Dakoda Trithara

“Additionally, I cannot verify that agency data is being used in accordance with legal agreements or in compliance with federal requirements.“

Stock buybacks were considered market manipulation until 1982. Rather than invest in R&D, expansion, or higher wages, buying back shares reduces the number of shares available for public trading. This inflates the stock price and boosts dividends, increasing the value for existing shareholders.

Visa and MC should not use their dominance in the global payments processing sector to engage in financial censorship and dictate what digital storefronts can sell and what consumers can buy. This impacts the liberties of people around the globe. No one wants MC telling them what they can’t buy.

Infographic titled “One Court, Two Standards” compares how the Supreme Court used emergency powers to rule on lower-court injunctions against the Biden and Trump administrations. Two panels show: • Biden Administration: Lower courts blocked policies in 21 cases. All 21 cases are represented by red squares, indicating that 0% of injunctions/TROs were lifted by SCOTUS. • Trump Administration: Lower courts blocked policies in 86 cases. 66 green squares and 20 red squares show that 77% of injunctions/TROs were lifted by SCOTUS. Key takeaway box below reads: “Using its ‘shadow docket,’ the Supreme Court granted emergency relief to lift 77% of lower-court injunctions against the Trump administration. It lifted 0% of those against the Biden administration.” Sources and notes below include: CourtListener data through July 7, 2025; analysis by Adam Bonica.

The Supreme Court’s “shadow docket” has cast very different shadows depending on which party holds the White House.

When lower courts blocked Trump admin policies, SCOTUS intervened on an emergency basis to lift those orders in 77% of cases.

For the Biden administration, that number was 0%.

Three-quarters of US universities surveyed in recent weeks anticipate a fall in international student numbers this year, with the majority expecting a drop of at least 10%. https://on.ft.com/4lHIaiz

Moving the Population in Gaza is a Manifest War Crime We wrote this essay to fulfill our human, conscientious, and civic duty, as Israelis – and as Zionists – who have expertise in areas related to the IDF’s order.

1/ A remarkable essay by two eminent Israeli scholars

"We wrote this essay to give [former IDF chief of staff's] words legal backing... We felt compelled to fulfill our human, conscientious, and civic duty, as Israelis – and as Zionists – who have expertise in areas related to the IDF’s ... order."

7 little-known items in Trump’s big agenda bill | CNN Politics Lawmakers tucked a long list of measures that won’t grab headlines into the massive tax and spending package.

It's not just the elimination of the EV tax credit that irks Elon. Commercial space flight companies, so SpaceX, will have to pay fees for their launches and reentries, a measure intended to help the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation keep up with the industry’s rapid growth.

How the GOP spending bill will fund immigration enforcement The bill allocates more than $100 billion to ICE and border enforcement through September 2029.

Immigration is seeing a mass increase in spending. The BBB allocates more than $100 billion to ICE and border enforcement through 2029. For context, ICE's existing annual budget is about $8 billion. The budget prioritizes building walls and camps over feeding and providing medical care to people.

Trump megabill gives the oil industry everything it wants and ends key support for solar and wind President Donald Trump wants the U.S. to rely on oil, gas, coal and nuclear to meet its energy needs.

In energy, the law phases out clean electricity investment (from 2005) and production tax credits (around since 1992) for wind and solar, crucial for renewable energy growth. Biden's IRA extended both until at least 2032. Meanwhile, coal pays reduced royalties for mining on more federal land.

What Republicans’ Sprawling Policy Bill Means for Higher Ed Trump’s signature legislation now heads to his desk after passing the House. It hikes some endowment taxes, remakes student aid, and introduces a new accountability standard for colleges.

For higher ed, workforce pell and changes to student loans. Glad the Senate axed plans to 1) eliminate subsidized fed undergrad loans, and 2) require Pell Grant students to take 30 credit hours per academic year to receive the max award, and 15 credit hours to be eligible for Pell Grants at all.

Congress passed no tax on tips in Trump's 'big, beautiful bill.' Here's how it works Congress passed the tax cut and spending megabill with President Trump's legislative priorities which includes new tax exemptions for tipped hourly workers. But how will it work?

People working in "an occupation which customarily and regularly received tips" and earning less than $150,000 will be able to deduct $25,000 in tips annually from their taxable income. This limited, temporary tax exemption expires in 2028. Serves a small portion of the workforce, but hope it helps.

5 ways Trump's megabill will limit health care access With spending cuts poised to hit medical providers, Medicaid recipients and Affordable Care Act enrollees, here's how the bill will affect health care access for millions in the U.S.

Medicaid cuts ($1T over 10 years) and impacts to the healthcare industry are massive. To ease the pain rural hospitals will face, Republican senators added a $50 billion fund to help keep hospitals in business. They would rather just give hospitals money than provide poor people with healthcare.

On this Independence Day, the United States government, led by a Republican president with a majority in both chambers of Congress, passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The bill touches on numerous parts of society, carrying heavy consequences for real people.

If the GOP reconciliation bill passes, ICE gets through FY2029:

- $45 billion for detention, on top of the current annual budget of $3.4 billion
- $14.4 billion for transportation and removal, on top of the current annual budget of $750 million
- $8 billion for hiring/retention
- Billions more.

Spain is apparently not going to aim for the 5% goal, but will work towards hitting the 2% target.

bsky.app/profile/reut...

The accounting for the second bucket will be interesting. It won’t be missiles and tanks. It might look like investments in cybersecurity and AI, updating energy infrastructure, and aid to Ukraine.

Here is the official declaration www.nato.int/cps/en/natoh...

The 5% commitment has two categories: 3.5% of GDP annually on core defence requirements, and up to 1.5% of GDP annually to protect critical infrastructure, defend networks, ensure civil preparedness and resilience, unleash innovation, and strengthen defence industrial base.

For those unfamiliar with section 1016 (me): “Section 1016 authorizes the Comptroller General to bring suit to compel the release of impounded funds when such release is required by the Act.”

www.gao.gov/assets/b-200...

Chart showing Iranian nuclear centrifuge from 2011 to 2025

In a more serious country, unilaterally withdrawing from the JCPOA would have immediately ended Trump's first presidency & destroyed the GOP's reputation on national security policy for a generation 🧐

Jailed Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong hit with new charges Wong accused of conspiracy in move rights groups condemn as ‘outrageous’ attempt to keep influential dissident imprisoned Jailed pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong has been hit with further national security charges, a move rights groups said showed the Hong Kong government was trying to keep dissidents behind bars for as long as possible. Wong, a well-known activist who has been in jail for more than four years either awaiting trial or serving sentences, is accused of conspiracy to collude with a foreign country. He appeared in court on Friday to hear the charge and did not apply for bail. Continue reading...

Jailed Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong hit with new charges

Homeland Security Defies Orders, Engages In More Human Trafficking

Eight men were put on a plane from Texas, bound for South Sudan — a country the State Department warns Americans not to travel to because of "crime, kidnapping, and armed conflict." None of these men were from South Sudan. The…

CFPB Quietly Kills Rule to Shield Americans From Data Brokers Russell Vought, acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, has canceled plans to more tightly regulate the sale of Americans’ sensitive personal data.

Russell Vought, acting head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, has canceled plans to introduce new rules designed to limit the ability of US data brokers to sell Americans’ most sensitive data, credit history, and Social Security numbers.

Bessent acknowledges Trump's tariffs may mean shoppers will pay more at Walmart Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent acknowledged Sunday that Walmart, the largest U.S. retailer, may pass along some of the costs from President Donald Trump’s tariffs to its shoppers through higher…

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent acknowledged Sunday that Walmart, the largest U.S. retailer, may pass along some of the costs from President Donald Trump’s tariffs to its shoppers through higher prices.

Fortnite's Apple skin.

Apple updates App Store guidelines in wake of seismic judgement, paving way for Fortnite's return
www.eurogamer.net/apple-update...

From the 100 days series: @brettolmsted.bsky.social examines the crucial role of (im)migrants in the US economy, especially during crises. The article highlights the historic exploitation and racialization of these workers, who are often treated as disposable (agricultural profits over humanity).

“To Root Against Your Country”: Crisis, Dissent, and Patriotism Under Nixon and Trump While the realities of 2025 are in some ways unprecedented, Americans have felt this way before. The history of the late 1960s–early 1970s—assassinations, the Vietnam War, the Nixon presidency—remi…

My friend and colleague @sarahking.bsky.social wrote an excellent piece that draws on critical patriotism from the Vietnam era to provide insights into the current moment.

The First 100 Days of Trump 2.0: A Foreign Policy Assessment The first 100 days of President Trump’s second term marks a departure from established US foreign policy, focusing on dismantling international aid and agreements. His administration’s action…

Since FDR, US presidents are traditionally evaluated after their first 100 days. This year, I contributed an article to a series by scholars assessing President Trump's second first 100 days. If you're interested in US foreign policy, check it out!

The DOJ wants Google to divest from Chrome and to end exclusive distribution agreements with Apple and Samsung (Google paid billions to establish its search engine as the default on phones and lock out competitors). DOJ also wants to see a ban on similar agreements for AI products like Gemini.

UPDATE: It happened. In an 11:15 meeting, employees were told that the office has been eliminated and their positions will be terminated.

Title page of an academic article titled “Plutopopulism: Wealth and Trump’s Financial Base.” Authors listed are Sean Kates (University of Pennsylvania), Eric Manning (Princeton University), Tali Mendelberg (Princeton University), and Omar Wasow (University of California, Berkeley). The abstract below the title states: Comparative scholarship suggests authoritarian candidates often rely on backing from the wealthy. The wealthy are also said to play an important role in American campaign finance. Studies of Donald Trump, however, found that he drew significant support from white Americans with less education and privilege. We evaluate wealthy and non-wealthy Americans’ financial support for Trump, compared to other candidates, by constructing a comprehensive dataset of property values matched to contributions and voter files. We find Trump underperformed among wealthy Republican donors while mobilizing new non-wealthy donors. Trump also diversified the donorate, especially by education. That is, Trump built an unusual coalition of wealthy and non-wealthy donors. Our results support an alternative, “plutopopulist” model of Trump’s financial base. This study demonstrates the importance of studying both non-wealthy and wealthy Americans, the group who give the most but whose individual behavior has been studied the least. Open access link to paper: http://cup.org/4cfm0Az

Were wealthy donors key to Trump’s campaigns in 2016 and 2020?

I'm thrilled to announce a new paper in which Sean Kates, Eric Manning, Tali Mendelberg and I analyzed data on 108 million (!) homeowner-voters.

See “Plutopopulism: Wealth and Trump’s Financial Base.” Open access: cup.org/4cfm0Az 🧵 1/