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Philip Nel

@philnel.bsky.social

750 followers 570 following 670 posts

👨🏼‍🏫 Prof. he/him. 📚 Books on children's books & comics: https://philnel.com/writing/books/ 📷 IG: thephilnel 🐘 Mastodon: @[email protected] 🎵 Spotify: thephilnel 🐦 Twitter (deleted acct in 2022): @philnel

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Philip W. Nel is an American scholar of children's literature and University Distinguished Professor of English at Kansas State University. He is best known for his work on Dr. Seuss and Harry Potter, which has led to him being a guest on such media programs as CBS Sunday Morning, NPR's Morning Edition, Talk of the Nation, and CNN's Don Lemon Tonight. .. more

Art 33%

Communication & Media Studies 22%

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Philip Nel @philnel.bsky.social · Jul 26

1/2 ⬇️ This is an excellent idea & I am co-signing & invite my fellow academics to join me. Academia depends on a lot of unpaid labor. Withhold your labor from Columbia. ⬇️

James Grimmelmann @jtlg.bsky.social · Jul 25

In light of Columbia's capitulation to the Trump regime's illegal and extortionate demands, I have resolved not to write for Columbia publications, speak at Columbia events, or perform other free labor for a university that has repudated its values.

3d.laboratorium.net/2025-07-25-c...

Columbia’s Capitulation

Universities exist to promote the discovery, preservation, and transmission of knowledge. While they can help make to make a society virtuous, prosperous, and free, they do so by pursing their mission...

3d.laboratorium.net

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Dean Obeidallah @deanobeidallah.bsky.social · 7h

UNREAL: Trump regime deports people for saying comments about Charlie Kirk they do not approve of. This is yet again Trump and his regime paving way to silence all speech in the US they disagree with. www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-...

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Philip Nel @philnel.bsky.social · 1d

"To move backwards and reinstate biological essentialism undermines gender equality and female leadership at the Institute as well as our competitiveness, credibility, & impact both in the United States and in the world at large."
— Marah Gubar. #TransRights #LGBTQRights
fnl.mit.edu/october-2025...

A Call for Solidarity: Queer Lives at MIT - MIT Faculty Newsletter

fnl.mit.edu

Philip Nel @philnel.bsky.social · 1d

🌻 And in Manhattan, Kansas:
🪧 No Kings 2!
📆 Saturday, October 18, 2025
🕑 2-4 pm
🌳 City Park: Bandshell and Poyntz Ave. #NoKings2

Indivisible SF @indivisiblesf.bsky.social · 3d

buff.ly/fFjTp…
NoKing#NoKings2s2

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Reposted by Gavin A. Schmidt, Philip Nel, Robert C. Richards , and 1 more Gavin A. Schmidt, Philip Nel, Robert C. Richards, Johann N. Neem

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 1d

"Residents in Chicago and Portland are living in a police state where masked armed forces kidnap who they want to kidnap, where they have to listen to public officials routinely lie about what is happening in their neighborhoods." donmoynihan.substack.com/p/purge-merg...

StrictlyChristo 🇺🇦🌻❌👑 @strictlychristo.bsky.social · 2d

Federal Secret Police and plainclothes ICE agents kidnap multiple people from a neighborhood in Chicago. They then deploy teargas and brutally beat neighbors who come out to express their concern.

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Matthew S. Bajko @politicalnotes.bsky.social · 1d

Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, a Black transgender woman and longtime activist who once lived in the Bay Area, died October 13. She was 78....
www.ebar.com/story/159150...

Trans leader Miss Major Griffin-Gracy dies

Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, a Black transgender woman and longtime activist who once lived in the Bay Area, died October 13.

www.ebar.com

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Reposted by Philip Nel

Jason "Red5" Lyall @jaylyall.bsky.social · 1d

Rare moment of journalist solidarity as major news outlets, including WaPo, NYT, CNN, Newsmax, The Atlantic, the Wall Street Journal, NPR, Reuters and the Guardian, along with the trade publications Task & Purpose and Breaking Defense, all reject new Pentagon reporting rules (no word from Fox yet)

News outlets broadly reject Pentagon rules before signing deadline

The Washington Post and other major news outlets have refused to sign the Defense Department’s restrictive new media policy, citing First Amendment concerns.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Reposted by Philip Nel, Thomas Arnold, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò

Aparna Nair @disabilitystor1.bsky.social · 1d

I don't know how many times to point out that is absolutely ghoulish and non-consensual and disgusting behavior.
To exploit the image of a dead woman who was also exploited in real life so you can live out your momentary fantasies of "what is possible" with AI is bad science journalism, also.
Sick.

October 10, 2025

4 min read

Marilyn Monroe in Game of Thrones? AI Could Make It Happen Soon

Despite early, and familiar, copyright growing pains, Sora may be the prelude to AI-generated on-demand TV and movies

Screenshot includes an AI generated image of what looks like a human cross between Daenaerys Targaryen and Marilyn Monroe on the back of a dragon.

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Deborah McDowell @dem8z.bsky.social · 2d

subjects and silencing departments that tell a more complete story about the history of Western civilization and contemporary US society. As a world-class public institution, UT must preserve intellectual diversity and educational liberty. The government should not tell adult, 3/

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Deborah McDowell @dem8z.bsky.social · 2d

This decision by UT’s administration is not driven by any educational reasons; after all, the departments facing elimination are full of field-defining, award-winning faculty. UT administrators are falling in lockstep with a nationwide political attack on the freedom to learn by censoring 2/

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Deborah McDowell @dem8z.bsky.social · 2d

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD!!

The University of Texas-Austin is beginning a process to eliminate the Black Studies, Latino Studies, and Gender Studies departments in the College of Liberal Arts. This is a grave threat to the educational liberty of students, faculty, staff, and the people of Texas. 1/

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Democracy Docket @democracydocket.com · 2d

🗳️ SCOTUS will rehear a case that could gut one of the last protections against racially biased voting maps, potentially locking in GOP control of the House for a generation. Join us Wednesday at 10 AM ET on Bluesky @democracydocket.com for live coverage.
https://bit.ly/4q7aQ7D

GOP Could Lock in House Control for a Generation if SCOTUS Ends Key VRA Protection, Report Warns

Read more here.

www.democracydocket.com

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Philip Nel @philnel.bsky.social · 2d

Make America Sick Again! (Or: The Predictable Results of Putting a Quack in Charge of HHS.) #FireRFKJr

NPR @npr.org · 2d

In South Carolina, more than 150 unvaccinated schoolkids are under quarantine after being exposed to measles. Across the U.S., total case counts could be even higher than the official number. n.pr/4obbfnK

U.S. measles cases continue to climb, with outbreaks across the country

In South Carolina, more than 150 unvaccinated schoolkids are under quarantine after being exposed to measles. Across the U.S., total case counts could be even higher than the official number.

n.pr

Reposted by Philip Nel

NPR @npr.org · 2d

U.S. measles cases continue to climb, with outbreaks across the country

In South Carolina, more than 150 unvaccinated schoolkids are under quarantine after being exposed to measles. Across the U.S., total case counts could be even higher than the official number.

n.pr

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✨Ki✨ ❤️‍🔥🎃 @roguetime.bsky.social · 2d

They’ve added a brass band.

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The Oregonian @oregonian.com · 2d

“We’re cold, but not as cold as ICE,” said a sign on one rider’s back.

Portland cyclists strip down in pouring rain to protest ICE facility and Trump troop deployment

“We’re cold, but not as cold as ICE,” said a sign on one rider’s back.

www.oregonlive.com

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Reposted by Philip Nel

ProPublica @propublica.org · 2d

Current and former Department of Education employees: We want to hear from you.

Use Signal to contact our reporters @jsmithrichards.bsky.social at jsmithrichards.93, @jodiscohen.bsky.social at jodireporter.88 or @megomatz.bsky.social at 414-207-6225.

Help ProPublica Report on Education

ProPublica needs your help to track how the upheaval of public education is affecting schools and colleges in your community. Take a few minutes to join our source network and help guide our coverage.

www.propublica.org

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Reposted by Philip Nel, Esther K. Choo, Rebecca Tushnet , and 4 more Philip Nel, Esther K. Choo, Rebecca Tushnet, Lesley Bartlett, Jason Williams, Christina Pagel, David Darmofal

NPR @npr.org · 2d

A Cornell University researcher has been developing an artificial heart for children for more than 20 years. Now, his research is on hold and his lab is shut down.

This 4-year-old's heart is failing. A federal grant that might help him was canceled

A Cornell University researcher has been developing an artificial heart for children for more than 20 years. Now, his research is on hold and his lab is shut down.

n.pr

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Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 2d

Interesting point here from @lutzfernandez.bsky.social: MAGA hates their designated enemies of the moment (blue America, migrants, etc) so much that they're enthusiastically taking their rage out on their children, too:
annelutzfernandez.substack.com/p/americas-a...

America’s Assault on Children

Using kids to consolidate authoritarianism

annelutzfernandez.substack.com

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Reposted by Philip Nel, David R. Miller

Emily "Babe" St. James @emilystjams.bsky.social · 2d

If we really put our heads together and keep the evening of December 24 clear, I am convinced we can Christmas Carol this man.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2d

Trump: "I don't think there's anything that's gonna get me in heaven. I think I'm not maybe heaven bound. I may be in heaven right now as we fly on Air Force One. I'm not sure I'm gonna be able to make heaven."

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Reposted by Steve Peers, Philip Nel, Pamela K. Gilbert , and 2 more Steve Peers, Philip Nel, Pamela K. Gilbert, Jacob T. Levy, Scott A. Imberman

derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 2d

This two-parter below is exactly why it's hard to make clothes in the United States.

Let's look at how much it costs to produce a button-up shirt in the US. 🧵

Someone on Twitter replies to me: "meh. buy american or stfu."

Two hours later, in a separate thread, the write: "$30 for a single button-up is ridiculous unless it is decent quality silk."

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Indivisible SF @indivisiblesf.bsky.social · 3d

buff.ly/fFjTp…
NoKing#NoKings2s2

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Reposted by Philip Nel, Timothy D. McBride

Kelly @broadwaybabyto.bsky.social · 3d

Chicago journalist Debbie Brockman, who was thrown to the ground & handcuffed by ICE, has been released without charges

DHS said she assaulted an officer, but eye witnesses claim she didn’t

The lack of charges makes it clear that ICE is lying to try and cover up the fact that they attack the press

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PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 @patriottakes.bsky.social · 3d

Trump golfing today during the government shutdown

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Ebony Elizabeth Thomas @ebonyteach.blacksky.app · 3d

I see the light in our teacher candidates' eyes when they speak about working with young people.

We are light workers. I don't want that light hidden under a proverbial bushel. I want it to shine. God knows we need all the candles we can get in these bleak times.

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Reposted by Joe R. Feagin, Tom Shakespeare, Diane Ravitch , and 6 more Joe R. Feagin, Tom Shakespeare, Diane Ravitch, Patricia Aufderheide, Philip Nel, John Foot, W. Andy Knight, Anne Norton, Helen Jefferson Lenskyj

Indivisible ❌👑 @indivisible.org · 3d

“No, Speaker Johnson — the No Kings rally on October 18 is not a hate America rally. In fact, it’s quite the contrary: It’s a love America rally.” #NoKings

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Reposted by Anna O. Law, Shibley Telhami, Scott L. Greer , and 1 more Anna O. Law, Shibley Telhami, Scott L. Greer, Philip Nel

Will Bunch @willbunch.bsky.social · 3d

Extinguishing MLK's Eternal Flame is both outrageous and a hell of a metaphor for right now www.wsbtv.com/news/local/a...

Eternal flame at Martin Luther King Jr.’s Atlanta burial site destroyed

Police say the man also urinated in the reflective pool.

www.wsbtv.com

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Ann Telnaes @anntelnaes.bsky.social · 4d

anntelnaes.substack.com/p/shot-in-th...

Shot in the head with pepper spray

This is Trump's America

anntelnaes.substack.com

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Reposted by Philip Nel

Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 4d

The Trump administration's latest layoffs include HUD staffers who investigate fair housing complaints, "disease detectives," and the team that publishes the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Donald Trump's war on public health enters a new phase

Another bad day at the CDC

www.motherjones.com

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Reposted by Philip Nel

ACLU @aclu.org · 4d

The people have the power.

Communities in Portland and across the country are making it clear that troops don’t belong in our streets.

Kristi Noem came to Portland, and people protested with dogs, dancing: Get caught up

As U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Noem made the case for increased security, local officials repeated that the situation was well in hand.

www.oregonlive.com

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Ali Velshi @velshi.com · 4d

History does not unfold in discrete large moments, but in many small ones over the course of a continuous, chaotic timeline. All of us have a part to play in making change and fighting for democracy, but we must do so before the current timeline is in the rearview mirror. #Velshi

Velshi: We are all the authors of democracy – and must act in time to save it

In his novel “War and Peace,” the author Leo Tolstoy tells us that history does not unfold in discrete moments, but rather as a collection of small things that happen in a continuous, chaotic timeline. Ali Velshi explains the importance of taking in the chaotic timeline we are in, right now, before it passes us by. The survival of democracy relies on all of our collective stewardship and our recognizing the gravity of our current moment.

www.msnbc.com

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