Andrew Novak
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indyj02.bsky.social
Andrew Novak
@indyj02.bsky.social
1K followers 760 following 250 posts

Instructional Associate Professor of Criminology Law & Society, George Mason University 🐨 clemency/pardons, tribal law, comparative law, punishment, sport history ⚽️🏳️‍🌈

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Political science 53%
Sociology 23%
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indyj02.bsky.social
Andrew Novak @indyj02.bsky.social · Feb 4
My article about the Queen’s 1968 death penalty commutations in Rhodesia - which were ignored by the Smith regime as it carried out its first post-UDI executions, is now live. 😁 www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Contesting the Royal Prerogative of Mercy: The Queen’s Pardons and the 1968 Constitutional Crisis over the Death Penalty in Rhodesia
In 1968, the Queen attempted to use her royal prerogative of mercy to prevent the executions of three condemned men in Rhodesia who were convicted of political murders. Though she was still the Rho...
www.tandfonline.com

Reposted by Andrew Novak

journalist-sherman.bsky.social
Sherman Smith, Kansas Reflector editor in chief @journalist-sherman.bsky.social · 12h
Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed a controversial bathroom bill that forces transgender people to use facilities that match their biological sex at birth, saying the poorly drafted legislation would have far-reaching consequences #ksleg via @crazeywriter.bsky.social kansasreflector.com/2026/02/13/k...
Kansas governor vetoes anti-trans bathroom bill, citing ‘numerous and significant consequences' • Kansas Reflector
Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed a controversial bathroom bill Friday, saying the poorly drafted legislation would have far-reaching consequences.
kansasreflector.com

Reposted by Juan Cole, Andrew Novak

markkersten.bsky.social
Mark Kersten @markkersten.bsky.social · 14h
"Israel is actually advancing annexation and that's something that we've seen for three years, but what is also significant in this case is that Israel has also decided to weaken the Palestinian Authority."

Outrage grows over Israel's plans for West Bank www.france24.com/en/live-news...
International outrage grows over Israel's plans for West Bank
International outrage was growing on Monday at Israeli plans to tighten the country's grip over the occupied West Bank, with the United Nations chief saying he was "gravely concerned".
www.france24.com

Reposted by Andrew Novak

aljazeera.com
Al Jazeera English @aljazeera.com · 21h
Ali al-Samoudi was working with Al Jazeera's Abu Akleh when she was shot dead by an Israeli sniper in 2022.
Why did Israel jail journalist who witnessed Shireen Abu-Akleh's killing?
Palestinian Ali al-Samoudi was with Al Jazeera's Abu Akleh when she was shot dead by an Israeli sniper in 2022.
www.aljazeera.com

Reposted by Andrew Novak

wired.com
WIRED @wired.com · 22h
Nearly 50 out LGBTQ+ Olympians are participating in events throughout the Winter Games—even as their rights to speak and compete are under attack. www.wired.com/story/lgbtq-...
LGBTQ+ Athletes Are Front and Center at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games
Nearly 50 out LGBTQ+ Olympians are participating in events throughout the Winter Games—even as their rights to speak and compete are under attack.
www.wired.com

Reposted by Andrew Novak

shoaibmkhan.bsky.social
Shoaib M Khan @shoaibmkhan.bsky.social · 23h
Palestine Action judgment now published:

judiciary.uk/wp-content/u...

Tremendous effort by @tomrhickman.bsky.social, @mirahammad.bsky.social, @dpglaw.co.uk, @timbuley.bsky.social, and all the many other amazing people involved.
judiciary.uk

Reposted by Andrew Novak

npr.org
NPR @npr.org · 23h
In its ruling, the court said an earlier decision to ban the Pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization was "disproportionate." n.pr/4aj00Ws
Britain's High Court says government illegally banned Pro-Palestinian group
In its ruling, the court said an earlier decision to ban the Pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization was "disproportionate."
n.pr

Reposted by Steve Peers, Laurent Pech, Stephen Jones , and 5 more

davidallengreen.bsky.social
dag @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 1d
Wow!

Palestine Action win judicial review - Guardian report.

This is a *big* legal win.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
UK ban on Palestine Action unlawful, high court judges rule
Protest group’s co-founder wins legal challenge against decision to proscribe it under anti-terrorism laws
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Andrew Novak

kansasreflector.com
Kansas Reflector @kansasreflector.com · 3d
CoreCivic appeals to overturn injunction keeping it from housing ICE detainees | #ksleg via @crazeywriter.bsky.social kansasreflector.com/2026/02/10/c...
CoreCivic appeals to overturn injunction keeping it from housing ICE detainees • Kansas Reflector
CoreCivic argued Tuesday for the right to begin holding prisoners in Leavenworth, even as it's working through a local permit process.
kansasreflector.com

Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Rebecca Ruth Gould, Juan Cole , and 7 more

marisakabas.bsky.social
Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 3d
“Four of my children just evaporated,” Badran said, holding back tears. “I looked for them a million times. Not a piece was left. Where did they go?”

There are no words to adequately describe the evil here.
Israel used weapons in Gaza that made thousands of Palestinians evaporate
US-made thermal weapons burning at 3,500C caused 2,842 people to "evaporate" in Gaza, Al Jazeera investigation finds.
www.aljazeera.com

indyj02.bsky.social
Andrew Novak @indyj02.bsky.social · 3d
Or the K in UK? 🫠

Reposted by Andrew Novak

euractiv.com
Euractiv @euractiv.com · 3d
EU parliament adopts twin texts hardening migration policy
EU parliament adopts twin texts hardening migration policy
The EU's political centre of gravity has shifted firmly right in recent years, and a decline in irregular entries has not eased the political pressure to act on the hot-button issue
dlvr.it

Reposted by Andrew Novak

adhaque.bsky.social
Adil Haque @adhaque.bsky.social · 4d
"A Palestinian woman, who lost dozens of family members in the Gaza war, has been hospitalized following a seizure in U.S. immigration detention"

"The DHS also says she was arrested by local authorities in 2024 during pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University"

www.reuters.com/world/middle...
Palestinian woman hospitalized after seizure in US ICE detention
A Palestinian woman, who lost dozens of family members in Gaza, was hospitalized on Friday following a seizure in a U.S. immigration detention, the Department of Homeland Security said on Monday.
www.reuters.com

Reposted by Andrew Novak

theintercept.com
The Intercept @theintercept.com · 4d
It's the department’s largest contract to purchase weapons from an Israeli company in available records.
Pentagon Makes Largest Known Arms Purchase From Israel — For Banned Cluster Weapons
The contract for the controversial weapons known for high civilian death tolls is the largest of its kind in available government records.
theintercept.com

Reposted by Andrew Novak

prismreports.org
Prism @prismreports.org · 4d
Anti-transgender legislation accelerates in early 2026, @alexmar.bsky.social reports. The scope & coordination of the proposals in state legislatures across the U.S. mark a new phase in a campaign that has been building for a decade, policy researchers say.
Anti-transgender legislation accelerates in early 2026
The scope and coordination of the state bills mark a new phase in a campaign that has been building for a decade, policy researchers say
prismreports.org

Reposted by Andrew Novak

progressivemass.bsky.social
Progressive Mass @progressivemass.bsky.social · 4d
"In fact, Massachusetts is the only state that voted against Donald Trump in 2024 where a state agency is contracting with the 287(g) program." #mapoli

boltsmag.org/massachusett...
Inside ICE’s Only Contract with a Blue State - Bolts
As part of a 287(g) contract between state officials and ICE, Massachusetts continues to release prisoners into deportation—even as state lawmakers look to ban other forms of ICE collaboration.
boltsmag.org

Reposted by Andrew Novak

markkersten.bsky.social
Mark Kersten @markkersten.bsky.social · 4d
"Putting sanctions on judges and prosecutors who are just doing their job is disgraceful."

This Canadian #ICC judge knows firsthand the impact of being targeted by Trump's America : apple.news/AX3mvYqrtQ26... #cdnpoli
This Canadian judge knows firsthand the impact of being targeted by Trump's America — Toronto Star
Kimberly Prost is one of several judges and prosecutors at the International Criminal Court being sanctioned by the Trump administration. It's upended her daily life — but won't intimidate her.
apple.news

Reposted by Andrew Novak

anna-writes.bsky.social
Anna Kaminski @anna-writes.bsky.social · 4d
Access to justice is a larger issue, said Kansas Supreme Court Justice K.J. Wall, because even if attorney numbers improve in rural Kansas, not everyone can afford them. #ksleg
kansasreflector.com/2026/02/09/k...
Kansas Supreme Court justice champions solutions to rural attorney shortage • Kansas Reflector
Kansas Supreme Court justices heard from judges around the state who were having difficulty appointing attorneys to criminal cases, where representation is a Constitutional guarantee.
kansasreflector.com

Reposted by Andrew Novak

motherjones.com
Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 4d
ICE  "brutally" detained a minister in Vermont. The Trump administration wants to send him back to Uganda—where he was tortured.

"I’m so scared, I cannot go back," Pastor Steven Tendo told @isabelaalhadeff.bsky.social.
He fled torture in Uganda. ICE is trying to send him back.
"People like Pastor [Steven] Tendo are exactly who our asylum system is meant to protect."
www.motherjones.com

indyj02.bsky.social
Andrew Novak @indyj02.bsky.social · 5d
Give us some context. Was this deserved or undeserved? 👀

Reposted by Andrew Novak

alexis-madrigal.bsky.social
Alexis Madrigal @alexis-madrigal.bsky.social · 5d
If you want to learn more about Bad Bunny’s music and activism, have to recommend this new book P FKN R. It’s awesome. I learned so much:

www.kqed.org/forum/201010...
How Bad Bunny Fuses Activism and Global Superstardom | KQED
Scholars Vanessa Díaz and Petra Rivera-Rideau, also creators of the “Bad Bunny Syllabus,” join us to break down Bad Bunny’s music and activism.
www.kqed.org

Reposted by Andrew Novak

opiniojuris.bsky.social
Opinio Juris @opiniojuris.bsky.social · 5d
The Abduction of a President: Shock, Illegality, and the Implications for Human Rights Law

opiniojuris.org/2026/02/02/t...
The Abduction of a President: Shock, Illegality, and the Implications for Human Rights Law
[Diana Kearney is a former Visiting Instructor of Clinical Law at Cardozo Law School Human Rights & Atrocity Prevention Clinic] The Trump administration’s abduction of Venezuelan President Nico…
opiniojuris.org

Reposted by Andrew Novak

theintercept.com
The Intercept @theintercept.com · 5d
North’s role could have even more heft than usual given how many attorneys have left the agency and the office of the general counsel under the second Trump administration.
EEOC Quietly Hired Lawyer Who Crusaded for Cases of Discrimination Against Men — Including His Own
The EEOC quietly hired Benjamin North, a lawyer who crusaded against what he said was discrimination against men in sexual assault cases.
interc.pt

Reposted by Andrew Novak

propublica.org
ProPublica @propublica.org · 5d
The Institute of Museum and Library Services’ grant application process has taken a political turn under Trump.

“It’s clear the administration wants a whitewashed story,” said a Republican who led the agency from 2019 to 2024. “And that’s wrong.”
Grant Guidelines for Libraries and Museums Take “Chilling” Political Turn Under Trump
Former Institute of Museum and Library Services leaders from both political parties expressed concern that the new funding guidelines could encourage a more constrained or distorted view of American h...
www.propublica.org

Reposted by Andrew Novak

motherjones.com
Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 5d
The world is poised to overshoot the goal of limiting average global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, as for the first time, a three-year period, ending in 2025, has breached the threshold.

Climate scientists are predicting devastating consequences.
There may be no turning back this climate crisis
As warming breaches a critical threshold, scientists fear cascading consequences.
www.motherjones.com

Reposted by Alison Phipps, Andrew Novak

aljazeera.com
Al Jazeera English @aljazeera.com · 5d
Ethiopia demands Eritrea ‘immediately withdraw’ troops from its territory https://aje.news/jkuvzl
Ethiopia demands Eritrea ‘immediately withdraw’ troops from its territory

Reposted by Andrew Novak

jameeljaffer.bsky.social
Jameel Jaffer @jameeljaffer.bsky.social · 7d
Summer internships with @justsecurity.org, spread the word. www.justsecurity.org/just-securit...
Join Just Security for a Summer 2026 Internship!
Just Security invites applications from students for summer internships on issues incuding law, policy, rights, democracy, and security.
www.justsecurity.org

Reposted by Andrew Novak

dukepress.bsky.social
Duke University Press @dukepress.bsky.social · 8d
Save 30% on #NewBook "The Absent Stone" by Sandra Rozental, which tells the story of the Piedra de los Tecomates, the largest stone monument in the Americas and the issues of cultural patrimony surrounding it. buff.ly/BNjptWC
Cover of The Absent Stone: Mexican Patrimony and the Aftershocks of State Theft by Sandra Rozental. The cover features a close up photograph of part of the Piedra de los Tecomates, a large stone monument. The photo shows three holes in the stone in a horizontal line as well as the letters 'EM' and 'D' carved into the stone. The title appears in a translucent bold sans serif font aligned left in the center of the cover. The author’s name appears above in yellow. The subtitle is below the 3 holes and the title in the same yellow font.

Reposted by Andrew Novak

nickturse.bsky.social
Nick Turse @nickturse.bsky.social · 8d
ICE’s Private Prison Contractors Spent Millions Lobbying to Force Banks to Give Them Loans
theintercept.com/2026/02/05/p...
ICE’s Private Prison Contractors Spent Millions Lobbying to Force Banks to Give Them Loans
Major banks have denied financing to ICE prison contractors GEO Group and CoreCivic — but a bill pushed by companies could force their hand.
theintercept.com

Reposted by Andrew Novak

zeteo.com
Zeteo @zeteo.com · 9d
"UN experts say the bill, which would impose a mandatory death penalty for Palestinians convicted of certain crimes, would be a clear violation of international law."

Read the latest from @minnahfarshad.bsky.social on Israel's death penalty bill: zeteo.com/p/entrenchin...
‘Entrenching Apartheid’: Amnesty, UN Experts Urge Israel to Withdraw Death Penalty Bill Targeting Palestinians
UN experts say the bill, which would impose a mandatory death penalty for Palestinians convicted of certain crimes, would be a clear violation of international law.
zeteo.com

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Kim L. Scheppele, Nandita Sharma , and 11 more

taniel.bsky.social
Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · 9d
NEW: Abigail Spanberger this afternoon ordered that all state agencies leave ICE's 287(g) program.

This means that the state police (and some other agencies) will no longer be empowered to detain and arrest people for ICE.

Big, big move by the governor within weeks of coming into office.
Virginia’s New Governor Ends ICE Program. Local Contracts Remain, For Now. - Bolts
Abigail Spanberger left the 287(g) program, which empowered state law enforcement to detain immigrants. Will Democrats also bar local police and sheriffs from the program?
boltsmag.org