joelrittle.bsky.social

Being gay is much a small thing to have in common with someone else. For example, I’m gay. He’s gay. I’m… me. He’s a fascist loser. Ain’t that something?

There are 3 rules:
Never start a land war in Asia
Never invade Afghanistan
Never put your credibility up against Colbert's

Even non-Illinois voters might find this funny.

UK: Prince Andrew arrested.

South Korea: Former President Yoon sentenced for life.

Brazil: Former President Bolsonaro serving a 27-year sentence.

USA: President Trump demands $10 billion payout from taxpayers.

The British monarchy is more accountable to the public than the American presidency.

"We don't like changes in Surprise!"

Just watch bobsledding or speed skating for a bit and it will be back.

BREAKING: We secured another court order blocking the Trump-Vance admin’s unlawful immigration raids at houses of worship.

This ruling restores essential safeguards to religious freedom, and protects people of faith from ICE intrusion.

If so, please post a video of you and Nina Totenberg binge drinking.

one of the most frustrating things about there being “no jobs” is that we all walk around and see the work that needs to be done. our cities are crumbling, our people need help, our world is dying. there’s so much work to be done, if only it were good for the balance sheet

What an excellent resource IW is

I support the First Amendment as well.

Elmo @elmo · 1h That Bunny was AMAZING. Elmo thinks he should be called Good Bunny! Elmo loves you, Mr. Good Bunny! ❤️🎶🐰 Based Yankee @thebasedyankee You and Bad Bunny should be deported

It's not even midnight and we're already at "Deport Elmo."

Just a quick update from the Twin Cities. (Please forgive the unsolicited message). THINGS ARE NOT BETTER IN MINNEAPOLIS. The media is mostly moving on, Trump is focused on other stuff, BUT NOTHING HAS CHANGED ON THE GROUND. More than 2,000 DHS thugs continue to roam the streets, abducting people 24/7, assaulting legal observers with impunity, and routinely denying 1st, 4th, and 5th amendment rights. Drones and helicopters are overhead every day. Hundreds and hundreds of terrified families have not left their homes since mid-December ... relying on the community to bring them food and help with rent and other necessities. (Those people are NOT violent drug cartel sex offending murderers, as DHS would tell you. Most are legal residents or citizens.) If anything, things have just become more stressful and intractable (think trench warfare as a suitable metaphor): The resistance is better organized and numerous, but DHS has become more clever and better at disguise... and the county sheriff's office is increasingly supporting them . Do not let anyone tell you that Homans (the new person in charge of the occupation) is making anything better. Do not let anyone tell you that 700 ICE agents leaving the city has made much of a difference; the remaining force (again, ~2,000) is still larger than the entire city's police force (which is legally unable to do anything). Please call your congressional reps ... especially if there is any chance the administration might listen to them.

A desperate plea sent to me by a Minneapolis resident who's been on the front lines since the beginning of the ICE occupation:

Besides the fact that we're not 12 years old?

Inquiring minds want to know, are Buck and Jonathan friends or enemies?

I disagreed with Scalia about a lot of things but I remember being struck in some case where he wrote, basically "the government argues that being required to follow the Constitution would make law enforcement's job harder. They are correct. That is the point."

Case 1:25-cv-02463-JMC Document 52 Filed 02/02/26 Page 1 of 9 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA JOE NEGUSE, in his capacity as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, et al., Plaintiffs, Case No. 25-cv-2463 (JMC) V. U.S. IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT, et al., Defendants. ORDER Pending before the Court is Plaintiffs' motion for a temporary restraining order, or in the alternative, for a stay under 5 U.S.C. § 705. ECF 49' For the reasons discussed below, the Court GRANTS the motion for a temporary restraining order pending further proceedings on Plaintiffs' request for a Section 705 stay.

ORDERED that Defendants are TEMPORARILY ENJOINED from enforcing against the Plaintiffs the oversight visit policy as announced on January 8, 2026, or otherwise requiring any Plaintiff to provide advance notice before conducting oversight visits at any facility operated by or for DHS used to detain or otherwise house aliens; and it is further ORDERED that this Order shall apply to the maximum extent provided for by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65(d)(2); and it is further ORDERED that, pursuant to Rule 65(b)(2), this Order shall expire in 14 days, subject to any further order from the Court; and it is further ORDERED that, should Defendants intend to file a supplemental brief in support of their opposition to Plaintiffs' request for a Section 705 stay, they shall have until February 8, 2026, to do so. Plaintiffs shall have until February 11, 2026, to file any additional reply in support of their request for a Section 705 stay. The Court will shortly contact the Parties regarding a hearing. Should the Parties confer and agree on an alternative briefing schedule, they may request alternative dates by submitting a joint status report. SO ORDERED. ЛА М. СОВВ United States District Judge

BREAKING: Judge Jia Cobb issues a TRO blocking DHS Sec Noem's Jan 8 memo purporting to require 7-day notices by members of Congress to perform oversight visits to immigration detention facilities.

The effect is that congressional oversight visits are allowed on request, as is required by Sec. 527.

Well when you put it that way...

How could you forget Jian and the creepy bear?

I subscribe to the broken windows theory of police accountability.

If police can break your window with no accountability, that’s going to lead to bigger problems pretty quickly.

This is the democratic opposition party in Italy protesting against ICE involvement in the Winter Olympics in Milan

I truly hate that this idea actually makes sense, and I'm not kidding one bit.

Besides the fact that it's January?

Amazing that the guy whose career was resuscitated by saying “you’re fired” every week hasn’t fired anyone at the very moment when they all should be

Crowd is massive, now overflowing Congress Plaza and taking up a block-long stretch of Michigan Avenue.

Reminder: this event was only announced yesterday.

Trump administration: “Alex Pretti was a demotic terrorist who planned to massacre as many immigration officers as he could.”

Alex Pretti’s last words: “Are you okay?”

I wrote the speech I *wish* Chuck Schumer would give tonight - as an actual opposition leader. Here it is:

"My fellow Americans: At this hour, an unrestrained force of militarized and violent federal officers is carrying out a project of ethnic cleansing in the streets of American cities."

1/14

Statement from Michael and Susan Pretti Parents of Alex Jeffrey Pretti “We are heartbroken but also very angry. Alex was a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital. Alex wanted to make a difference in this world. Unfortunately, he will not be with us to see his impact. I do not throw around the ‘hero’ term lightly. However, his last thought and act was to protect a woman. The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting. Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs. He had his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down, all while being pepper sprayed. Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man. Thank you.

Kare 11 local news just read, in full, this statement from Michael and Susan Pretti, the parents of Alex Pretti.

"Please get the truth out about our son."

What you talkin' about Willis?