
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
At the 100 lowest-paying major corporations — including Walmart, DoorDash, and Amazon — CEO pay averaged $17.5M in 2025. Median worker pay was just $36,571, a ratio of 614 to 1. Those same 100 companies spent $108.6B on stock buybacks last year. How can anyone defend this?
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Ian Rose @ianrosewrites.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
ICE made 50,000 arrests in July, the highest monthly number of the Trump administration. The raids aren't just continuing. They're escalating. And yet I see less talk and coverage of ICE on my feeds than I did a year ago. Never let this feel normal. www.newsfromthestates.com/article/ice-...
newsfromthestates.com
ICE arrests in Minnesota return to pre-surge levels while soaring nationwide
Immigration enforcement in Minnesota has returned to pre-Operation Metro Surge levels, according to newly released federal data obtained by the Deportation Data Project.At the same time, federal immig...
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ryan cooper @ryanlcooper.com · 26/08/2026
ordinary people have no idea the system is such a kafkaesque nightmare
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Snow Burrow @bostonjerry.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
If you're looking for a job and it feels impossible, just know that it's not you. It's not you at all. The entire employment market is broken, because the billionaires and PE goons and "major shareholders" broke it on purpose after workers made some modest gains in wages and freedom in 2020-2021.
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Laura Sell @laurasell.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
After hearing that the Imagination Library site was crashing yesterday, I decided to give to @bookharvest.bsky.social, a local Durham charity that gives free books to NC kids. I think Dolly would be ok with that. www.bookharvest.org
bookharvest.org
Home | Book Harvest | Durham, NC | Children's Literacy Nonprofit
Books for every child; support for every parent; literacy for every community. Book Harvest is internationally recognized for its work to transform children's literacy. Since 2011, Book Harvest has pr...
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Laura Sell @laurasell.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Great resource for authors on self-promotion!
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Laura Sell @laurasell.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Stars are always at their best with the Muppets. RIP, Long John Silver.
Tim Curry surrounded by Gonzo, Miss Piggy, Rizzo, and Kermit.
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