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Michael Sozan

@michaelsozan.bsky.social
423 followers 122 following 144 posts

Senior Fellow at Center for American Progress @americanprogress.bsky.social. Democracy crusader. Former Senate chief of staff, DOJ. Opinions my own, reposts aren’t endorsements.

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Reposted by Michael Sozan
Knight First Amendment Institute @knightcolumbia.org · 21/09/2026
The Knight Institute plans to support @cnn.com, @ms.now, and @politico.com in court. These news outlets announced today that they’re suing President Trump and three advisors after the administration banned them from the White House and confiscated their reporters’ press credentials.
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Gabriel Lezra @gabelezra.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Makan Delrahim, one of Paramount's main lawyers pushing a settlement with behavioral remedies...had a lot to say about them as DOJ antitrust chief. Back then, they were "the wolf of regulation dressed in the sheep's clothing of a behavioral decree." Thread: www.justice.gov/archives/opa...
justice.gov
 
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Phil Tinline @philtinline.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Getting kinda bored of British journalists writing pieces about our PMs meeting Trump that basically go: 'Ooh ooh the Great Emperor! Can our puny pipsqueaks measure up?'
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@NewsJennifer (Jennifer Schulze) @newsjennifer.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
"Among the terms on table are “independent content monitoring of CNN” As anyone who has actually worked in a newsroom knows, this is a bullsh*t idea. CNN will get the CBS News treatment no matter what some content board says or does. 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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Eric Bolduc @ericfinalfantasy.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Paramount must never acquire Warner Bros. Tell the state AGs including Bonta to stay strong and resist remedies. #BlocktheMerger #NoConcessions
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Mark Ruffalo @markruffalo.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Don’t you dare @agrobbonta.oag.ca.gov, do not cave. 5670 film makers put their necks on the line for you to fight this merger. Another 75,000+ and counting have signed to tell you not to concede in just 3 weeks. Please sign to send a message to the AG’s and Paramount. noparamountconcessions.com
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Jen Rubin @jenrubin.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
This is do or die moment for Cal Dems like @gavinnewsom.bsky.social @governor.ca.gov and @rokhanna.bsky.social - are they in the pocket of the Ellisons or are they with democracy, free and diverse media, etc.? So far .... crickets.
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Michael Sozan @michaelsozan.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
To Rob Bonta: do not cave to Paramount/Ellison! Especially when Trump just banned CNN from the White House.
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Free Press @freepress.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
🚨Press reports state AGs are negotiating to settle their suit against the Paramount-WBD merger.🚨 "Here’s what every politician negotiating in backrooms should understand: People won’t forget who stood up for them and who capitulated" @jgo4justice.bsky.social www.freepress.net/news/free-pr...
freepress.net
Free Press Calls on Attorney Generals Not to Cave to Ellison’s Extortion
The reported deal would abandon the thousands of creatives and workers who risked speaking out and the tens of millions of consumers the attorneys general should be fighting for.
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Alvaro M. Bedoya @bedoyausa.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
1/ Per Status, @agrobbonta.oag.ca.gov may soon bless a weak settlement with few or none of the divestments he's demanded for months.
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Michael Sozan @michaelsozan.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Continued leadership from FCC Commissioner @agomezfcc.bsky.social.
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Alvaro M. Bedoya @bedoyausa.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
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Jessica J. González @jgo4justice.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
The FCC waived massive foreign investment in the Paramount-WB deal. They didn’t have to. But Brendan Carr has made himself the laughingstock of the Communications Bar. So now he’s circling billionaire tables for scraps b/c nobody of principle will hire him to do honest work again. #BlocktheMerger
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Craig Aaron @notaaroncraig.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
The idea that allowing the Saudi regime — which has murdered journalists, don’t forget — and other foreign investors to up to 100% of CBS and CNN is somehow in the “public interest” twists the term beyond recognition. But FCC’s Brendan Carr only serves Trump and Larry Ellison, not the public.
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Center for American Progress @americanprogress.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
"The Constitution, alongside federal and state laws, will almost certainly prevent the administration from successfully rigging the vote — but only if pro-democracy Americans of all political stripes show courage." CAP's @michaelsozan.bsky.social for @ms.now: bit.ly/4gFRaE1
ms.now
Opinion | The Postal Service is just the start of Trump’s plan to subvert the midterms
The attack on mail-in ballots is just one of a dozen tactics the administration may deploy or is already deploying to evade accountability at the ballot box.
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Center for American Progress @americanprogress.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
The Trump administration wants to weaponize the U.S. Postal Service against voters and unconstitutionally take election powers away from the states. CAP’s @michaelsozan.bsky.social explains where things stand now with the new USPS rules. Read more: ampr.gs/4xPhBxN
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Center for American Progress @americanprogress.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Trump's attempt to turn USPS into an election enforcement agency is part of a broader scheme to undermine our midterms, warns CAP's @michaelsozan.bsky.social in @ms.now: tinyurl.com/5n6mpppn
tinyurl.com
Opinion | The Postal Service is just the start of Trump’s plan to subvert the midterms
The attack on mail-in ballots is just one of a dozen tactics the administration may deploy or is already deploying to evade accountability at the ballot box.
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Reposted by Michael Sozan
Brennan Center @brennancenter.org · 31/08/2026
Threats of violence against federal judges and their families have surged since 2021. We interviewed 35 sitting and retired federal judges to learn about their experiences and what it means for the rule of law. Read our report here: bit.ly/4gIHoAU
brennancenter.org
Protecting Judges from Rising Threats
Federal judges and their families are facing extraordinary pressures. Improved security can ensure that they remain safe and that judicial independence remains uncompromised.
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Center for American Progress @americanprogress.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
🚨 The Trump administration is weaponizing federal databases to quietly purge thousands of Americans from the voter rolls. Check your voter registration status TODAY. Read more about how the administration is meddling with the midterm elections to cement its power: ampr.gs/4xPhBxN
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Evan Greer @evangreer.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
I wonder why backers of the Paramount merger are resorting to shady astroturf operations like "Neighbors for Strong Communities," a fake organization with an address in Washington, DC that's a nondescript black door next to an Italian restaurant texting ppl in California about "Hollywood jobs"? Oh.
hollywoodreporter.com
California AG Rob Bonta Says David Ellison Is “Desperate” and “Grasping at Straws”
In an expansive interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Bonta laid out his strategy and took aim at the Paramount chief and emerging legal rival. “He cannot flee accountability.”
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Between The Lines Radio Newsmagazine @btlradionews.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
#OnTheAir COUNTERPOINT airs Mondays 8-9:30pmET wpkn.org 89.5FM Bgpt #CT: @michaelsozan.bsky.social of @americanprogress.bsky.social on how Trump is trying to rig #2026Election to entrench the imperial presidency; Dr. Jake Scott on Trump's anti-science exec order on childhood vaccinations schedule.
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Evan Greer @evangreer.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Here's a fun little dive into corporate astroturfing in the USA: There's an "organization" called Neighbors for Strong Communities that lists no board members, staff or funders. The address on their website is a nondescript black door in Washington, DC next to an Italian restaurant. Seems legit!
https://neighborsforstrongcommunities.org/ homepageaddress of the astroturf firm
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Team Talarico @teamtalaricohq.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
NEW AD: 14 years ago today, Ken Paxton stole someone's $1,000 pen. Today, Ken Paxton’s pen victim is endorsing James Talarico.
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Michael Sozan @michaelsozan.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
📣 📣 Trump won’t bully us into submission at @americanprogress.bsky.social. We will continue to fight for everyday Americans. Today, the editorial board of the @washingtonpost.com recognized the important work of CAP and think tanks across the ideological spectrum. wapo.st/4qh0nH2
wapo.st
Opinion | Trump’s attack on a think tank is an affront to the First Amendment
Think tanks help make America exceptional.
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Alvaro M. Bedoya @bedoyausa.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Full context on the Atlanta town hall not even 8 weeks ago where worker after worker warned about how past mergers had decimated their lives: newrepublic.com/article/2136...
newrepublic.com
There’s a Blue-Collar Hollywood—and the Paramount Merger Will Kill It
Hollywood isn’t all glamour. It’s thousands of line workers. And a Paramount takeover of Warner will make their lives even more precarious.
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Alvaro M. Bedoya @bedoyausa.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
"I haven't worked since 2024. I cannot afford health insurance because I have no work" "I hosted dinners for colleagues who lost 80% of their salary" "we've seen larger instances of depression, more suicide among our crew" @iatse.bsky.social members *8 weeks ago* on what past mergers did to them:
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Michael Sozan @michaelsozan.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Always proud to be cited by @rickhasen.bsky.social!
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Michael Sozan @michaelsozan.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Important reading...
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Reposted by Michael Sozan
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 12/08/2026
"Last month, Trump used a planeload of reporters as an unwitting decoy during a real assassination threat, subpoenaed the reporters who reported something was amiss, then stood up at a black-tie dinner and told those same reporters how lucky they are he tolerates them at all" — @lizdye.bsky.social
publicnotice.co
Trump uses reporters as human shield, gets feted as guest of honor
Steepest of learning curves.
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Michael Sozan @michaelsozan.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
The Trump admin. is interfering with the election & now open to declaring a nat'l emergency. This is 1 tactic imperial leaders use to solidify power. Read the new @americanprogress.bsky.social report re the admin's 15 unlawful/corrosive subversion tactics. www.americanprogress.org/article/the-...
americanprogress.org
The Trump Administration Is Interfering in the 2026 Midterm Elections To Entrench the Imperial Presidency
The Trump administration has seized unprecedented control over the federal government and is now executing a plan to subvert the 2026 midterm elections—determined to entrench its power and continue it...
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Center for American Progress @americanprogress.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
From national to local elections, every American's vote has the ability to determine the future. Read more about the power of just one vote in a timeless CAP report from 2024: ampr.gs/4bGxluE
ampr.gs
The Power of One Vote
Elections help determine the quality of the air Americans breathe, the water they drink, and everything else in between; and more often than people realize, these elections come down to just a handful...
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Barb McQuade @barbmcquade.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
I don’t agree with all Abdul El-Sayed’s views, but GOP “othering” is a disgrace. He was born in US, educated at Bloomfield Hills Andover, where he captained football team; Univ of Mich; Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar; Columbia, where he earned an MD. Debate his views, not whether he’s a “real” American.
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Stand Up America @standupamerica.com · 06/08/2026
WATCH: LBJ on the significance of the Voting Rights Act, signed into law 61 years ago today.
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HuffPost @huffpost.com · 06/08/2026
Towle’s family confirmed her death in a post on her social media platforms, describing her as “an endless ray of sunshine.”
huffpost.com
TikTok Influencer Sydney Towle Dead At 26 Following Rare Cancer Diagnosis
Towle’s family confirmed her death in a post on her social media platforms, describing her as “an endless ray of sunshine.”
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James Talarico @jamestalarico.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
The American Dream has become an American Nightmare. It’s too expensive to buy a home. It’s too expensive to get married and have kids. It’s too expensive to retire comfortably. The top 1% put the American Dream behind a paywall.
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Center for American Progress @americanprogress.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Today, President Trump made remarks asserting that China and other foreign nations attempted to meddle in the 2020 election. In response, @michaelsozan.bsky.social, senior fellow at CAP, issued the following statement: ampr.gs/457nnP3
ampr.gs
STATEMENT: Trump Dredges Up Debunked Election Conspiracy Claims To Distract Voters
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@Boom-WhatsGoingOn.bsky.social @boom-whatsgoingon.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
The Houston Chronicle, largest newspaper in Houston endorse James Talarico! 👏 Writing, “Texans deserve better than Ken Paxton’s moral rot’… Paxton’s documented deeds prove he’s a man of low character, lacking integrity. An extremely very poor candidate for an even more powerful political office.
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Pat Sobkowski @patsobkowski.com · 30/06/2026
You can’t reconcile Slaughter and Cook. It’s just the Supreme Court saying “we don’t want to mess up the world economy, but trust us, we’re principled interpreters of the Constitution.” My latest in @liberalcurrents.com www.liberalcurrents.com/slaughtering...
liberalcurrents.com
Slaughtering the Administrative State
The Supreme Court's Cooked reasoning on independent agencies.
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leftylady.bsky.social @leftylady.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Clarence Thomas says the 14th Amendment should be read narrowly because it was written for formerly enslaved people. By that logic, the 2nd Amendment was written for muskets, not AR-15s. Funny how that kind of originalism only shows up when it's convenient.
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Mark Hamill @markhamillofficial.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
This man makes me wish I lived in Georgia so I could vote to reelect him to the Senate. I guess I'll just have to wait to vote for Jon Ossoff @ossoff.bsky.social when, hopefully, the Dems draft him to run for President! 🇺🇸 #AwesomeOssoff2028
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American Oversight @americanoversight.org · 01/07/2026
President Trump and his allies are trying to make it harder for Americans to vote. They’ve pushed measures to ban mail-in ballots, close polling places, and intimidate voters. We’re fighting back. americanoversight.org/investigatio...
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WIRED @wired.com · 16/06/2026
The commercial was submitted by the Freedom of the Press Foundation to run during Donald Trump’s UFC event. It criticized the $111 billion merger as a threat to the First Amendment. www.wired.com/story/paramo...
wired.com
Paramount Refused to Air an Ad Criticizing Its Merger With Warner Bros.
The commercial was submitted by the Freedom of the Press Foundation to run during Donald Trump’s UFC event. It criticized the $111 billion merger as a threat to the First Amendment.
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Freedom of the Press Foundation @freedom.press · 16/06/2026
Warner Bros. declined to air our ad during UFC Freedom 250 about what David Ellison's proposed takeover of CNN, HBO, and other outlets would mean for press freedom. "Instead, it censored it," FPF's Seth Stern said. Read more from @jeremymbarr.bsky.social:
theguardian.com
Paramount rejected ad criticizing its owners and Warner Bros acquisition
Rejected citing ‘conflict of interest’, the ad took aim at Trump allies David Ellison, Paramount Skydance chief, and his billionaire father, Larry Ellison
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Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Julia Roberts: We all feel like, “I can’t turn the news on. I don’t want to hear it.” But we have to hear it. We have to face it. But if we keep inhaling and exhaling, we will prevail.
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The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 15/06/2026
Column: A neighborhood group in D.C. is trying to use the same techniques to fight swarming hordes of mosquitoes that scientists have used to all but eradicate mosquitoes on an island in the Philippines.
washingtonpost.com
Column | Here’s how I got rid of mosquitoes when nothing else worked
This neighborhood plan mimics ones used to eradicate the insects on islands. Could it work for my house?
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Hillary Rodham Clinton @hillaryclinton.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
Remember, during today's literal cage match on the White House grounds: No matter what, it's not his house. It's our house. Get a hat, coaster, or sticker to support groups and candidates who will respect the form AND the function of the people's house. shop.onwardtogether.org/collections/...
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Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Fonda: This isn’t the first time that Americans’ rights have come under attack. But this time, what is really different from the last century is that the attacks are coming from every part of the government: the executive, the legislative, and the Supreme Court.
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Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Fonda: In the face of what’s happening, we need our industry to be unified, activated, and unwilling to engage in anticipatory obedience. We stand together in defense of our right to free expression. If they come for one of us, by God, they come for all of us.
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Norm Eisen @normeisen.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
Trump says the January 6th rioters who attacked cops should be paid... we said HELL no 2 of our clients are the prosecutors who put them away — & they just filed the first post-flip-flop action against the fund This week's publisher's note has the rest 👇 -TN
contrariannews.org
Contrarians Shake the Ground Beneath Trump
When you're winning, pour it on: Publisher's Roundup 70
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Leah Greenberg ❌👑 @leahgreenberg.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
There are concentration camps in the United States in the year 2026. There are CONCENTRATION CAMPS in the United States in the year 2026. THERE ARE CONCENTRATION CAMPS IN THE UNITED STATES IN THE YEAR 2026.
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