Dan Vock
@danvock.bsky.social
Helping you understand how government works—or doesn’t. Freelancing again. Illinoisan in D.C. Reach me at [email protected]
Subscribe to my newsletter https://danvock.substack.com/
Subscribe to my newsletter https://danvock.substack.com/
Pinned
Dan Vock
@danvock.bsky.social
· Oct 19
‘Devil’s ideology’: President Donald Trump’s darkening rhetoric escalates attacks and often targets Illinois
President Donald Trump’s language to discredit opponents has included Illinois and the Chicago area where protesters have been compared to domestic terrorists and the president has called for…
www.chicagotribune.com
My story on the front page of @chicagotribune.com today looks at the darkening rhetoric from Trump and the administration, as well as why experts on democracy say that’s a troubling sign (gift link) www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/19/t...
The hazards of reporting on Illinois’ senior senator, ahem, Richard J. Durbin
@danvock.bsky.social has swears! They've used 15 profanities in their last 1,268 posts.
🥇 "dick" (6 times)
🥈 "shit" (3 times)
🥉 "balls" (2 times)
🥇 "dick" (6 times)
🥈 "shit" (3 times)
🥉 "balls" (2 times)
November 29, 2025 at 5:11 AM
The hazards of reporting on Illinois’ senior senator, ahem, Richard J. Durbin
Just guessing a few of these guys know Mike Pence personally
Another Indiana Republican Senator makes it clear he’s still opposing the GOP push to re-gerrymander the state. dailyjournal.net/2025/11/26/s...
November 29, 2025 at 5:03 AM
Just guessing a few of these guys know Mike Pence personally
@profanity.accountant I try to keep it clean. How well am I doing?
November 29, 2025 at 5:01 AM
@profanity.accountant I try to keep it clean. How well am I doing?
Reposted by Dan Vock
I mean, as fighting words as it gets here from a GOP official against the White House.
November 29, 2025 at 3:58 AM
I mean, as fighting words as it gets here from a GOP official against the White House.
Reposted by Dan Vock
Another Indiana Republican Senator makes it clear he’s still opposing the GOP push to re-gerrymander the state. dailyjournal.net/2025/11/26/s...
November 29, 2025 at 3:54 AM
Another Indiana Republican Senator makes it clear he’s still opposing the GOP push to re-gerrymander the state. dailyjournal.net/2025/11/26/s...
Reposted by Dan Vock
If you venture out into the snowstorm with your camera, use a flash to illuminate the falling flakes. Check out my "snokeh" tutorial.
Snokeh - freezing snow in its place - Nick Ulivieri Photography
Nick Ulivieri details techniques and tips for photographing 'snokeh'. Out-of-focus snowflakes illuminated by camera flash.
www.nickulivieriphotography.com
November 29, 2025 at 4:22 AM
If you venture out into the snowstorm with your camera, use a flash to illuminate the falling flakes. Check out my "snokeh" tutorial.
Reposted by Dan Vock
"The agreement places no restrictions on our transgender community."
Except whether they can play sports, where they can use the bathroom or locker room, what kind of housing they can live in, and what healthcare they can receive.
Except whether they can play sports, where they can use the bathroom or locker room, what kind of housing they can live in, and what healthcare they can receive.
November 29, 2025 at 4:32 AM
"The agreement places no restrictions on our transgender community."
Except whether they can play sports, where they can use the bathroom or locker room, what kind of housing they can live in, and what healthcare they can receive.
Except whether they can play sports, where they can use the bathroom or locker room, what kind of housing they can live in, and what healthcare they can receive.
Reposted by Dan Vock
On major questions of university governance, a 99.3% majority vote of the faculty means nothing to the people who are actually in charge. This is a fact all of us need to take much more seriously.
November 29, 2025 at 1:18 AM
On major questions of university governance, a 99.3% majority vote of the faculty means nothing to the people who are actually in charge. This is a fact all of us need to take much more seriously.
Reposted by Dan Vock
And one more other thing I’m seeing now, that Northwestern unsurprisingly didn’t mention in its statement, effectively banning gender affirming care at NU school of medicine
November 29, 2025 at 2:32 AM
And one more other thing I’m seeing now, that Northwestern unsurprisingly didn’t mention in its statement, effectively banning gender affirming care at NU school of medicine
Reposted by Dan Vock
This is the second largest payout from a private university to the Trump admin yet, second only to Columbia’s $200m
November 29, 2025 at 12:52 AM
This is the second largest payout from a private university to the Trump admin yet, second only to Columbia’s $200m
Reposted by Dan Vock
But that is not all the university has agreed to. Instead, we have also agreed to halt all "hormonal interventions" and "any other procedure intended to alter an individual's sex characteristics." That is much broader.
November 29, 2025 at 1:22 AM
But that is not all the university has agreed to. Instead, we have also agreed to halt all "hormonal interventions" and "any other procedure intended to alter an individual's sex characteristics." That is much broader.
Reposted by Dan Vock
You've heard of the Friday night news dump. Here's the Friday night of Thanksgiving wknd dump. For special circumstances, like when the faculty assembly votes 595-4 against paying to end a shakedown and you do it anyway. Link to agreement here: bulkmail.northwestern.edu/trk/click?re...
BREAKING: Northwestern University has agreed to pay the U.S. Treasury $75 million, over the course of three years as part of an agreement with the federal government to restore funding and end investigations into the university
Full statement from NU below:
Full statement from NU below:
November 29, 2025 at 12:34 AM
You've heard of the Friday night news dump. Here's the Friday night of Thanksgiving wknd dump. For special circumstances, like when the faculty assembly votes 595-4 against paying to end a shakedown and you do it anyway. Link to agreement here: bulkmail.northwestern.edu/trk/click?re...
Reposted by Dan Vock
Northwestern and Columbia being famous for journalism and bending over for Trump seems a little too on the nose these days
This is the second largest payout from a private university to the Trump admin yet, second only to Columbia’s $200m
November 29, 2025 at 2:07 AM
Northwestern and Columbia being famous for journalism and bending over for Trump seems a little too on the nose these days
Giving my kids the authentic Chicago Thanksgiving experience
WINTER STORM WARNING for all of Chicagoland! Snow arrives late tonight and continues all day Saturday. Most areas end up in the 6-10" rainge, but locally higher amounts are possible in our far western counties. Drizzle MAY mix in E of I-55. If that happens: 5-9" for you.
November 29, 2025 at 3:52 AM
Giving my kids the authentic Chicago Thanksgiving experience
Reposted by Dan Vock
these rules of engagement also endanger our troops: if we tell the rest of the world that our armed forces operate under "no quarter" orders, then every US service member is at risk of being treated the "American" way instead of by the book
November 29, 2025 at 2:59 AM
these rules of engagement also endanger our troops: if we tell the rest of the world that our armed forces operate under "no quarter" orders, then every US service member is at risk of being treated the "American" way instead of by the book
Reposted by Dan Vock
The term "has historic roots, including Nazi ideology and, more recently, a violent conspiracy theory that’s inspired terrorist attacks in the US and abroad" www.cnn.com/2025/10/19/u...
November 29, 2025 at 3:17 AM
The term "has historic roots, including Nazi ideology and, more recently, a violent conspiracy theory that’s inspired terrorist attacks in the US and abroad" www.cnn.com/2025/10/19/u...
Reposted by Dan Vock
A chapter in Hegseth’s book is literally titled “More Lethality, Less Lawyers.”
It’s almost as if there were signs!
It’s almost as if there were signs!
November 29, 2025 at 3:02 AM
A chapter in Hegseth’s book is literally titled “More Lethality, Less Lawyers.”
It’s almost as if there were signs!
It’s almost as if there were signs!
Reposted by Dan Vock
BREAKING: Northwestern University has agreed to pay the U.S. Treasury $75 million, over the course of three years as part of an agreement with the federal government to restore funding and end investigations into the university
Full statement from NU below:
Full statement from NU below:
November 29, 2025 at 12:31 AM
BREAKING: Northwestern University has agreed to pay the U.S. Treasury $75 million, over the course of three years as part of an agreement with the federal government to restore funding and end investigations into the university
Full statement from NU below:
Full statement from NU below:
Reposted by Dan Vock
3/ "Even if the U.S. were at war with the traffickers, an order to kill all the boat’s occupants if they were no longer able to fight 'would in essence be an order to show no quarter, which would be a war crime,' said Huntley, now director of the national security law program at Georgetown Law."
November 28, 2025 at 6:15 PM
3/ "Even if the U.S. were at war with the traffickers, an order to kill all the boat’s occupants if they were no longer able to fight 'would in essence be an order to show no quarter, which would be a war crime,' said Huntley, now director of the national security law program at Georgetown Law."
Reposted by Dan Vock
🎁 link to the WSJ editorial that made Stephen Miller so mad.
"It would be a shame if this single act of betrayal became the excuse for deporting all Afghan refugees...
"Thousands are building new lives here in peace. Collective punishment won’t make America safer."
www.wsj.com/opinion/the-...
"It would be a shame if this single act of betrayal became the excuse for deporting all Afghan refugees...
"Thousands are building new lives here in peace. Collective punishment won’t make America safer."
www.wsj.com/opinion/the-...
Opinion | The Ambush on the National Guard
The alleged shooting by an Afghan ‘partner’ shouldn’t condemn all who assisted the U.S. and now live here.
www.wsj.com
November 28, 2025 at 3:10 PM
🎁 link to the WSJ editorial that made Stephen Miller so mad.
"It would be a shame if this single act of betrayal became the excuse for deporting all Afghan refugees...
"Thousands are building new lives here in peace. Collective punishment won’t make America safer."
www.wsj.com/opinion/the-...
"It would be a shame if this single act of betrayal became the excuse for deporting all Afghan refugees...
"Thousands are building new lives here in peace. Collective punishment won’t make America safer."
www.wsj.com/opinion/the-...
Reposted by Dan Vock
This reporter asks a legitimate, followup question—something the White House press corps doesn’t do all that often.
Trump isn’t used to this, and you can see how it gets under his skin.
Reporters need to do this more often, or at least come to the defense of those who are willing to do it.
Trump isn’t used to this, and you can see how it gets under his skin.
Reporters need to do this more often, or at least come to the defense of those who are willing to do it.
“You’re a stupid person” — Trump lashes out at a reporter who presses him on the fact that the suspected DC shooter was actually thoroughly vetted before he was let in the US from Afghanistan
November 28, 2025 at 12:13 PM
This reporter asks a legitimate, followup question—something the White House press corps doesn’t do all that often.
Trump isn’t used to this, and you can see how it gets under his skin.
Reporters need to do this more often, or at least come to the defense of those who are willing to do it.
Trump isn’t used to this, and you can see how it gets under his skin.
Reporters need to do this more often, or at least come to the defense of those who are willing to do it.
Reposted by Dan Vock
DOJ creating a Second Amendment Rights Section inside its Civil Rights Division isn’t symbolic. It’s structural. While ICE arrests are up 40% this year, civil-rights capacity is being rerouted to gun rights instead of oversight.
Read: www.guns.com/news/2025/11...
Read: www.guns.com/news/2025/11...
Trump DOJ Plans Dedicated Second Amendment Rights Section
Reports indicate that the U.S. Justice Department plans to open up a section dedicated to protecting the right to keep and bear arms.
www.guns.com
November 28, 2025 at 4:08 PM
DOJ creating a Second Amendment Rights Section inside its Civil Rights Division isn’t symbolic. It’s structural. While ICE arrests are up 40% this year, civil-rights capacity is being rerouted to gun rights instead of oversight.
Read: www.guns.com/news/2025/11...
Read: www.guns.com/news/2025/11...
Reposted by Dan Vock
Trump: “I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries … denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility, and deport any Foreign National who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western Civilization.“
November 28, 2025 at 4:29 AM
Trump: “I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries … denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility, and deport any Foreign National who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western Civilization.“