David Klevan

I don't remember seeing any calls for violent retribution after a Minnesota state senator was assassinated, and it would have been nice not to see any today.

Step back and take it in: the US is entering full authoritarian mode | Jonathan Freedland Trump’s dictator-like behaviour is so brazen, so blatant, that paradoxically, we discount it. But now it’s time to call it what it is, says Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland

Step back and take it in: the US is entering full authoritarian mode | Jonathan Freedland

German Police in the Nazi State | Holocaust Encyclopedia The Nazis utilized the German police for mass repression and genocide. Learn more about the Nazification of the police force from 1933-1939.

Must read - German Police in the Nazi State.

encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/a...

Here's what the third day of elementary school looked like in Mount Pleasant, Washington DC.

Weaponizing antisemitism makes students 'less safe,' says drafter of definition Kenneth Stern, who drafted a widely used definition of antisemitism, says the Trump administration is using antisemitism claims to stifle speech and debate on the Middle East on college campuses.

Kenneth Stern, who drafted a widely used definition of antisemitism, says the Trump administration is using antisemitism claims to stifle speech and debate on the Middle East on college campuses.

FTC Removes Posts Critical of Amazon, Microsoft, and AI Companies Business-guidance content published during the Biden administration has been removed from the Federal Trade Commission website.

SCOOP: The FTC has removed content critical of Amazon, Microsoft, and AI companies published during the Biden administration from its website.

Amid ‘DEI’ purge, Pentagon removes web page on Iwo Jima flag-raiser Pages celebrating Navajo code talkers and other minority service members were also erased.

The Pentagon purge of media it considers 'DEI' has expanded to stories about Navajo code talkers and Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian who helped raise the US flag over Iwo Jima. w/ @jonswaine.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...

Canadian actor detained at US border in ‘inhumane conditions’ for nearly two weeks Entrepreneur and actor Jasmine Mooney, who had a role in an American Pie sequel, says she was arrested at southern border and held in detention over an incomplete work visa A Canadian entrepreneur and actor in the American Pie movie franchise said she…

Canadian actor detained at US border in ‘inhumane conditions’ for nearly two weeks

It begins with outsiders labeled “foreigners,””criminals,” and “terrorists.” It seldom ends there.

newspapers.ushmm.org/historical-a...

Law and Justice in the Third Reich After the Nazi rise to power in 1933, the German system of justice underwent "coordination" (alignment with Nazi goals). Learn more about law and justice in the Third Reich.

encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/a...

Chilling that the US government is deporting “terrorist/criminals” WITHOUT JUDICIAL REVIEW to be imprisoned in another country that has pledged to subject them to forced labor.

This starts with “foreigners”and “criminals,” but it seldom ends there.

YouTube video by CollectionCrow The Hangman (1964) [Animation]

youtu.be/BRDq7aneXnk?...

Oaths of Loyalty for All State Officials The Oath of Loyalty for All State Officials started to change in 1934. Learn more about the oath and Germany’s journey from democracy to a Nazi dictatorship.

On my mind lately…

encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/a...

How DOGE’s Cuts to the IRS Threaten to Cost More Than DOGE Will Ever Save The Trump administration claims gutting federal agencies will save money, but cutting the IRS means the government collects less taxes. “If you’re interested in the deficit and curbing it, why would y...

A 2024 report by the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office found that the IRS found savings of $13,000 for every additional hour spent auditing the tax returns of very wealthy taxpayers — a return on investment that “would leave Wall Street hedge fund managers drooling.”

No More Female 4-Stars: Franchetti Firing Leaves Top Ranks Filled by Men Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the Navy's first female chief, last week without any clear explanation -- part of a purge of top uniformed leadership that included the Joint...

NOTE: The opponents of DEI are purging anyone who is not a white man from military leadership

This is not about merit; it’s about normalizing racism and misogyny

I'm seeing a pattern here, thanks to @andrewtorrez.bsky.social. He points out here that DOJ has argued to courts that they can't enjoin the EOs because it isn't a final agency action. (Spoiler: courts disagree):

www.lawandchaospod.com/p/courts-sta...

People tend to forget that news organizations are robustly protected by the First Amendment not because of their journalism but because of … an ad The New York Times decided to run.

This repudiates that.

www.nytimes.com/2023/03/19/i...

To our federal government employee/contractor community: We understand more than most that accidents and emergencies have a way of happening at the worst possible time. For federal government employees/contractors who have lost their jobs during the downsizing of the federal government workforce, starting tomorrow we are waiving our emergency exam fee, non-routine primary care exam fee (sick visit), and offering extended payment options on all services. As always, if you think your pet is having a medical emergency, take him or her to the nearest emergency facility. If you are unsure whether or not your pet needs to be seen, please give us a call at 202-363-7300. We are available 24-hours a day to help assist you in your decision. Sincerely, Your Friends at Friendship Hospital for Animals

For folks in DC with animal pals

All my life I have studied democratization and autocratization. My 1st field trip was to newly democratic Argentina. I then added autocracies to my portfolio: Cuba, Ven, etc. I think I can recognize the stages of transition to authoritarianism. Here are the boxes Trump has already checked off.

ACLU and other advocates sue for access to migrants moved to Guantánamo Bay The lawsuit alleges the migrants have been "disappeared into a black box" and are unable to communicate with attorneys

The lawsuit alleges the migrants have been "disappeared into a black box" and are unable to communicate with attorneys.

Military Drops Recruiting Efforts at Prestigious Black Engineering Awards Event Until this week, Army Recruiting Command had a public partnership with the Black Engineer of the Year Awards, or BEYA, an annual conference that draws students, academics and professionals in science,...

The Army and other service branches are abandoning recruiting efforts at a prestigious Black engineering event this week, turning down access to a key pool of highly qualified potential applicants. www.military.com/daily-news/2...

The GOP may overplay their hand, but the long game only works if democratic institutions hold. Given what the GOP has done in states like NC and WI in their efforts to retain power despite the electorate’s desires, I am skeptical that the long game is what it used to be.

How Hitler Dismantled a Democracy in 53 Days He used the constitution to shatter the constitution.

Trump is not Hitler, but his administration’s efforts to concentrate maximum power in the Executive and disregard for legal norms have dark echoes from the past.

www.yahoo.com/news/hitler-...

Sotomayor scoffs at suggestion that democratic process will protect trans people: "When you’re 1% of the population or less, it's very hard to see how the democratic process will protect you."

Adds: There are many more Black people/women, & the dem process "didn't protect them for whole centuries"

Georgia Dismissed All Members of Maternal Mortality Committee After ProPublica Obtained Internal Details of Two Deaths In a letter, the state’s public health commissioner said the action was taken because “confidential information provided to the Maternal Mortality Review Committee was inappropriately shared with outs...

I know everyone is talking about Matt Gaetz but please don't miss this:

Georgia fired every single person on its maternal mortality review committee. Why? They didn't like that reporters found out that the state's ban killed two women www.propublica.org/article/geor...

How UnitedHealth’s Playbook for Limiting Mental Health Coverage Puts Countless Americans’ Treatment at Risk United used an algorithm system to identify patients who it determined were getting too much therapy and then limited coverage. It was deemed illegal in three states, but similar practices persist due...

NEW: UnitedHealth is the nation’s largest health insurance conglomerate.

ProPublica obtained what is effectively the company’s internal playbook for limiting and cutting therapy costs.

Here’s what we found.

Vandals Deface Mural Made for Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial “History In the Making” depicts residents of the city's “Black Wall Street,” targeted by Klan-led mobs in 1921.

Vandals Deface Mural Made for Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial hyperallergic.com/966916/vanda...

I shared this with a friend. His response, “Imagine the holiday party though…”

Take a stiff drink. Relax a bit. Read this. Then prepare to get to work.