John Mollenkopf

On Data and Democracy (Mid-Year Roundup): Charting the Assault on American Democracy and A Path Forward A narrative of a democracy in the balance, told through 29 data visualizations.

Many of you have probably seen this, but great set of thoughts and data visualizations from Adam Bonica: data4democracy.substack.com/p/on-data-an...

The recent rash of DOJ voter file “requests” #ELB Recent reports have disclosed that DOJ has now “asked” at least nine states for copies of their voter rolls, and I know that there are at least a handful of counties that have separately also received...

The recent rash of DOJ voter file “requests” electionlawblog.org?p=151010

Do the people who write this stuff know anything about Plano?

Excellent work at the Center for Urban Research at the CUNY Graduate Center by Steve Romalewski and team showing RCV patterns in New York City Democratic mayoral primary:
www.urbanresearchmaps.org/nycrcv2025/ and www.electionatlas.nyc/maps.html#!N...

1. NYCBOE plans to run initial ranked choice voting rounds tomorrow for NYC mayor. I'm assuming that based on unofficial results there'll be just 1 instance of vote transfers (from Round 1 to 2). There’s a *mathematical possibility* Cuomo could win, but very unlikely. More in the 🧵 below.

Terrible news for social science and for all who care about using the data we already collect to make better

Views of Race, Policing and Black Lives Matter in the 5 Years Since George Floyd’s Killing Americans have expressed skepticism that attention to racial issues after Floyd's killing led to changes that improved Black people's lives.

Lots to think about here: www.pewresearch.org/race-and-eth...

Trump Wants to Merge Government Data. Here Are 314 Things It Might Know About You.

Curious as to what data-oriented people in related academic networks think about this. Specifically about what a data integrator like Palantir might do with it. Good reading suggestions appreciated.

www.nytimes.com/2025/04/09/u...

Sure to be an interesting discussion...

link.cityandstateny.com/view/6661fdb...

The votes for @1199seiu.org's leadership elections are in, and the opposition slate, 1199 Members First, won big.

Yvonne Armstrong will become 1199's new President; Veronica Turner-Biggs will be Secretary-Treasurer.

Very big news, first reported by @mayakaufman.bsky.social (x.com/mayakauf/sta...).

No indication of IRB approval...

Inside the quiet race for New York City's second-most powerful position The New York City Council speakership goes to whomever can convince around 125 political power brokers, all with opposing interests, that they'll have an ally in City Hall.

All eyes are on the mayor's race, but another race is starting to take shape behind the scenes for leadership of the New York City Council in 2026.

@hollypret.bsky.social has all the details on how the powerful speaker of the New York City Council is chosen

www.cityandstateny.com/politics/202...

Looking forward to a first visit to Istanbul and broad-er.eu/workshop/bro...

NYC progressives want to beat Adams and Cuomo. Can they set aside their differences? The path to victory means that left-leaning voters — and mayoral candidates — must coalesce around a slate of five choices.

My latest story on the mayoral race. How the left’s effort to win depends on a unified strategy. gothamist.com/news/mayor-c...

Wisconsin Supreme Court race: extremely close in an environment where voters are turning against Trump and Musk: www.marquette.edu/news-center/...

The Politics of Resentment Since the election of Scott Walker, Wisconsin has been seen as ground zero for debates about the appropriate role of government in the wake of the Great Recession. In a time of rising inequality, Walk...

Kathy Cramer's Politics of Resentment is a good place to start.
press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/bo...

📌 Please join us for the next Immigration Seminar Series event, on TU 3/18, 4:15-6:15pm EST, with Prof. Mary Waters, who will talk about "Climate Change and Migration: Challenges and Opportunities." You can attend the talk in person at the CUNY Graduate Center or online. Register: bit.ly/MaryWaters

Email to members of the 2030 Census Advisory Committee, dated March 4, 2025. Text: “Dear 2030 CAC Members, I am writing to notify you that the Secretary of Commerce has determined that the purposes for which the 2030 Census Advisory Committee (2030 CAC) was established have been fulfilled, and the committee has been terminated effective February 28, 2025. Thank you for your service to the 2030 CAC. Best wishes, The 2030 Census Advisory Committee (2030 CAC) Advisory Committee Branch”

🚨 Wow. The Secretary of Commerce has disbanded the 2030 Census Advisory Committee, finding that its purposes have been fulfilled.

For those not able to attend, please let us know the insights shared.

Bundestagswahl 2025: Alle Wahlergebnisse in Berlin auf einer Karte Interaktive Karte zeigt die Wahlergebnisse aller Berliner Kieze bei den Bundestagswahlen 2025. Finden Sie heraus, wie sich die Ergebnisse in Ihrer Nachbarschaft verändert haben!

For those following Berlin politics, here is a precinct map of the election results. The SPD declined and die Linke grew.
interaktiv.tagesspiegel.de/lab/bundesta...?

My ancestors were ardent Republicans. Donald Trump is betraying their values. Republicans used to support Black voting rights, morality in personal and public life, and hated the Soviet Union. Many must now be upset, but their leaders are cowering before his threats. A great tradition tarnished.

Read Maria Torres-Springer’s resignation announcement to her staff.

And here's the email one of them sent to her staff telling them she was resigning

4 Top Officials Expected to Resign Over Adams’s Cooperation with Trump (Gift Article) Four deputy mayors to Eric Adams are planning to leave in coming days after Eric Adams embraced President Trump’s immigration crackdown.

UPDATED with a statement from three of the four deputy mayors (and more details):

“Due to the extraordinary events of the last few weeks and to stay faithful to the oaths we swore to New Yorkers and our families, we have come to the difficult decision to step down from our roles."

Tonight, I re-listened to Laleh Behbehanian interview Michael Burawoy, as part of "Journeys Through Sociology", from 2011. This is a remarkable half hour. He left an immense mark on sociology and beyond. RIP.

www.google.com/search?clien...

Reducing the NIH overhead rate to 15 percent is a major attack on higher education. It is one of the most dysfunctional things the Trump administration aspires to do. Universities will respond by moving indirect costs to direct costs, but the chaos in the meantime will disrupt research.

Cool map. www.nyccfb.info/follow-the-m...

This week's IRP seminar: Professor Van Tran of @cuny.edu on "Vulnerable Asian Americans: From Intra-Asian Diversity to Narrative Plentitude." co-sponsored by @cdeuw.bsky.social Thurs 2/6, 12:15-1:30 pm, 8417 Sewell Social Sciences,
@uwmadison.bsky.social. Info: buff.ly/3WILMa6

Census is back up. Hooray!