Ben Weinberg
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bweiny.bsky.social
Ben Weinberg
@bweiny.bsky.social
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Reposted by Ben Weinberg
mjsdc.bsky.social
When liberals secured a majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2023, they changed internal procedures—over the objection of the conservative chief justice, who claimed they were taking away her power. Today the justices released MESSY details about the affair...
www.wicourts.gov/sc/rulhear/D...
BRIAN HAGEDORN, J. (concurring). The Wisconsin Supreme Court is composed of seven justices who are supposed to be members of the same team. Unlike trial courts, when we act, we do so collectively. To accomplish this, over the last 175 years, this court has established various practices and traditions, both formal and informal. These practices ensure all voices are heard, create clear lines of decision-making authority, and establish consistent and neutral processes to govern our case-deciding and administrative work. Some of these are reflected in formally adopted Supreme Court Rules, and some in our Internal Operating Procedures. But the true currency of a court like ours is trust. When trust is broken like it has been here, every aspect of our work suffers. ¶2 This all began in the summer of 2023 when four justices wished to make significant changes to how this court functions. Fair enough. These modifications could have been pursued through a process built on collegiality and mutual respect. Instead, my colleagues pursued a more destructive path. ¶3 The morning our then-newest justice was sworn into office——August 1, 2023——my four colleagues at that time set off to reshape our court and the operation of the court system. They had apparently engaged in significant discussions in the months prior and decided to force through these changes during our summer recess, and to do so via email with or without the input of their other colleagues. They issued a press release triumphantly announcing that these changes were all about transparency, accountability, and inclusivity. This was true in the same way Pearl Harbor was a strike for peace in the Pacific. I will not rehash every detail (Justice Ziegler's excellent writing recounts much of the history), but the reader deserves a taste. ¶4 The first shot sounded when my four colleagues fired the Director of State Courts, who functions as the CEO of administrative matters for the entire judicial branch. Without following any established process, one of my colleagues sent an email proposing that we fire our Director and install a new, preselected interim Director in his place. This happened through email, over the course of two business days, while the Director was out of town on state business, during our summer recess. He never received a performance review indicating concerns; he was simply told his employment was over. This came just months after some of these same colleagues emphasized the importance of having all justices participate in hiring key staff. ¶5 Later that same week, my colleagues proposed dramatic changes via email affecting both our case-deciding and administrative responsibilities. The email invited justices to attend a new, unscheduled meeting of the court later that week to discuss the proposals. One justice said she could not be there; another objected to the meeting as outside our court calendar. The meeting would go forward no matter what, we were told. I implored my colleagues to reconsider, to treat their fellow colleagues with the respect they would want if circumstances were reversed. They refused. The meeting went on as expected, and with only four members present, they voted to fundamentally remake our court. ¶7 Among their changes, my colleagues radically altered the role of the chief justice. They created a new, three-person administrative committee (on which the chief justice would ostensibly sit) to take over nearly all of the chief justice's most important administrative duties. And they did so in the face of serious objections that these changes violated the Wisconsin Constitution, which says the chief justice "shall be the administrative head of the judicial system." Wis. Const. art. VII, § 4. One justice who in the past championed the constitutional role of the chief justice suddenly changed course. Again, these actions stripping the chief justice of powers she had exercised for as long as anyone could remember were proposed via email, and were voted on a few days later during an unscheduled meeting of just four justices during our summer recess. Not exactly transparent, accountable, and inclusive. ¶8 Another significant series of amendments to our internal rules involved modifying the way we consider certain kinds of cases, essentially making it much easier for this court to expedite cases coming to us outside the normal appeals process. Why the change? As everyone understood, my colleagues had the not-sosecret goal of swiftly hearing particular politically charged cases. This was all by design. ¶9 And how did this experiment go? Not well. Administratively, it was not clear who was in charge. We experienced significant breakdowns in communication amidst a lack of clarity about who was doing what. Our staff was often caught in the middle of a court that did not have established lines of communication and authority. And when the Director of State Courts was unceremoniously fired for what many perceived as political reasons, it sent a shockwave through the system. Furthermore, my colleagues' changes were not one and done. Throughout the past two years, they continued to modify the court's procedures in a similar ad-hoc fashion, often after realizing problems with their earlier ill-considered changes. This only added to the confusion. ¶10 Finally, at one of the court's internal conferences this past June, my colleagues shifted course. One of the four announced she was "withdrawing" her prior votes from the past two years (which, by the way, is not a thing) with the idea that every disputed change was now, all of a sudden, reversed. What changed? Again, it was no mystery. My colleagues wanted to take power away from then-Chief Justice Annette Ziegler. Such a move ensured that my colleagues would run the court through the administrative committee. Following the April 2025 election, they concluded they would have the votes to elect a chief justice of their choosing and have a block of votes to support her, so they no longer needed to seize those powers. This is not a cynical take. It is exactly what happened. ¶11 What's past is past, however. I have no desire to hold this against my colleagues, and I am grateful they have changed course. In fact, I was happy to work collaboratively on many operational changes reflected in this order, most of which I
November 25, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Reposted by Ben Weinberg
roryblank.bsky.social
Is this cheese grater conscious? Many users feel they're talking to a real person. Scientists say it's time to consider whether they're onto something.
a cheese grater that, if viewed from the correct angle, appears to have a friendly, stupid face, an example of Pareidolia
November 25, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Reposted by Ben Weinberg
filipecampante.bsky.social
I talked to @cnn.com about a great achievement for Brazilian democracy, as Jair Bolsonaro starts serving his sentence for trying to overturn an election. www.cnn.com/2025/11/25/a...
Bolsonaro tested Brazil’s democracy. Its Supreme Court stepped in | CNN
Brazilian democracy has spent the past three years in a near-permanent state of tension – a full-body clench against an ex-president who refused to accept defeat. On Saturday morning, those muscles ti...
www.cnn.com
November 25, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Reposted by Ben Weinberg
cwarzel.bsky.social
when its definitely not a hostage situation
November 25, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Reposted by Ben Weinberg
radleybalko.bsky.social
Again, every elected Democrat needs to put out a video stating exactly what Kelly and the others said. If ever there were a line to draw in the sand, it’s here. The military is not the president’s Praetorian Guard.
swin24.bsky.social Asawin Suebsaeng @swin24.bsky.social · 1d
“Within the White House, Trump and his lieutenants aren’t planning on letting up…Trump has told some advisers that he wants RICO prosecutions and conspiracy charges leveled against the six Democrats, a source with direct knowledge of the matter tells Zeteo…
zeteo.com/p/how-we-gre...
November 24, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Reposted by Ben Weinberg
bgrueskin.bsky.social
This feels like one of those stories you're going to look at a year from now and say to yourself, "Why didn't I move more of my portfolio into cash?" **

** (This post is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial or any other advice.)

🎁

www.wsj.com/tech/meta-ai...
AI Meets Aggressive Accounting at Meta’s Gigantic New Data Center
Favorable treatment off the balance sheet hinges on some convenient assumptions.
www.wsj.com
November 24, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Reposted by Ben Weinberg
erinbiba.bsky.social
Extremely funny shot:chaser day on Bluesky.
Wajahat Ali @wajali.bsky.... Bluesky Elder James Carville, the crypt keeper, just wrote this in the NYT. • 1h Just read it. Maybe, just maybe, the useless, harmful, archais corporate centrist Democratic establishment will finally listen to the man they worship and embrace this change and run on this message. Wajahat Ali @wajali.bsk... •12m Bluesky Elder So, I saw this posted quote and l wrote my comments below. But, sadly, I then saw the framing and the title...and...of course Carville missed the mark in the most predictable, pathetic way. Essentially: No "woke, " just economic populism, which btw is a recipe for disaster & cruelty. Amanda Litman• @am... • 50m Bluesky Elder If it takes James Carville to be the messenger for this message to break through to the people who need to hear it, great. Fine. Whatever. This offers Democrats the greatest gift you can have in American politics: a second chance. I am now an 81-year-old man and I know that in the minds of many, I carry the torch from a so-called centrist political era. Yet it is abundantly clear even to me that the Democratic Party must now run on the most populist economic platform since the Great Depression. It is time for Democrats to embrace a sweeping, aggressive, unvarnished, unapologetic and altogether unmistakable platform of pure economic rage. This is our only way out of the abyss. Amanda Litman • @ama... • 5m • Ш • Bluesky Elder Went back & finished reading this, my b for sharing w/o completing - he is wrong on a lot! We should *not* throw marginalized people under the bus! I maintain he should shut the fuck up! But "be mad at the status quo & fight for affordable housing + childcare" is better than "roll over & play dead"
November 24, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Reposted by Ben Weinberg
merkley.senate.gov
Absolutely horrific. ICE detained and abducted a minor—a high school student—who the family identified as a US citizen.

ICE is terrorizing our communities—I’m fighting for answers and accountability. This is just wrong.
ICE arrests McMinnville High School student during Friday lunch period
Family told local news the 17-year-old is a U.S. citizen.
www.opb.org
November 24, 2025 at 12:36 AM
Reposted by Ben Weinberg
caseynewton.bsky.social
“The account MAGANationX—with nearly 400,000 followers and a bio reading ‘Patriot Voice for We The People’—is actually based in Eastern Europe.”
techmeme.com Techmeme @techmeme.com · 2d
X's new About This Account feature reveals that some top accounts, including many MAGA influencers, are based in countries like Russia, India, and Nigeria (Jack Revell/The Daily Beast)

Main Link | Techmeme Permalink
November 23, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Reposted by Ben Weinberg
catservant4.bsky.social
Here's the full list of 86 members of the Democratic party that voted to "condemn" socialism.

*Take notice that they have NEVER voted to condemn fascism.*

These are the one's whose loyalties lie with their donors and corporate intrests.

www.newsweek.com/full-list-of...
Full list of Democrats voting to condemn socialism as Zohran Mamdani comes to town
The House of Representatives voted on a resolution condemning socialism ahead of President Trump's meeting with Zohran Mamdani.
www.newsweek.com
November 22, 2025 at 4:00 PM
bweiny.bsky.social
thewalkonredshirts.com/week-13-bett...
Week 13 Betting Guide
Week 12 brought stability after the Week 11 bloodbath, resembling so many weeks this season with a rock solid never in doubt best bet, and not much else. My ND-Pitt read was way off as Pitt no-show…
thewalkonredshirts.com
November 22, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Reposted by Ben Weinberg
bgrueskin.bsky.social
Shabbat shalom to Jonathan Greenblatt and his Mamdani antagonists at the ADL.
November 22, 2025 at 12:20 AM
Reposted by Ben Weinberg
tylerhuckabee.bsky.social
November 21, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Reposted by Ben Weinberg
newrepublic.com
In a country where the cost of living rises but wages don't, where illness can leave you in financial ruin, and where the young feel they have no chance at any upward mobility, 86 House Democrats joined Republicans to pass a resolution denouncing “the horrors of socialism.” trib.al/YmIjeGU
86 Democrats Condemn Socialism as Zohran Mamdani Meets With Trump
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared to lead the charge.
trib.al
November 21, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Reposted by Ben Weinberg
kenjennings.bsky.social
We all love Remembering Guys, but mostly it's just that Cleanthony played so much international ball that it was a good hook for a category about basketball terms in foreign languages.
awfulannouncing.bsky.social Awful Announcing @awfulannouncing.bsky.social · 4d
"International Hoops Terms With Cleanthony Early" has to be the wildest sports category in Jeopardy! history.
November 21, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Reposted by Ben Weinberg
volts.wtf
In an era filled with tech dipshits who never developed emotionally past the age of 13 & use their wealth to become odious monsters ...

... listen to Steve Wozniak.
November 21, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Reposted by Ben Weinberg
rincewind.run
we gotta keep hammering over and over again just how fucking unpopular this guy is with every institution and every person in a position of power

people hate him and people will hate you for capitulating to him
atrupar.com Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 4d
Enten: "This is probably the worst 10 day period for the president in the polls his entire second term. The numbers are just atrocious ... when your best poll has you 14 points underwater, you know it's truly bad and it's as bad as 26 points underwater ... -43 with independents! They despise him."
November 21, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Reposted by Ben Weinberg
duckworth.senate.gov
This. This is precisely why I requested an independent investigation into the excessive use of force by Trump's agents in Chicago.

Read some of this stuff Trump's agents are doing and how DHS is lying about it to mislead the public.

It's harrowing.
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 4d
THREAD: Judge Ellis is the first federal judge to review extensive body cam video of DHS's actions in Chicago. She finds that DHS *repeatedly* misled the public and made claims that were disproven by agents' own videos.

I'll go through some of the most egregious ones here.
November 21, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Reposted by Ben Weinberg
joycewhitevance.bsky.social
Trump called for members of Congress to be hung for stating that members of the military & the intelligence community shouldn’t follow illegal orders. Read on for details & a discussion of why it’s essential we discuss this, not just push it aside as “politics.” open.substack.com/pub/joycevan...
Sorry, George Washington Would Not Have Hung Them.
This week, Donald Trump continues to use his claimed power to kill people who have received no due process, in international waters, based on his administration’s assertion that they are narcoterroris...
open.substack.com
November 21, 2025 at 5:35 AM
Reposted by Ben Weinberg
mjsdc.bsky.social
Ellis repeatedly accuses multiple CBP and ICE officials of lying (under oath) and says their "widespread misrepresentations call into question everything" they "say they are doing in their characterization of what is happening." She broadly discredits their testimony as objectively false.
jonseidel.bsky.social Jon Seidel @jonseidel.bsky.social · 5d
U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis just handed down the written opinion version of her preliminary injunction order, regarding use of force by federal agents in Chicago.

It's the one already put on hold by the 7th Circuit.

It's 233 pages.

Here you go: cst.brightspotcdn.com/49/34/daecfb...
November 20, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Reposted by Ben Weinberg
lawrencehurley.bsky.social
"That narrative simply is untrue"
November 20, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Reposted by Ben Weinberg
johnpfaff.bsky.social
An executive order to ban state AI laws WOULD BE *FLAGRANTLY* UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

Can we please please PLEASE lead w THAT!

Stop just laundering patently illegal and unconstitutional moves as if they’re just normal policy moves.

It’s not hard to frame this correctly!
November 20, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Reposted by Ben Weinberg
hartmannreport.com
In a democracy, the press – reporters – are the representatives of We, the People. That’s why our nation’s Founders protected the press in the First Amendment. When Trump attacks reporters, calling them “Piggy“ and threatening their networks, he is really attacking you and me.
November 18, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Reposted by Ben Weinberg
motherjones.com
“I want their morale as low as possible because a team with low morale is ineffective.”

Meet the veteran who chases ICE on a scooter
Meet the veteran who chases ICE on a scooter
Clifford “Buzz” Grambo patrols the streets of Baltimore to keep his neighbors safe—and make federal agents uncomfortable.
www.motherjones.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:00 PM