Amy Cooter, Ph.D.

Excellent work

I'm so glad you saw that and followed through

Once upon a time, I worked for a place that helped Roblox with these issues. It is my understanding that they have since abandoned all such support, and not just externally.

So here's to sparking your motivation through action 🍻

I think about that frequently, still. Slugging through a report today where it took a good 2 hours for my brain to get in gear at the level I need it to be, rolling out of bed each day to see what fresh hell our current moment has thrown at us, etc

I don't think I ever told her this, but one of the most valuable things I came across when working on my book was an almost in passing observation from @mirya.bsky.social talking about how there's research showing how motivation follows action.

What is a Least Common Denominator? Definition, Examples, Facts The least common denominator of a set of fractions is the smallest number of the common multiples of denominators. Learn the definition, methods, & examples.

In this sense (I really should have said "lowest" for clarity)
www.splashlearn.com/math-vocabul...

All this presents unique challenges to prevention and intervention, which researchers, mental health practitioners, and law enforcement alike are actively sorting through.

The valorization of violence is the least common denominator among them, even as they try on different ideological and aesthetic expressions.

This is not to be glib but rather to reflect how these various, sometimes contradictory components are presented alongside each other in ways that allow different individuals to opt into (or stay in) the same space for different reasons.

One way I’ve tried to address this is through explaining it as a “choose your own adventure extremism.”

The trickiest part is perhaps wrangling with elements of traditional ideologies that are clearly present, but not necessarily truly endorsed.

NVE involves elements of numerous online subcultures, fascination with gory, true crime cases, canonization of mass violence actors, and sense of hopelessness or meaninglessness alongside a fractured sense of self.

I’ve spoken to a few journalists in the last week who have been thrown into reporting on nihilistic violent extremism (NVE). Even for people who have extensive experience covering other kinds of extremism, getting your head around this space can be a real challenge.

Nostalgia, Nationalism, and the US Militia Movement NPR's Andrew Limbong talks to Amy Cooter of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies about how realistic an idea of a second civil war is Nostalgia, Nationalism, and the US Militia Movement i...

Today is my book's second birthday! It's relevant for understanding how militias both function think about themselves, including why many have a disjoint between their complacency about ICE alongside longstanding concerns about govt tyranny.

share.google/g5peK0KVaZRM...

True. And also why @icde.bsky.social doesn't mimic the clout chasing approach of these entities in an effort to be the first to report after a tragedy.

We want to make sure we have all the facts to best support our law enforcement and other stakeholders' needs for accurate, actionable information.

If anyone I'm connected to here is a historian of trans identity and experience and is willing to answer some specifc questions about non-US cultural experiences, I'd very much appreciate a DM!

Thanks for writing this, @drkevinrmcclure.com. This kind of stricture was one of the key reasons for my exit from academia. Incidentally, Vanderbilt used to require ntt faculty to sign a CoI statement that they hadn't worked more than a few hours *for anyone else* over their 3 months "off."

of the kind that Minneapolis has also been singing quite loudly in recent weeks.

Not a dare, but a clear message of the people's power, a message of hope against tyranny

In addition to all the positive, beautiful messages of inclusion and representation that were communicated by the large number of dancers and other performers on the field, this presence served as a quiet but very effective show of strength to this fantasy - an *actual* "come and take them" -

One (very small) piece of added analysis about Bad Bunny's show:

There was a niche but loud far-right fantasy that ICE would storm the field during halftime and make very public arrests of him and anyone else performing with him.

One of the few things I legitimately miss about living in Michigan is being able to watch CBC's infinitely better Olympics coverage

I came to Minneapolis to report on what's going on, and one of the main questions I showed up with is "just what is the scale of the resistance?" After all, we're all used to the news calling Portland a "war zone" or whatever when it's just some protests in one part of town.

friendly neighborhood barred attorney telling you to never put your ID on your phone

YouTube video by AWKWORD GLOBAL WARNING: Noelle Cook (Ep 10)

"It's a surprise to people when I don't go at them. But I think if you want to learn about people, if you want to understand where they're coming from, you have to approach it with curiosity and you have to be willing to listen."

- @noellecook.com

764 and other sadistic extortion networks are everywhere.

Parents, school admin, and others *must* start learning the signals that kids are being exploited by these networks.

Claims of Vehicular Terrorism in Minnesota Don’t Hold Up The U.S. government is adopting dangerous language to justify unlawful killing.

On the killing of Renee Nicole Good, I just published a piece in @foreignpolicy.com arguing the Trump administration is weaponizing the narrative of “vehicular terrorism” as a shortcut to justify an unlawful killing: “death squad logic, adapted to American streets”

foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/13/v...

If you haven't read @milleridriss.bsky.social's analysis of how misogyny undergirds so much of our present moment, this Fox op-ed on "deluded wine moms" being a threat to society can be your incentive!

According to my sources, the FBI was initially open to a concurrent investigation with the MN Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (the state agency that would do this investigation).

Trumpy U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen heard about this and intervened, barring the FBI from cooperating with local police.

Lots of folks are struggling right now. Phil has been fighting the good fight for a long time and would appreciate any help people can give.