Thomas Leeper

American Convicted of Murder Is Freed by Trump From Venezuela Prison

One of the people the Trump admin prisoner swapped out of Venezuela is a convicted triple murderer
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/23/w...

Andry Hernández Romero, the innocent make-up artist imprisoned without trial for 4 months in El Salvador by the Trump admin, is FREE.

He was wrongfully accused of being a gang member because of his “mom” and “dad” tattoos, and illegally sent to El Salvador without due process.

I just noticed this today too! Hope they're being reconstructed.

Even though I have what I would consider a near-expert level understanding of the cognitive mechanisms underlying this, I genuinely struggle to understand how the beneficiaries of generational wealth can be this delusional about their own lives.

The roots can grow more than a foot deep and those grow sort of separately from the above-ground plant, a bit deeper underground. It's a nightmare plant.

Reminds me of my time RAing at the NU Two Attic Closets of Policy Research.

"Reps are red
Dems are blue
We love fascism, kleptocracy, and white supremacy
And so should you"

Joe Rolette - Wikipedia

This is somewhat (locally) famously why the Minnesota state capital is in St Paul. An effort was made in the 1850s to move it and an opponent stole the physical bill and hid until the session ended for the year.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Rol...

The blind zone on a Chevy Suburban is much, much bigger now than 20 years ago. The same is true for all 6 models that researchers recently examined.

Bigger blind zones --> More pedestrian deaths (which have surged in the last 20 years)

Research: saemobilus.sae.org/articles/lon...

Wait. Who owns epsa?

Revealing that the US's only weapon capable of deep subterranean penetration isn't actually a realistic deterrent to construction of modestly deeper subterranean facilities is quite the self-own. Millions of dollars - illegally spent - to reveal our limitations to our adversaries. Well played.

bsky.app/profile/dcei...

bsky.app/profile/judd...

Someone will reply to this saying "what about dangerous criminals?" Well, if someone is a criminal then it's a police matter. But immigration is not typically a criminal matter, thus not obviously a police matter. Immigration enforcement could equally be handled by "typical" bureaucrats, not cops.

The thing about ICE is that Congress could just require them to be different. We don't *need* to have an armed, police-like immigration enforcement agency; that's a policy choice. Imagine they had to wear uniform shirts and visible badges, and couldn't wear masks or carry weapons.

It's funny because it's literally your tax dollars going up in flames. Haha...wait

Getting a zero down loan on this truck so I can take away healthcare from poor people

Get ready for the onslaught of mainstream media headlines drooling over "Hegseth, recovering from Signal scandal, reestablishes leadership at Pentagon", "Trump plays Commander-in-Chief, first at home and now abroad", and "The art of the deal, and of war" nonsense

"We are devastated and heartbroken at the loss of our parents, Melissa and Mark. They were the bright lights at the center of our lives, and we can't believe they are gone. Their love for us was boundless. We miss them so much. "We want everyone to know that we are both safe and with loved ones. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support we have received, and we appreciate your respect for our family's privacy as we grieve. "Our family would like to thank law enforcement for their swift action that saved others and for the coordination across communities that led to the arrest of the man who murdered our parents. We especially would like to thank the officers who were first on the scene to our parents' home and their heroic attempts to rescue our mom and dad. "Our parents touched so many lives, and they leave behind an incredible legacy of dedication to their community that will live on in us, their friends, their colleagues and co-workers, and every single person who knew and loved them. "If you would like to honor the memory of Mark and Melissa, please consider the following: • Plant a tree. • Visit a local park and make use of their amenities, especially a bike trail. • Pet a dog. A golden retriever is ideal, but any will do. • Tell your loved ones a cheesy dad joke and laugh about it. • Bake something — bread for Mark or a cake for Melissa, and share it with someone. • Try a new hobby and enjoy learning something. • Stand up for what you believe in, especially if that thing is justice and peace. "Hope and resilience are the enemy of fear. Our parents lived their lives with immense dedication to their fellow humans. This tragedy must become a moment for us to come together. Hold your loved ones a little closer. Love your neighbors. Treat each other with kindness and respect. The best way to honor our parents' memory is to do something, whether big or small, to make our community just a little better for someone else."

Please read and share this statement from Sophie and Colin Hortman, children of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark.

(via WCCO reporter Caroline Cummings on X)

Also it was just hailing while perfectly sunny.

TBF super weird weather. I watched it pour on one side of my yard while the other side didn't get rained on at all.

this is crazy. massive police failure that this guy was able to go about his day after killing multiple people.

www.nytimes.com/live/2025/06...

Things police shouldn't own for $200, Alex.

Last night on the eve of the big anti-Trump rally, our Speaker of the House Emerita Melissa Hortman was assassinated in a shocking incident. Public officials advised cancellation of events. I can tell you from this spot on the State Capitol lawn, Minnesota is not having it.

Melissa Hortman, who was assassinated last night, was the Speaker of the Minnesota House in the 2023-2024 session, when Democrats ran the state government.

That means she had a leading role in shepherding the many landmark reforms that Dems adopted in that period—an important legacy. Brief 🧵.

this statement was made just yesterday

[non-Minnesotans, before you re-post the thing about the splits in the House and Senate: the legislature is not in session (literally just adjourned in the last week) and won't be back in session until next year]

So, there was a successful political assassination in Minnesota today.

If you were planning to go to a No Kings rally today, you better go anyway. This kind of thing is the whole reason we need to be seen in large numbers in the streets.

We are horrified by these acts of unspeakable political violence. We mourn with the state and the families. As of now, we are proceeding with the No Kings event. 1/3