Derek Fincham 🌵🗿🏛️🖼️🏴‍☠️

I once told a law student to consider using Arabic numerals for his section headings in his brief. This wasn’t one of our terrific, globally aware students—he looked at me like I’d just punched his grandmother.

Had a great time consulting with the “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” team over the past couple months, and they kindly gave my book a shoutout during the episode.

Tell Students the Truth About American History We owe it to Americans of all ages to be honest about the country’s past, including its contradictions.

I spent October traveling to schools throughout the South talking to students about American history. What I found were young people who understand we can tell a story that includes both the positive and the negative. As one 8th grader in Memphis said, “Doesn’t seem that hard, just say both things.”

Part 1: How I Found Out Olivia had just returned from a reporting trip—at least that’s what she told me it was—and her Herschel backpack, the one with the flap that never quite closed properly, was tossed beside our bed, its...

oh my god you have to read this until the end www.telos.news/p/part-1-how...

Lubbock Will Remove Buddy Holly-Themed Crosswalk After Federal Crackdown

Today is truly the day the music died. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/u...

all the Prometheus, Icarus, Palantir, Erebor, etc. shows that none of these guys - none, and it is almost all guys - have actually done the reading

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

What I first said in sarcasm I increasingly think is a real thing to consider:

Move SCOTUS to a strip mall in rural Kansas.

We can’t fire them. Impeachment* is functionally dead. The 18-yr term thing is a fantasy.

But we can kill a lot of their perks.

Bet Kav would retire fast.

Fired Scholars and Big Grants to Favored Projects: Inside Trump’s N.E.H.

The NEH is showing favoritism to projects in alignment with the administration. As we have known for many months now. Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/15/a...

RoboCop Calls Dallas Out Over the Sorry State of City Hall Actor Peter Weller says Dallas should dig in its pockets to pay to repair the brutalist I.M. Pei icon.

RoboCop himself is mad that Dallas might tear down its brutalist City Hall:
www.dallasobserver.com/arts-culture...

81 years ago, FDR proposed a second Bill of Rights to guarantee every American the right to employment, healthcare, education, housing, and a living income. His words are as relevant now as they were then. Watch.

I lost my job, my kids have measles, and I was just detained by ICE for 10 days despite being a citizen carrying Real ID. But at least I know the Oberlin Student Senate won’t be doing land acknowledgements any more.

Damascus, Syria - September 28, 2023: Minerva statue. Allat-Minerva, Allat-Athena. Statue of the 2nd century AD from As-Suwayda, Syria. National Museum of Damascus

Waking up to news 🚨 that 6 (!) Roman statues were stolen from Syria’s National Museum, in Damascus, on Monday. No details on which statues yet, but I had a few pics below from the GRB gallery with the famed Al-Lat Athena. Heartbreaking news.
thehill.com/homenews/ap/...

The Shutdown of U.S.A.I.D. Has Already Killed Hundreds of Thousands The short documentary “Rovina’s Choice” tells the story of what goes when aid goes.

One analytical model shows that, as of November 5th, the dismantling of U.S.A.I.D. has already caused the deaths of 600,000 people, two-thirds of them children. https://newyorkermag.visitlink.me/jUzNSc

40 billion to Argentina.

40 billion.

On this date in 1961, the US government issues a stamp to honor the 100th birthday of James Naismith, the Canadian-born inventor of basketball.

Texas Banned Abortion. Then Sepsis Rates Soared. ProPublica’s first-of-its-kind analysis is the most detailed look yet into a rise in life-threatening complications for women experiencing pregnancy loss under Texas’ abortion ban.

Pregnancy became far more dangerous in Texas after the state banned abortion, according to our analysis, which found the sepsis rate for women hospitalized as they miscarried in the 2nd trimester shot up by more than 50%.

(Published February)

*taps sign*

Neal Katyal's opening volley against Trump's tariffs:

"May it please the court: Tariffs are taxes."

Normal People Don’t Want This Shit is running away with the vote tonight

I think a thing we'll learn tonight is that people fucking hate what is going on and they will straight ticket vote against anyone involved in starving people while pillaging the country and kidnapping their neighbors. I don't think it matters at all who that person is.

If anyone in Houston hasn't voted and wasn't going to vote but doesn't have anything else going on, you might as well find a place in your neighborhood to vote and can I encourage you to vote for Jordan Thomas for City Council, who I believe will do his part to keep Whitmire in check? Thanks.

Congrats to Mark Walter, President of Guggenheim Partners and owner of the Dodgers, and his players Teoscar Hernández (Dominican Republic), Shohei Ohtani (Japan), Andy Pages (Cuba), Hyeseong Kim (South Korea), Kiké Hernandez (Puerto Rico), Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Japan), Roki Sasaki (Japan)...

(1/2)

'A real violation.' More than 1,000 artifacts stolen from California museum in brazen heist Items stolen from the Oakland Museum of California included Native American baskets, jewelry, laptops, historic photographs and intricately carved ivory tusks.

A new heist at a far less famous museum than the Louvre, and of objects of smaller individual value, but given the scope of heritage stolen this is a terrible loss for both Oakland and California. Hopefully this theft will be treated with the gravity it warrants.

www.latimes.com/california/s...

BREAKING: The full bench of the 9th circuit has agreed to take up the Portland National Guard case and vacated the panel decision that had blessed Trump’s deployment.

If you make 130% of the federal poverty level, you qualify for SNAP.

A family of four, making $40,560, qualifies for SNAP benefits meaning thousands of Missouri teachers qualify.

I’m tired of the bullshit. Most of the people who receive snap benefits work.

Guillermo del Toro quote "...think about wealth for me for example. A wealthy man that has enough..."

"not a man that needs more. If you have enough to invite somebody to beer..."

"...you're rich. If you have, whatever-"

"- yachts and planes and islands and you STILL need more? You're not rich."

Guillermo del Toro on wealth: "a wealthy man is a man who has enough, not a man that needs more. If you have enough to invite someone for a beer? You're rich. If you have a yacht, planes, islands, and you still need more? You're not rich."

Hunger in America makes Page One in Knoxville, Tenn, ..

.. Indianapolis, Boston, Milwaukee ..

#SNAP #Shutdown

Also included thoughts on how awesome Blue Jays fans are for donating to Seattle Children's Hospital after they defeated the Mariners in the ALCS, and for donating to Dodgers charities now to rally around Vesia.

Thinking I may belong in Canada.