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Michael

@michaelgfrd.bsky.social
752 followers 763 following 21 posts

he/him

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Reposted by Michael
Chris Hayes @chrislhayes.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
I've been immersed in research on Reconstruction in Lousiana and it's a very difficult truth to absorb that the white terrorist movement in the South was among the most successful terrorist movements in global history. Took 10 years but it won a total & complete victory through murder and atrocity.
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Mark Jacob @markjacob.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
ICE shot a man in New York City today while he was in a vehicle with a 5-year-old child. Abolish ICE.
nytimes.com
ICE Agent Shoots Man in New York City (Gift Article)
The person who was shot had been taken to a nearby hospital and was conscious and receiving medical attention, according to the New York Police Department, which said it was not involved in the shooti...
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Sophie Hurwitz @hurwitz.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Good morning Prometheans
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Patrick Chovanec @prchovanec.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Even if people protest in Lafayette Square, so what? What makes it the President’s personal preserve? Are we a better country when the President can remove any hint of dissent from his gaze?
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Rachel Maddow @maddow.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
ICE is now separating children from their parents in the nation’s interior and deeming them “unaccompanied.” www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
motherjones.com
“You kidnapped my son”
ICE is now separating children from their parents and deeming them “unaccompanied.”
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The Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) @themerl.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
never skip leg day
An oil painting of a giant white ox, with a massive body and extremely tiny legs. He stands solemnly in a field beneath a moody sky, as if presiding over some kind battle.
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Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Will Bunch: You wouldn't know it from reading the headlines, but the president's downward mental health spiral is the biggest story in America right now. We won't salvage democracy unless the media and pols start speaking the truth about Trump's damaged mind. www.inquirer.com/opinion/trum...
inquirer.com
We need to find the words for Trump’s madness before things blow up | Will Bunch
The media and politicians haven’t pinned down anything resembling a suitable description for a president’s downward spiral or the looming battle for U.S. democracy.
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Andrew Quemere @andrewqmr.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
LOL: Flock sent a letter to the mayor of Lowell complaining about comments he made during a city council meeting about how Flock sells data. Flock claimed that it does not sell data, but the mayor responded by pointing out that Flock advertised this feature to Lowell.
lowellsun.com
Flock vs. Lowell: Surveillance company defends product
LOWELL — Flock Group, Inc. is not only watching license plates in Lowell, but it is also watching the City Council meetings.
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 28/09/2026
Even Navatek’s executives were surprised at how far their money went in D.C. “It was eye-opening for me, frankly. ‘Oh my God, all of it is for sale. It’s all for sale,’” said one.
propublica.org
The FBI Anti-Corruption Squad Was Circling Susan Collins — Until Trump Got in the Way
After the FBI caught a defense contractor’s CEO making illegal campaign contributions, it sought to launch a sweeping political bribery probe involving Collins and others. Then the second Trump admini...
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The Associated Press @apnews.com · 28/09/2026
Walmart is aiming to assuage customers' fears about its new pricing technology as it rolls out digital price labels at its stores.
bit.ly
Walmart says it's not using personal information to set prices as it expands digital shelf labels
Walmart is aiming to assuage customers' fears about its new pricing technology as it rolls out digital price labels at its stores.
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Rick Hasen @rickhasen.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Cough…John Roberts did this…cough
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CNN @cnn.com · 28/09/2026
Sen. Thom Tillis accused Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of replacing press with an "echo chamber" at the Pentagon, calling the behavior "snowflakeish" and urged Hegseth to engage Congress and the public to build support for the Iran war effort.
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Michael @michaelgfrd.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I deleted DoorDash. Three demands, and here's how to close your account: deletedoordash.com
deletedoordash.com
Delete DoorDash: our demands
Our demands for DoorDash on ICE raids, H.R. 9720, and the DC task force. How to close your account until it answers.
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Reposted by Michael
Anna Gifty @itsafronomics.blacksky.app · 25/09/2026
lol but not THEIR kids though. Tech bros want their kids to be tech-free.
nytimes.com
Silicon Valley Executives Are Tech Fans. Just Not for Their Own Kids.
At home, moderation and restraint are the rule for tech parents. Boredom is exalted. Maybe they’re onto something.
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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
NEW: @apnews.com confirms that ICE has begun electronically "disappearing" people in the agency's custody who have final orders of removal. As of last week, anyone jailed by ICE with a final order of removal will NOT appear in the ICE Online Detainee Locator System, making them effectively vanish.
apnews.com
AP Exclusive: ICE hides locations of thousands of detainees with final removal orders
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has stopped publicly revealing where it is holding most detainees who are subject to final deportation orders, in a move that has made it harder for lawyers an...
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Atlas Mugged (N95 Duckbill 😷)✊🏿🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️ @pamacious.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
What a dirty, low down, harmful trick. As many as 80,000 families are finding essential nutritional support has been improperly denied or terminated without due process. Imagine repeatedly getting "your call is being disconnected due to high call volume" when just trying to survive.
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James Cameron @jjjcameron.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Trump basically can't hold a substantive one-on-one meeting anymore. www.ft.com/content/cdff...
The US president appeared to shorten the meeting to make time to show Xi around the White House, including a tour of his Marine One helicopter and helipad. He also pointed out his new ballroom, which was not finished on time to host the dinner.
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Amanda Katz @katzish.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
They pay him, American kids die unnecessarily of nearly eradicated diseases, everyone is happy? Good reporting by NYT
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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 22/09/2026
Nearly 4m records of enslaved people in 20 former British colonies now searchable online
theguardian.com
Nearly 4m records of enslaved people in 20 former British colonies now searchable online
Exclusive: Collection’s 300,000 pages record lives of enslaved people in countries including the Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, Mauritius, South Africa and Trinidad Nearly 4m records documenting the lives of enslaved people across 20 former British colonies have been made searchable online for the first time. The records have been digitised and indexed by the genealogy company Ancestry, which has partnered with the Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slavery at University College London. Continue reading...
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The Daily Beast @thedailybeast.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
The CNN star has exposed the embarrassing truth for Trump over his media ban.
www2.thedailybeast.com
Kaitlan Collins Sounds Alarm on Reality of Trump’s Media Ban
The CNN star has exposed the embarrassing truth for Trump after the first day of his media ban.
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The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 21/09/2026
Ice from Greenland and Antarctica is flowing faster into the ocean, a new study shows, causing sea levels to rise. Meltwater has caused global sea levels to rise by more than 3 centimeters in the past 47 years, researchers said. wapo.st/4yeXWrG
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The New Republic @newrepublic.com · 21/09/2026
Nearly all of the money for Trump’s pet projects comes from billionaires representing industries that are desperate because they are hated as much as, if not more than, the president they are increasingly spending tens of millions to prop up. trib.al/5woGLEZ
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Will Bunch @willbunch.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Any journalist who is "from a political party" is not actually a journalist
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Democracy Docket @democracydocket.com · 21/09/2026
If the Supreme Court has not stayed or otherwise altered the permanent injunction by that time, Secretary Hoskins and all others bound by this judgment must fully implement the 2025 map for the November 2026 general election.
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Democracy Docket @democracydocket.com · 21/09/2026
"For all Missouri voters not covered by UOCAVA, absentee ballots may be requested and cast beginning on Sept 22, 2026... That deadline has not yet arrived, and thus general absentee voting has not yet begun. Accordingly, the Sept 22, 2026, absentee ballot commencement date does not moot this case."
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Democracy Docket @democracydocket.com · 21/09/2026
"Though uncommon, this situation is not unprecedented. Courts around the country have ordered ballot changes after absentee ballots already have been distributed under UOCAVA."
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Democracy Docket @democracydocket.com · 21/09/2026
Read the full story:
democracydocket.com
Missouri ordered to use gerrymandered map for midterms after shocking reversal by appeals court
The circuit court ruling injects even more confusion into a year-long battle over which map the state will use for the general election.
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Democracy Docket @democracydocket.com · 21/09/2026
🚨 BREAKING: In a loss for Missouri voters, the 8th Circuit rules the GOP's congressional gerrymander should be used for the midterms. The ruling puts the federal court in direct conflict with the Missouri Supreme Court. Now SCOTUS must decide for a third time which map will be used in November.
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Ken Tremendous @kentremendous.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
By the time this merger ruins HBO, destroys WB, gets 5,000 people fired, moves production overseas, and guts the quality of the movies the new studio makes, most people will have forgotten how fast the AGs caved and how little they got in this deal. Writers will not.
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Michael @michaelgfrd.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
i think it’s funny how people like this hated Bernie in 2016 & 2020 but as soon as their milquetoast centrism cratered and then democratic socialism got repackaged by a charismatic, likeable young person like Mamdani they hopped on the bandwagon. We’ll take the win I guess!
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Adam Serwer @adamserwer.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Trump banning media outlets from the WH over their coverage is unlikely to affect their reporting much, but it is yet another example of how the right wing definition of “free speech” is that they can say what they want and you can say what they want. (Gift link) www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
theatlantic.com
Speak at Your Own Risk
Donald Trump’s attacks on the First Amendment
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PBS News @pbsnews.org · 15/09/2026
Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil sued Columbia University on Monday, alleging it failed to address harassment against him and other members of a pro-Palestinian campus group and retaliated against them when they reported it. to.pbs.org/4rlDx1F
pbs.org
Mahmoud Khalil lawsuit says Columbia University failed to protect pro-Palestinian activists
The university's “deliberate indifference” led to the doxing of multiple group members and Khalil’s detention by immigration agents, according to the civil rights lawsuit filed in federal court in New...
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Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
This is an insane, authoritarian attack on speech. Rubio shut down an email/web hosting service for activist groups as a “foreign terrorist organization” because a far right think tanker and Daily Caller writer claimed it was used by Antifa and Stop Cop City.
unicornriot.ninja
Activist Blogging Platform Shuts Down After Terrorism Designation - UNICORN RIOT
Washington D.C. — On August 26, 2026, the U.S. Departments of State and the Treasury designated a volunteer tech collective behind a popular activist blogging platform a terrorist organization.  Autis...
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Bill McKibben @billmckibben.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Between debunking the climate hoax and the AI hoax, I'm sure glad that President Trump is there to let us sleep well each night! www.wsj.com/tech/ai/trum...
wsj.com
Trump Says AI Doesn’t Need More Guardrails And Calls Safety Fears a Hoax
The president alleges that a conspiracy is undermining support for AI and data centers, amid fierce public debate about the technology’s risks.
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Prem Thakker ツ @premthakker.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Ms. Rachel: "Ed Sheeran had an opportunity…Instead he caved to people who refuse to accept what the world knows." "If more than 20,000 white children were killed…everyone would be shouting…Treating some children's lives as less worthy of outrage is racist. Silence during a genocide is not neutral."
Ms. Rachel post:
"Ed Sheeran had an opportunity show that we won't be bullied into punishing people for supporting Palestine. Instead he caved to people who refuse to accept what the world knows. A genocide is happening in Gaza. We all need to speak out against it.

"If more than 20,000 white children were killed in another part of the world, everyone would be shouting about it at their concerts. Treating some children's lives as less worthy of outrage is racist. Silence during a genocide is not neutral."
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The New Republic @newrepublic.com · 12/09/2026
The health secretary has been using a military plane for campaign trips, while the fiscal hawk has been chartering a private jet for his staff and himself. trib.al/cr9oAOh
trib.al
RFK Jr. and Rand Paul Exposed for Jetting Around on Taxpayers’ Dime
The health secretary has been using a military plane for campaign trips, while the fiscal hawk has been chartering a private jet for his staff and himself.
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All In with Chris Hayes @allinwithchris.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
The New York Times reports the contractor that renovated the Reflecting Pool told the Trump administration that errors in its own work and flaws in the plan caused the pool's new blue liner to peel and break loose—not vandalism.
youtube.com
Reflecting pool contractor ADMITS its repairs caused damage, not vandals: NYT
YouTube video by MS NOW
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The Associated Press @apnews.com · 11/09/2026
The Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo has now spread to seven provinces in the country, local authorities said. It’s the fastest-growing outbreak on record.
bit.ly
Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo has now spread to the country's seventh province, officials say
The Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo has now spread to seven provinces in the country, local authorities said. It’s the fastest-growing outbreak on record.
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MS NOW @ms.now · 10/09/2026
BREAKING: Supreme Court again rejects Missouri Republicans' efforts to use new congressional map for November's midterm elections
bit.ly
Supreme Court rejects Missouri Republicans again on congressional map
Justice Brett Kavanaugh previously declined to approve the state’s GOP-friendly map. Then things got complicated.
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North Carolina Conference of the AAUP @ncaaup.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Prediction: We are going to end right to work and grow our unions in NC, across the South, and across the country. This is our time! www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
US labor unions saw membership gains in 2025, mostly in states with bargaining protections
Uptick in US union membership coincides with high public approval ratings of unions
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Heidi Shierholz @hshierholz.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
Here’s a link to a paper that has much more detail on the information in this thread, along with additional context. 22/ www.epi.org/publication/...
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Heidi Shierholz @hshierholz.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
As always, a huge thank you to everyone at @BLS_gov. U.S. government statistical agencies are the best in the world and it is because of the brilliant and dedicated public servants who work in them. I couldn't do my work without you! 21/
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Heidi Shierholz @hshierholz.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
But even in a deeply hostile environment, workers are organizing and winning. That tells you everything: the desire for unions is strong. The challenge isn’t motivating workers—it’s fixing the rules so they can actually exercise that right. 20/
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Heidi Shierholz @hshierholz.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
Despite the increase in unionization 2025, we calculate—based on survey data—that more than 50 million nonunion workers want to join a union but haven’t been able to. This is a glaring testament to how easy it is for employers to exploit our weak and outdated labor laws to stop union organizing. 19/
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Heidi Shierholz @hshierholz.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
Unions also strengthen democracy. Labor unions have fought at every level of government to defend and expand voting rights. The long-term decline in unionization in the U.S. is an enabling factor in the erosion of America’s democratic institutions. 18/ www.epi.org/publication/...
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Heidi Shierholz @hshierholz.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
It’s not surprising that workers want to unionize! Unionized workers have higher pay and better benefits than their nonunionized peers. Unions help close racial/ethnic wage gaps, improve the health and safety of workplaces, reduce inequality, and give workers a voice on the job. 17/
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Heidi Shierholz @hshierholz.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
In 2025, there were signs of potential erosion in those regional patterns—the South accounted for close to half of all net gains nationwide. 16/
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Heidi Shierholz @hshierholz.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
There are big differences in unionization across the country. States in the Northeast and the West tend to have higher unionization rates, states in the South tend to have lower unionization rates, and states in the Midwest tend to have unionization rates that fall somewhere in between. 15/
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Heidi Shierholz @hshierholz.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
Younger workers tend to have lower unionization rates, but there has been heightened organizing activity among younger workers in recent years. Union coverage among workers under age 45 increased by 428,000, compared with an increase of 35,000 among workers age 45 and over. 14/
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