iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 14h

Depressing that a group of politicians who claim to believe in divine intervention are almost certain to try again.

Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

The Schmitt thing is kind of scary because it shows just how much many elected Rs genuinely believe the crazy stuff. He and his staff thought they’d pulled the red thread on The Giant Conspiracy. They were so convinced it must be real they didn’t even think to double check.

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Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

This is going to get me yelled at, but I remain bull-ish on LLMs being net positive when it comes to disinformation. First technology since television that’s at least theoretically centripetal (and not centrifugal) for truth

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Helen Kennedy @helenkennedy.com · 29/09/2026

Trump’s new AI website is kinda fun, it turns out.

Can the president use taxpayer funds to air his old campaign ads on TV?

No. Federal appropriations law has long barred using taxpayer funds for political advertising.

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Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

I still cannot believe that Trump actually tried to hold anti-terrorism money hostage to coerce states and counties into undermining the midterms — but good on the courts for giving this the smackdown it deserved! www.ifyoucankeepit.org/p/big-win-fo...

ifyoucankeepit.org

Big win for elections *and* national security

Court strikes down Trump’s attempt to leverage anti-terrorism funding to interfere with elections

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Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Voters are extremely hungry for big, structural changes to our democracy and yet somehow every political consultant is going to spend the next two years swearing six ways to Sunday that the American people only care about the gas tax or whatever.

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Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

This poll from Cook is bonkers. A *huge* plurality of voters (43% overall, 61% of Ds) want Dems to focus on changing the political system overall vs. just opposing (21%, 36% of Ds) or working with Trump (35%, 3% of Ds).

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Ian Bassin @ianbassin.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

BREAKING: Federal Court blocks Trump Admin attempt to misuse homeland security funds to force states to bend to its efforts to interfere in local election processes. Big win for our clients, partners, and American voters. @protectdemocracy.org

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loreleikelly @loreleikelly.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

This regime is killing us. #RussellVought

Street posters in DC decrying the elimination of cancer research funding.

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Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Listening to a nonfiction audiobook about dictionaries (@stefanfatsis.bsky.social’s Unabridged) and it’s excellent but with a wrinkle: the narrator is the same as the Murderbot Diaries. In my head, it’s SecUnit on a hard pivot into lexicography and no matter what I do I can’t break the illusion.

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Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

The fact that Connie Chan is even remotely competitive in this race is such a damning indictment of San Francisco and its electorate

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Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

@protectdemocracy.org has over 100 actions *YOU* can take, right now, to help protect democracy. protectdemocracy.org/how-you-can-... youtube.com/shorts/k7d0a...

youtube.com

Take action. Link in bio for 100+ ways to protect democracy.

YouTube video by Protect Democracy

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Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Nithya Raman (like Zohran Mamdani) is "progressive" in the 19th Century sense of the word: A sweeping structural reformer looking to unbreak broken administrative systems and make dysfunctional local government work again. Turns out, there's a strong a cross-ideological constituency for that.

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Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

And that's it, folks. With less than six weeks to Election Day, we're *finally* done with the gerrymandering wars... ...for 2026. The war restarts in January.

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Protect Democracy @protectdemocracy.org · 25/09/2026

The pro-democracy movement is winning, but we haven't *won.* The White House’s attempts to override the will of voters is faltering. But the real test is still ahead. @raders.bsky.social covers 6 wins keeping our elections free and fair — and why we can't afford to get complacent. ⬇️

ifyoucankeepit.org

Donald Trump’s midterm sabotage campaign is failing (so far)

“Deceive, disrupt, deny” is losing across the board

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Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Every single thing DOJ does these days is basically Watergate times 100.

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Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Every SF permitting story is either "city allows innocuous business to open, residents threaten riot" or "beloved michelin starred business will not open after million-dollar permitting dispute, residents in tears." Wonder if those two things are connected? 🤔

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Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Really key point about this decision👇

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Joey W @jwraithwall.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

It’s time to bring back Kidical Mass to Sacramento! First ride from the Sierra 2 Green on 10/24. It’s a slow, no-drop social bike ride for kids to enjoy biking in a group with friends and family. luma.com/3xd2juya Want to help? Join our test ride and volunteer to chaperone!

Kidical mass flyer with the same information for the event as the link in the post

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Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Not to jinx it, but if you told me a year ago that we'd be here — most disruptions failed, most voters unconvinced by lies — six weeks before the midterms, I'd have been f**king thrilled. Donald Trump's campaign against the midterms is failing.* www.ifyoucankeepit.org/p/donald-tru...

ifyoucankeepit.org

Donald Trump’s midterm sabotage campaign is failing (so far)

“Deceive, disrupt, deny” is losing across the board

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Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Among other things, this use of taxpayer funds for propaganda is just straight up illegal www.ifyoucankeepit.org/p/trump-tv-i...

ifyoucankeepit.org

Trump TV is propaganda — and a crime

The “Anti-Publicity & Propaganda Rider,” explained

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Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

This is staggering. Even the strongest voter registration system will have occasional one-off errors — someone who checked a box accidentally or something. But no, DHS claimed there were thousands of noncitizens registered. The actual number was zero. ZERO.

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Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

I've been thinking a lot about the destabilizing effects of gerrymandering (see our big report last week: apnews.com/article/redi...) and I have a new theory that the redistricting wars — which Trump kicked off — may have backfired on him in a hidden way. (Thread)

apnews.com

Redistricting arms race reshaped House districts for 1 in 10 Americans

A new report reveals that mid-decade redistricting for the U.S. House has changed congressional districts for one-tenth of Americans.

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Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Absolutely fucking bonkers. We're stuck with this authoritarian clown car of an administration for another 28 months.

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Protect Democracy @protectdemocracy.org · 23/09/2026

Raderstorf added, "there’s no off ramp other than reform. It’s the only way to break the cycle.” Learn more about how proportional representation could end gerrymandering for good ⬇️

protectdemocracy.org

What gerrymandering costs voters

Our new report quantifies the practical costs of the forever redistricting wars on American voters.

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Protect Democracy @protectdemocracy.org · 23/09/2026

REPORT: 1 in 10 Americans' congressional districts have changed since 2024. This “brings into question whether or not elected officials are really representing their constituents … or if the voters are being randomly picked by mapmakers,” @raders.bsky.social told @apnews.com

apnews.com

Redistricting arms race reshaped House districts for 1 in 10 Americans

A new report reveals that mid-decade redistricting for the U.S. House has changed congressional districts for one-tenth of Americans.

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Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Chuck Marohn being that one grad student who hears about a well-established, empirical phenomenon for the first time and rejects it (and the entire course) out of hand because it doesn't fit his ideological priors pretty much sums up everything you need to know about the guy.

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Pema Levy @pemalevy.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

One of the things I learned in writing this piece is that in 1873, a former confederate official asked SCOTUS to weaponize the 14th Amendment against biracial government. The court refused at the time. But in 2026, that's exactly what the Supreme Court did.

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Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Tag yourself. I'm "guy silently praying"

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Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

The White House has launched “Trump TV,” a 24-hr state propaganda streaming channel that just seems to loop old Trump speeches. Right now it’s him rambling about tariffs in Davos from January. www.youtube.com/live/A4gNgHf...

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Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

This, right now, is a live debate in Sacramento! The city is planning to legalize neighborhood commercial in all zones (amazing) but the public works department is pushing to limit coffee shops, restaurants, and markets to arterials (not amazing). The ostensible reason? Delivery trucks

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Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

1.4 million Missourians still don't know for sure who they'll be voting for in SIX WEEKS

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Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Bonta & Newsom's "settlement" with the Ellisons was exclusively about hollywood and should not be read any other way. This is a fig leaf of protection for CNN and CBS

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Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

My read of Newsom's "I wouldn't run if Harris ran" comments: He correctly recognizes that both are in the unenviable Jeb Bush slot of "tepid frontrunner" and he desperately needs to change that somehow. Even if it requires something dramatic like hanging back and jumping in late

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Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

This year legislators introduced a slate of 17 bills intended to close California’s “license to kill” system of loopholes for dangerous driving and repeat offenders. Almost all of them failed: calmatters.org/tag/license-... @calmatters.org

calmatters.org

License to Kill

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Fix Our House @fixourhouse.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

🚨 1 in 10 Americans were used as political pawns in the gerrymandering wars between the two parties, according to a new report from @protectdemocracy.org. Proportional representation is the only ultimate solution. protectdemocracy.org/work/what-ge...

protectdemocracy.org

What gerrymandering costs voters

Our new report quantifies the practical costs of the forever redistricting wars on American voters.

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👻🕸️🎃Carrie.🎃🕸️👻 @glitterdustgirl.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I went from being "represented" by Clay Higgins to being "represented" by Mike Johnson 🥴🥴🥴

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Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

One in 10 Americans were forcibly moved to a new district in the gerrymandering wars. And it’s only going to get worse. @apnews.com story about our report on gerrymandering whiplash and why proportional representation is the only way out. @protectdemocracy.org apnews.com/article/redi...

apnews.com

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Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Maybe we should try electing some kind of larger body of people who can decide law and policy instead of vesting near-absolute power in one man, checked only at the extreme outer margins by his own party's judicial appointees.

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Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Wow. A *huge* group of Republican and Democratic current and former elections officials are urging SCOTUS to reject Trump's USPS shenanigans. acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:...

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Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

This is a great list. The only thing I'd add is that there's also a retroactive anti-corruption agenda: investigations, prosecutions, civil asset forfeiture, and disgorgement which dovetails nicely with these reforms

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Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Incredible. I can't believe the mad lads (and ladies) poached Sietsema, Milbank, AND @capitalweather.com. The only thing left is to take over the building on Franklin Park

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Protect Democracy @protectdemocracy.org · 05/09/2026

Is the government quietly taking control of the future of AI? @raders.bsky.social breaks down how the White House established a secret, "voluntary" review process to decide which AI models get approved or blocked. 🚩 No oversight. 🚩 No clear criteria. Read how we’re pushing for transparency ⬇️

ifyoucankeepit.org

This may be the most important rule today. It’s a secret

Trump’s Kafkaesque artificial intelligence black box

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Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Nothing is more embarrassing than Berkeley gray-hairs pretending to care about the environment

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Alan Elrod @aselrod.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

I hope you’ll read my Bulwark essay from last week

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Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

It’s funny how data centers basically are Glonzo but instead of sending the marines to kill him, Donald Trump is screaming about how Glonzo is who makes American great www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-repu...

thebulwark.com

Trump Hands Dems Their Best Gift Yet

His embrace of data centers has given Democrats a potent new campaign tool.

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Rachel Goodman @rachelegoodman.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

@protectdemocracy.org is hiring several amazing litigators for a six-month contract position, 20-40 hours/week. Join this fantastic band of humans fighting for our shared future at a pivotal moment! Apply ASAP, start October 5 or sooner. protectdemocracy.recruitee.com/o/litigation...

protectdemocracy.recruitee.com

Protect Democracy - Temporary Contract - Litigation Attorney | Protect Democracy

Protect Democracy is hiring contract litigators to support our work through the mid-term elections (October 2026 - March 2027).

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