banner
LightNews
laiabalcells.bsky.social
Laia Balcells
@laiabalcells.bsky.social
7.1K followers 1.5K following 750 posts

Yale educated political scientist. Georgetown professor. Reskeets are not endorsements.

Videos
Political science 60%
Sociology 17%
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Reposted by Laia Balcells

ryanenos.bsky.social
Ryan Enos @ryanenos.bsky.social · 18h
Yep.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
3 19 110

Reposted by David Darmofal

laiabalcells.bsky.social
Laia Balcells @laiabalcells.bsky.social · 18h
"I think it’s finally time I get the award I don’t want, but definitely deserve."

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Pity poor Trump, whose Nobel hopes were dashed by common sense | Dave Schiling
Maga supporters are upset the president didn’t receive the peace prize. One thing’s for sure: it’s all about him
www.theguardian.com
1 1

Reposted by Joshua S. Weitz, Laia Balcells, Andrew Rudalevige

sherylnyt.bsky.social
Sheryl Gay Stolberg @sherylnyt.bsky.social · 1d
FULL STORY HERE: Emails began flooding CDC inboxes late Friday night announcing dozens of layoffs. HR people brought back from furlough to oversee the RIFs. Disease detectives, entire Washington office, global health, injury prevention, MMWR staff among those hit.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/u...
Trump Administration Lays Off Dozens of C.D.C. Officials
www.nytimes.com
67 810 1.5K

Reposted by Laia Balcells, Michael Kevane, Iikka Korhonen , and 5 more

drewharwell.com
Drew Harwell @drewharwell.com · 1d
Military families on day 9 of the shutdown lining up at the food bank
450 2.5K 4.9K

Reposted by Laia Balcells

victorasal.bsky.social
Victor Asal @victorasal.bsky.social · 1d
Tracking Trump Tariffs on Countries and Products

www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Tracking Trump Tariffs on Countries and Products
See which countries and industries are being targeted by President Trump, as he seeks to remake the global trading system.
www.nytimes.com
2 1

Reposted by Mark A. Lemley, Joe R. Feagin, Rosemary A. Joyce , and 8 more

newrepublic.com
The New Republic @newrepublic.com · 1d
His slip of the tongue reveals who’s really in charge. trib.al/mIvP0yE

“Illinois governor says we’re provoking actions that are unlawful,” Miller said on CNN. “If I put federal law enforcement and National Guard into a nice sleepy Southern town, is anyone gonna riot?”
1.6K 7.9K 20K

Reposted by Dani Rodrik, Stephen M. Walt, Cas Mudde , and 51 more

florianscheuer.bsky.social
Florian Scheuer @florianscheuer.bsky.social · 1d
I am delighted to share that Nobel laureates Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee will join our Department of Economics @econ.uzh.ch at the University of Zurich on July 1, 2026, as Lemann Foundation Professors of Economics.

🧵 1/7
23 200 970

Reposted by Laia Balcells, David Darmofal

samanthamichaels.bsky.social
Samantha Michaels @samanthamichaels.bsky.social · 3d
So much tear gas that people who aren't even protesting are getting sick when they leave their homes to run errands: www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
ICE is hounding Chicago area locals with excessive chemical munitions
Agents are firing tear gas and pepper balls on lawful protesters, lawsuits say, sickening even uninvolved residents.
www.motherjones.com
12 190 320

Reposted by Laia Balcells, Benjamin Braun

jonathanhopkin.bsky.social
Jonathan Hopkin @jonathanhopkin.bsky.social · 3d
All university researchers around the country are having to deal with new procedures around the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme yet foreign fascists are given free rein to pollute our public space. What a joke of a country. Zero dignity.
josiah.writes.news
Josiah Mortimer @josiah.writes.news · 3d
🔴 ‘America Must Save Britain’: MAGA-Mania and Conspiracy Theories Broadcast Nightly on GB News’ New US Show

A new daily GB News programme broadcast from Washington features climate denial, vaccine misinformation, and non-stop praise for Donald Trump. ✍️ @bylinetimes.bsky.social
'America Must Save Britain': MAGA-Mania and Conspiracy Theories Broadcast Nightly on GB News' New US Show
A new daily GB News programme broadcast from Washington features climate denial, vaccine misinformation, and non-stop praise for Donald Trump – as its hosts tell the American audience that the UK need...
bylinetimes.com
1 4 9

Reposted by Laia Balcells, David R. Miller

tomjoscelyn.bsky.social
Tom Joscelyn @tomjoscelyn.bsky.social · 3d
Here’s Trump calling for the jailing of the mayor of Chicago and the governor of Illinois.

Totally normal. Just an ordinary day in the Trump regime.
9 32 80

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Norbert Schwarz, Nancy Kanwisher , and 15 more

laurahelmuth.bsky.social
Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 3d
Six of the nine Nobel Prize winners this year work in the U.S.
Three of the six were born outside the U.S., which is the pattern most years. No country has benefited more from welcoming immigrants from around the world.
www.nobelprize.org
The official website of the Nobel Prize - NobelPrize.org
The Nobel Prize rewards science, humanism and peace efforts. This is one of the central concepts in the will of Alfred Nobel, and it also permeates the outreach activities that have been developed for...
www.nobelprize.org
27 450 1.2K

laiabalcells.bsky.social
Laia Balcells @laiabalcells.bsky.social · 4d
Scary.
sifill.bsky.social
Sherrilyn Ifill @sifill.bsky.social · 4d
Someone should start asking why we’re hearing and seeing Stephen Miller so much all of a sudden.
3

Reposted by Laia Balcells

valentimvicente.bsky.social
Vicente Valentim @valentimvicente.bsky.social · 4d
Despite the grim topic, this is a very good paper: monuments that signal white supremacy can substitute performative violence and thus reduce it.

www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Political Symbols and Social Order: Confederate Monuments and Performative Violence in the Post-Reconstruction U.S. South | American Political Science Review | Cambridge Core
Political Symbols and Social Order: Confederate Monuments and Performative Violence in the Post-Reconstruction U.S. South
www.cambridge.org
7 22

Reposted by Kimberly A. Prather, Laia Balcells, Sanford F. Schram , and 1 more

sifill.bsky.social
Sherrilyn Ifill @sifill.bsky.social · 4d
Someone should start asking why we’re hearing and seeing Stephen Miller so much all of a sudden.
1.5K 5K 22K

Reposted by Laia Balcells, David Darmofal

andreachalupa.bsky.social
Andrea Chalupa @andreachalupa.bsky.social · 5d
Psychiatrists call for RFK Jr. to be replaced as health secretary
www.npr.org/sections/sho...
Psychiatrists call for RFK Jr. to be replaced as health secretary
Two groups are calling for new leadership at HHS after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s actions on substance abuse treatment and mental health medications, among other issues.
www.npr.org
18 170 480

Reposted by Will Jennings, Bryan D. Jones, Laia Balcells , and 2 more

gelliottmorris.com
G Elliott Morris @gelliottmorris.com · 5d
at this point you have to acknowledge that there is no way that these guys don't try to mess with the 2026 midterms. there is absolutely no respect for the legitimacy of the opposition
bluegeorgia.bsky.social
Blue Georgia @bluegeorgia.bsky.social · 5d
Stephen Miller: "Eventually elections don’t carry the day because violence beats votes… When we see a muscular response from the federal government, it’s because we’re not going to let violence beat votes."

Is he implying federal intervention determines political legitimacy, not ballots or courts?
120 1K 3.9K

Reposted by Joanna Bryson, Will Jennings, Laia Balcells , and 1 more

bluegeorgia.bsky.social
Blue Georgia @bluegeorgia.bsky.social · 5d
Stephen Miller: "Eventually elections don’t carry the day because violence beats votes… When we see a muscular response from the federal government, it’s because we’re not going to let violence beat votes."

Is he implying federal intervention determines political legitimacy, not ballots or courts?
280 330 1K

Reposted by Laia Balcells

tusk81.bsky.social
Gabe Ortíz @tusk81.bsky.social · 6d
Oh so the guy who made up gross lies about immigrants STEALING AND EATING PETS has more thoughts about immigrants? I’m sure he’s totally telling the truth this time.

open.substack.com/pub/americas...
They’re Lying, Dividing, And Distracting. Don’t Believe The GOP’s Shutdown Hype
“This isn’t about health care for undocumented immigrants—that’s already against the law," said Sen. Mark Warner. "It’s about the fact that Republicans are intentionally skyrocketing your premiums.”
open.substack.com
1 22 69

Reposted by Laia Balcells, Alan Richardson, David Darmofal

baldwin.senate.gov
Senator Tammy Baldwin @baldwin.senate.gov · 6d
There it is.
110 780 2.7K

Reposted by Laia Balcells

daviddarmofal.bsky.social
David Darmofal @daviddarmofal.bsky.social · 6d
Gosh, maybe if these toxic know-it-all bros had taken the time to educate themselves on Trump & his positions before they endorsed him, this wouldn’t be happening now.
daviddarmofal.bsky.social
David Darmofal @daviddarmofal.bsky.social · 6d
Pod man out: Trump's support with influential podcasters is waning
www.nbcnews.com/politics/don...
Pod man out: Trump's support with influential podcasters is waning
Some of the podcasters who hosted Trump ahead of last year's election are breaking with him now on key issues like deportations and the war in Gaza.
www.nbcnews.com
4 10 26

Reposted by Laia Balcells

sbmitche.bsky.social
Sara Mitchell @sbmitche.bsky.social · 6d
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Before and after images show glaciers vanishing before our eyes
They are melting like never seen before, changing landscapes around the world beyond recognition.
www.bbc.com
1 1

Reposted by Laia Balcells, David W. Kerstetter, Kevin Carey

adamhsays.com
Adam Harris @adamhsays.com · 7d
“The administration is inviting universities to voluntarily put on a yoke and hand it the keys.“

From @kevincarey1.bsky.social: www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
A Deal That Would End Universities’ Independence
The free-speech provisions of the so-called compact are an exercise in contradiction.
www.theatlantic.com
30 55

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Laia Balcells, Robert C. Richards , and 7 more

jennmjacksonphd.bsky.social
jenn m. jackson @jennmjacksonphd.bsky.social · 7d
The Vice President of the United States used his social media page to tell Joy Reid, a private citizen with no connection to the government, that she should express "gratitude" for how this country has treated her.

Black women remain the most consistent targets in all of this.
1.9K 4.8K 18K

Reposted by Laia Balcells

guygrossman.bsky.social
Guy Grossman @guygrossman.bsky.social · 8d
Even if he manages to bring about the end of the war in Gaza, he can’t be worthy of the Noble prize because he declared war on half his own people.
2 1 9

Reposted by Laia Balcells

devezer.bsky.social
Berna Devezer @devezer.bsky.social · 8d
Not everything is something. Some things are nothing. Some things are not a thing.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.
3 1 17

Reposted by Laia Balcells, David Darmofal

scottjshapiro.bsky.social
Scott Shapiro @scottjshapiro.bsky.social · 8d
Democrats should run on one promise: release the Epstein files. They’d crush.
10 36 200

Reposted by Nandita Sharma, Laia Balcells, Efrén O. Pérez , and 2 more

adamrose.bsky.social
Adam Rose @adamrose.bsky.social · 8d
How bad are tariffs going?

I paid for $32 of shaving cream from Canada. Unique stuff I’ve used for years, nothing like it in US. Small family business.

UPS guy came to my door today with box and said I have to pay additional $120 before he can hand it to me.

That makes it 5x more expensive!!! 🤯
Screenshot of message from UPS: Hi Adam, All import fees must be paid prior to delivery. Save time - prepay online for your FREIGHTCOM shipment. If import fees are not paid before delivery, an additional surcharge will be applied. Total Amount Due 119.20 USD Additional charges may have been applied based on recent tariff policy changes. Pay Now ›
370 2K 5.1K

Reposted by Laia Balcells, David R. Miller, David Darmofal

billkristolbulwark.bsky.social
Bill Kristol @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social · 8d
As a kid, I got into politics partly to do my bit fighting the Soviet Union.

Now we have a president who wants to turn us into a country that mimics the Soviet Union.

www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
Treasury Department considers minting a $1 Trump coin
The draft design of the coin, which was overseen by the Office of the U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach, features Trump’s profile on one side of the coin.
www.politico.com
110 200 970

Reposted by Laia Balcells

kbclarke.bsky.social
Killian Clarke @kbclarke.bsky.social · 8d
There's a book launch at Georgetown on October 30, hosted by @mortaracenter.bsky.social and with my fantastic colleague @laiabalcells.bsky.social as discussant. If you’re in the DC area, please consider joining!
1 1 5

laiabalcells.bsky.social
Laia Balcells @laiabalcells.bsky.social · 9d
Good morning. Starting the day overhearing two American business men at a US airport: "This whole tariffs issue is nonsense. Just look at the EO. It does not make any sense. They are undermining the backbone of American economic growth".
1 6