Reposted by Will FriedmanRobert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 31/08/2026The richest man owns X. The second and fourth richest men control Google. The third richest man owns The Washington Post. The sixth richest man owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. And now the seventh richest could soon take over both Paramount and Warner Bros. See the problem here? 1003262589027
Will Friedman @willfriedman.bsky.social · 31/07/2026Poland, Hungary, now India - are we entering a period in which autocrats and oligarchs are losing their footing, a time of “democratic upsliding”? The World’s Largest Democracy Gets a Second Chance www.nytimes.com/2026/07/31/o...nytimes.comOpinion | Indian Democracy Isn’t Dead After AllThis summer’s youth-led revolt punctured Modi’s aura and showed that Indian democracy may still be able to renew itself from below. 000
Will Friedman @willfriedman.bsky.social · 27/07/2026File under Flouting Democracy: “Meta’s project had no…issues with opposition — in part because the local community didn’t know about the deal until it was done.” www.nytimes.com/2026/07/27/b...nytimes.com5 Things to Know About Meta’s Giant Data Center in LouisianaThe road to the giant project was paved with secret meetings and an ever-expanding building plan. 000
Reposted by Will FriedmanDavid Roberts @volts.wtf · 29/06/2026This is a great example of what's called "pluralistic ignorance" -- the phenomenon whereby most people share a particular view, but they *don't think other people share it*. In this case: most people are concerned about climate change but think others aren't.sherwood.newsOver 50% of Americans say climate change is a serious threat; only 10% think their compatriots feel the sameThat perception gap on the issue is among the highest in the world, per a new Gallup poll.... 551592587
Will Friedman @willfriedman.bsky.social · 26/06/2026“The true value of democracy is not in one specific election or policy; it is in the fact that we, the people, always retain the opportunity — and the power — to fix our mistakes.” Amen. The Founder We Need Is the One We Don’t Remember www.nytimes.com/2026/06/26/o...nytimes.comOpinion | The Founder We Need Is the One We Don’t Remember 000
Will Friedman @willfriedman.bsky.social · 21/06/2026Democratic innovations keep spreading that help regular people fully consider public issues and gain a stronger voice in setting the public agenda and enacting public decisions. www.linkedin.com/posts/a-few-...linkedin.comA few weeks ago, G1000 launched a campaign that we fully support. “Your voice deserves a seat” is calling on the Belgian Chamber of Representatives to establish a permanent citizens’ assembly at the…...A few weeks ago, G1000 launched a campaign that we fully support. “Your voice deserves a seat” is calling on the Belgian Chamber of Representatives to establish a permanent citizens’ assembly at the ... 000
Reposted by Will FriedmanRobert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 11/06/2026Hawaii just passed the first state law in the country banning corporations from making political donations in state elections. Now a Koch-backed legal group is suing to overturn it. Big Money won't get out of our politics without a fight — one that we the people must win. (via @levernews.com) 393167665680
Will Friedman @willfriedman.bsky.social · 27/05/2026China is exporting its “vast security apparatus that keeps citizens safe [but] is frequently deployed to crush political dissent.” Interesting that US’ aspiring tech oligarch Larry Ellison predicts people here will “behave” b/c surveillance will be everywhere. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/27/w...nytimes.comChina Is Testing Its State Surveillance Model Abroad 000
Reposted by Will FriedmanPublic Agenda @publicagenda.bsky.social · 20/11/2025New research: Public Agenda, in partnership with @snfagora.bsky.social, finds that Americans are deeply concerned about democracy, with partisan divides sharpened by Republican disagreements about presidential authority and the balance of powers. Full findings: publicagenda.org/resource/pa-...publicagenda.orgUnderstanding Evolving Republican Attitudes Towards Democracy - Public AgendaPublic Agenda and the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University are working together to understand Americans’ beliefs about democratic practices and principles. Previous work led by the SNF Agor... 063
Reposted by Will FriedmanPublic Agenda @publicagenda.bsky.social · 13/05/2026Many agree that young men in the US are not thriving—but what do they actually think? New Public Agenda research listens to young men directly, uncovering their views on education, the economy, civic life, and more. See what we found in the full report: publicagenda.org/resource/you...publicagenda.orgIn a Rapidly Evolving World, Are Young Men Struggling to Catch Up, or Refusing the Direction It’s Heading? - Public Agenda“The biggest challenge men face today is identity. Historically men would have a tribe, have a local community, whether it’s church and you are kind of just part of the organization. Now we live in a ... 001
Reposted by Will FriedmanBrennan Center @brennancenter.org · 25/05/2026To cast doubt on election results, the Trump administration and its supporters are misconstruing declassified intelligence reports about vulnerabilities in state voter registration databases. But there’s no evidence that the systems were corrupted. bit.ly/4tjHbIMbrennancenter.orgVoter Registration Database Protections Are ResilientDespite recent unfounded claims about data breaches, various systems and backstops protect voter information from cyberattacks. 18052
Reposted by Will FriedmanThe Participatory Budgeting Project @pbp-org.bsky.social · 09/04/2025Check it out - excited to learn about how how to mainstream #publicparticipation and #democracy with @peoplepowered.org next Tues! 033
Reposted by Will FriedmanCenter For Humane Technology @humanetech.bsky.social · 21/05/2026To learn more about CHT’s work on “AI and What Makes Us Human,” read our Substack post: centerforhumanetechnology.substack.com/p/whats-at-s...centerforhumanetechnology.substack.comWhat's at Stake: Preserving What Makes Us Deeply Human in the Age of AIAnnouncing CHT’s new work on “AI and What Makes Us Human” 011
Reposted by Will FriedmanNew_ Public @newpublic.org · 21/05/2026Read more of their thinking here: www.technologyreview.com/2026/05/05/1... And find our recent research on AI here: newpublic.org/afterthefeedtechnologyreview.comA blueprint for using AI to strengthen democracyAI is changing what it means to be a democratic citizen. Here’s how we can harness it for good. 012
Reposted by Will FriedmanNew_ Public @newpublic.org · 01/12/2025In communities across the country, we’re hearing from everyday people that they are hungry for a new way to connect with neighbors online. Our team at New_ Public, a nonprofit focused on building digital public spaces, is creating Roundabout, a new social app and website, now in closed beta. 🧵newpublic.substack.com👋 Introducing Roundabout: built for neighbors, with neighborsNew_ Public’s app for local communities enters closed beta in five pilot communities 2226
Reposted by Will FriedmanNoema Magazine @noemamag.com · 23/05/2026The collapse of political belonging is reshaping democracy, Anton Cebalo argues.noemamag.comA New Anti-Political Fervor | NOEMAHow the collapse of political belonging is reshaping democracy. 043
Reposted by Will FriedmanClaudia Chwalisz @cchwalisz.bsky.social · 15/01/2026How to scale democratic innovations? Read my new DemocracyNext paper, co-authored by Sammy McKinney, about "scaling catalysts" - the organisations playing a crucial role in scaling democratic innovations in their regions. www.demnext.org/projects/sca... 052
Reposted by Will FriedmanCumVideo18 @cumvideo18.bsky.social · 22/04/2026#cumshot #cum #facial @thepriapicknave.bsky.social 06717
Reposted by Will FriedmanBrennan Center @brennancenter.org · 13/04/2026President Trump's latest voting executive order is another attempt to take over elections — power he doesn’t have. But it turns out, there are effective countermoves blunting this and other efforts to undermine elections. 29941
Reposted by Will FriedmanHarry Litman @harrylitman.bsky.social · 12/04/2026From @kimlanelaw.bsky.social “lots of lessons here for the US - in particular that Magyar went to Orban strongholds for years and persuaded Orban supporters in person that their lives could be better. He knew he had the cities -- and he needed the villages to win this sort of victory. 391464361
Reposted by Will FriedmanRobert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 11/04/2026Tax cuts for giant corporations and the super rich. Paid for by cuts to the social safety net for everyone else. The state of Trump's union. [@itep.org] 661646738
Reposted by Will FriedmanRobert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 01/04/2026Montana — yes, deep red Montana — has a plan to effectively neuter Citizens United. No Supreme Court ruling or constitutional amendment needed. This is no joke. Here's how it works. www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1fP...youtube.comCould This Actually End Citizens United?YouTube video by Robert Reich 12746871555
Reposted by Will FriedmanAwful Announcing @awfulannouncing.bsky.social · 29/03/2026"The way some of these other immigrants are getting treated in our country right now is a travesty and a disgrace... I think what’s going on in our country — what we’re doing to some of these amazing immigrants, is really unfortunate and it’s really sad." - Charles Barkley on CBS 259124972342
Reposted by Will FriedmanFairVote @fairvote.bsky.social · 30/03/2026"We need an electoral system that encourages us to talk to each other again. We have options" like ranked choice voting and proportional representation. – FairVote CEO Meredith Sumpter in DemocracySOS on repairing America's civic culture⬇️ democracysos.substack.com/p/stop-fight...democracysos.substack.comStop Fighting, Start Fixing: This Is How We Rebuild DemocracySane voices, trying to bring the nation together in perilous times, are sorely needed 021
Reposted by Will FriedmanSantiago Mayer @santiagomayer.com · 30/03/2026Every second we spend talking about 2028 is a second not spent on supporting redistricting in Virginia. It's a second we don't spend talking about 20M people who'd be disenfranchised by the SAVE Act. Let's focus on winning this fall. 👇 open.substack.com/pub/santiago...open.substack.comFor the Love of God, Stop Talking About 2028I am begging, pleading, imploring. Please. 57018
Reposted by Will FriedmanHoodlum 🇺🇸 @nothoodlum.bsky.social · 28/03/2026Now get out and vote in the midterms like your life depends on it, because it does. #NoKings 11234569614535
Will Friedman @willfriedman.bsky.social · 13/03/2026Very interesting research that opens up new ways of thinking about countering the dangers we and democracy face. 001
Will Friedman @willfriedman.bsky.social · 12/03/2026Important insights in this research by my old organization, @publicagenda.bsky.social, identifying a typology of GOP voters in terms of their attitudes toward democracy. This @washingtonmonthly.bsky.social podcast discusses the findings. #democracy 020
Will Friedman @willfriedman.bsky.social · 09/03/2026Only ongoing democracy-enriching on-the-ground organizing can overcome these anti-democratic antics. Billionaires Are Swaying Elections in All Corners of America www.nytimes.com/2026/03/09/u...nytimes.comBillionaires Are Swaying Elections in All Corners of America 010
Reposted by Will FriedmanRobert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 26/02/2026The richest man owns X. The second and third richest men control Google. The fourth richest man owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The fifth richest man owns The Washington Post. And now the sixth richest could soon take over both Paramount and Warner Bros. See the problem here?nytimes.comNetflix Backs Out of Bid for Warner Bros., Paving Way for an Ellison Takeover 17923874316417
Will Friedman @willfriedman.bsky.social · 26/02/2026Lots of good substance here, but it’s beating heart is this: “Cowardice is a social virus, but courage is also contagious.” (gift article) www.nytimes.com/2026/02/25/o...nytimes.comOpinion | The Great Capitulation Is Over. What Will Take Its Place? 021
Will Friedman @willfriedman.bsky.social · 18/02/2026We can expect lots more of these democracy-corrupting corporate “investments” in the coming months. Meta Begins $65 Million Election Push to Advance A.I. Agenda www.nytimes.com/2026/02/18/t...nytimes.comMeta Begins $65 Million Election Push to Advance A.I. Agenda 000
Reposted by Will FriedmanPhilip Gourevitch @pgourevitch.bsky.social · 18/02/2026notorious radical left communist rag says tax the rich 460203596521
Reposted by Will FriedmanAaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 09/02/2026Crucially, many local governments are furious with ICE over these purchases, because they were not consulted or even told. Because they are federal property now, it's taking a commercial property off the tax rolls while likely imposing dramatic additional infrastructure costs. 552580712
Will Friedman @willfriedman.bsky.social · 03/02/2026Take any power you have and do as much good as you can with it. This is a fine example. How a Judge Weaponized Wit to Free the 5-Year-Old Detained by ICE www.nytimes.com/interactive/...nytimes.comAnnotating the Judge’s Decision in the Case of Liam Conejo Ramos, a 5-Year-Old Detained by ICEOur critic annotates the barbed wordplay of a decision challenging the Trump administration’s theory of executive power. 000
Will Friedman @willfriedman.bsky.social · 28/01/2026Good job, @bradlander.bsky.social. As a fellow New Yorker, I appreciate your going to MN to support them and learn for our hometown. 020
Will Friedman @willfriedman.bsky.social · 28/01/2026Excellent, moving, with telling details: "What [the administration] discovered in the frozen North was...a real resistance, broad & organized & overwhelmingly nonviolent, the kind of movement that emerges only under sustained attacks by an oppressive state." www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...theatlantic.comMinnesota Proved MAGA WrongThe pushback against ICE exposed a series of mistaken assumptions. 032
Will Friedman @willfriedman.bsky.social · 27/01/2026About damn time... www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...theguardian.comTop Democrats tell Trump: either fire Kristi Noem or we will impeach herTrump defends homeland security secretary but Hakeem Jeffries says: ‘We can do this the easy way or the hard way’ 010
Reposted by Will FriedmanRobert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 25/01/2026It's time for a truly massive general strike. robertreich.substack.com/p/sunday-t… 587142464632
Reposted by Will FriedmanBill Kristol @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social · 25/01/2026Yes, the GOP controls Congress. That's why it's key to show Congress COULD stop the madness. And it's not just the DHS bill. Congress could repeal the prior multi-year $75b for DHS; set up a special investigative committee (cf. Watergate); amend the Insurrection Act; etc. 264100302819
Reposted by Will FriedmanRobert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 17/01/2026Living a moral life in an age of bullies requires collective action; it cannot be done alone. Each of us must organize and participate in a vast network of moral resistance. From this solidarity we will grow stronger. This is what our current moment requires. 15363661877
Will Friedman @willfriedman.bsky.social · 12/01/2026A new wave of Democrats is creating energy & victories by embracing economic populism. They can be even more successful, in elections & governance, if they complement a bold affordability agenda with an ambitious commitment to civic renewal & democracy reform. washingtonmonthly.com/2026/01/08/r...washingtonmonthly.comRebuilding the Republic From the Bottom UpDemocrats are winning on economic populism. To make lasting change, they should pair it with an ambitious agenda for democratic reform. 000
Reposted by Will FriedmanIsaac Rowlett @isaacrowlett.bsky.social · 10/01/2026friendly reminder that authoritarians tend to use the same playbook and there are proven strategies to resist them and save one’s country written in early 2017 by Eastern Europeans on the forefront of democratic decline, see for yourself how this aligns to the US in 2025 1/x 48646
Will Friedman @willfriedman.bsky.social · 10/01/2026“The fullness of our authentic human attention, shared with others, is the power with which we make the world. It’s worth fighting for.” The Multi-Trillion-Dollar Battle for Your Attention Is Built on a Lie www.nytimes.com/2026/01/10/o...nytimes.comOpinion | The Multi-Trillion-Dollar Battle for Your Attention Is Built on a Lie 000
Will Friedman @willfriedman.bsky.social · 08/01/2026New essay: A new generation of Democrats is generating energy & victories with economic populism. They can be even more successful (in elections & governance) if they complement their bold affordability agenda with an ambitious civic renewal agenda. #democracy washingtonmonthly.com/2026/01/08/r...washingtonmonthly.comRebuilding the Republic From the Bottom UpDemocrats are winning on economic populism. To make lasting change, they should pair it with an ambitious agenda for democratic reform. 151
Reposted by Will FriedmanBen Collins @bencollins.bsky.social · 31/12/2025It has been The Onion's best year since we broke Watergate and subsequently, personally had Richard Nixon removed from office. I'm going to share some personal favorite stories in this thread. Please add your own, and visit the Our Annual Year recap below. theonion.com/our-annual-y...theonion.comOur Annual Year 2025January February March April May June July August September October November Sports Entertainment January February March April May June July August September October November Sports Entertainment 853956515
Will Friedman @willfriedman.bsky.social · 24/12/2025Well said: “Each of us knows that [the Senate] doesn’t work very well right now. Each of us knows we should be taking a look in the mirror and acknowledging that lives lived in a politicized echo chamber are unworthy of a place that calls itself a deliberative body.” www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/u...nytimes.comBen Sasse Says He Has Terminal Pancreatic Cancer 000