Betsy Cazden
@betsy-cazden.bsky.social
Quaker historian (New England, slavery, Indigenous land grabs, Indigenous boarding schools). Retired lawyer (NH).
Reposted by Betsy Cazden
Congressional investigations are likely the ONLY accountability this administration will face. Bondi won't arrest anyone. US officials can't be tried at the Hague. And even if we get a new AG in 2029, Trump is going to pardon everyone. These midterms are crucial for accountability.
December 8, 2025 at 5:33 PM
Congressional investigations are likely the ONLY accountability this administration will face. Bondi won't arrest anyone. US officials can't be tried at the Hague. And even if we get a new AG in 2029, Trump is going to pardon everyone. These midterms are crucial for accountability.
Reposted by Betsy Cazden
Every legal story now is either
Ancient Circuit Judge Delivers Crystal Clear 100 Page Rebuke To Trumpist Overreach
or
In Unsigned Shadow Docket Decision, 6-3 Majority Declares Trump Can Hunt People For Sport
Ancient Circuit Judge Delivers Crystal Clear 100 Page Rebuke To Trumpist Overreach
or
In Unsigned Shadow Docket Decision, 6-3 Majority Declares Trump Can Hunt People For Sport
October 3, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Every legal story now is either
Ancient Circuit Judge Delivers Crystal Clear 100 Page Rebuke To Trumpist Overreach
or
In Unsigned Shadow Docket Decision, 6-3 Majority Declares Trump Can Hunt People For Sport
Ancient Circuit Judge Delivers Crystal Clear 100 Page Rebuke To Trumpist Overreach
or
In Unsigned Shadow Docket Decision, 6-3 Majority Declares Trump Can Hunt People For Sport
Reposted by Betsy Cazden
♥️ “ICE looked at that school, saw a community standing up for families, and decided it wasn’t worth it.”
December 8, 2025 at 5:28 PM
♥️ “ICE looked at that school, saw a community standing up for families, and decided it wasn’t worth it.”
Reposted by Betsy Cazden
One argument I used to make to my students about why it was important to learn history (and historical thinking) is that someone was always going to be trying to tell you things were natural or had always been this way and that you needed to be able to see that as an exercise of power.
December 7, 2025 at 10:09 PM
One argument I used to make to my students about why it was important to learn history (and historical thinking) is that someone was always going to be trying to tell you things were natural or had always been this way and that you needed to be able to see that as an exercise of power.
Reposted by Betsy Cazden
Soto: what cases have we overturned that are nearly 100 years old that reshape the government? Neither King, not parliament, not prime ministers ever had an unqualified removal power. Constitution doesn't say anything about this at all. We've said repeatedly no "absolute power of the president".
December 8, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Soto: what cases have we overturned that are nearly 100 years old that reshape the government? Neither King, not parliament, not prime ministers ever had an unqualified removal power. Constitution doesn't say anything about this at all. We've said repeatedly no "absolute power of the president".
Reposted by Betsy Cazden
feels a lil wild how much
1) the Trump administration has backed itself into a logic corner in front of the Supreme Court this morning
2) Alito and Thomas try toss em life rafts, and the Trump admin seems to look at them a bit skeptically? like the 'I don't need your boat God will save me' parable
1) the Trump administration has backed itself into a logic corner in front of the Supreme Court this morning
2) Alito and Thomas try toss em life rafts, and the Trump admin seems to look at them a bit skeptically? like the 'I don't need your boat God will save me' parable
December 8, 2025 at 3:38 PM
feels a lil wild how much
1) the Trump administration has backed itself into a logic corner in front of the Supreme Court this morning
2) Alito and Thomas try toss em life rafts, and the Trump admin seems to look at them a bit skeptically? like the 'I don't need your boat God will save me' parable
1) the Trump administration has backed itself into a logic corner in front of the Supreme Court this morning
2) Alito and Thomas try toss em life rafts, and the Trump admin seems to look at them a bit skeptically? like the 'I don't need your boat God will save me' parable
Reposted by Betsy Cazden
The Take Care Clause was a byproduct of the lessons learned from the Glorious Revolution that the executive should not be able to dispense with the law promulgated by the legislature. It was not a constitutional provision to empower the executive branch— but to constrain it!
December 8, 2025 at 3:32 PM
The Take Care Clause was a byproduct of the lessons learned from the Glorious Revolution that the executive should not be able to dispense with the law promulgated by the legislature. It was not a constitutional provision to empower the executive branch— but to constrain it!
Reposted by Betsy Cazden
Not at all surprising that @gideonrachman.bsky.social nails it in his reading of the NSS here.
"The Trump administration view of 'western civilisation' is based on race, Christianity and nationalism. The European version is a liberal view founded on democracy, human rights and the rule of law ..."
"The Trump administration view of 'western civilisation' is based on race, Christianity and nationalism. The European version is a liberal view founded on democracy, human rights and the rule of law ..."
December 8, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Not at all surprising that @gideonrachman.bsky.social nails it in his reading of the NSS here.
"The Trump administration view of 'western civilisation' is based on race, Christianity and nationalism. The European version is a liberal view founded on democracy, human rights and the rule of law ..."
"The Trump administration view of 'western civilisation' is based on race, Christianity and nationalism. The European version is a liberal view founded on democracy, human rights and the rule of law ..."
Reposted by Betsy Cazden
"'But where else would one expect to find a right whale with Irish connections if not off Boston?' said Padraig Whooley with the Irish Whale & Dolphin Group."
Attaway (attawhale?)
Attaway (attawhale?)
Endangered whale's 3,000-mile journey from Ireland to Boston shocks scientists - CBS Boston 🧪🌎🦑
Endangered whale's 3,000-mile journey from Ireland to Boston shocks scientists
A North Atlantic right whale spotted off Ireland last year has made an "extraordinary" 3,000-mile journey to Boston, scientists say.
www.cbsnews.com
December 7, 2025 at 8:42 PM
"'But where else would one expect to find a right whale with Irish connections if not off Boston?' said Padraig Whooley with the Irish Whale & Dolphin Group."
Attaway (attawhale?)
Attaway (attawhale?)
Reposted by Betsy Cazden
Given that the Russians quite literally drafted our capitulation plan for Ukraine one has to wonder about whether there wasn’t at least a bit of cutting and pasting here.
"The Kremlin on Sunday welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump's new national security strategy and said it largely accorded with Russia's own perceptions, the first time that Moscow has so fulsomely praised such a document from its former Cold War foe."
@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/china/...
@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/china/...
Kremlin says new US security strategy accords largely with Russia's view
It was the first time that Moscow has so fulsomely praised such a document from its former Cold War foe.
www.reuters.com
December 7, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Given that the Russians quite literally drafted our capitulation plan for Ukraine one has to wonder about whether there wasn’t at least a bit of cutting and pasting here.
Reposted by Betsy Cazden
For folks in the Northeast: just found out that Peter Pan Bus Lines is having a Cyber Monday sale! Tomorrow Dec. 7th is the last day and this is for travel dates between Jan. 6th and Feb. 28th! 🚌
Saw tickets for Providence to NYC for $9! 🫢
peterpanbus.com/cyber-monday/
Saw tickets for Providence to NYC for $9! 🫢
peterpanbus.com/cyber-monday/
December 6, 2025 at 8:22 PM
For folks in the Northeast: just found out that Peter Pan Bus Lines is having a Cyber Monday sale! Tomorrow Dec. 7th is the last day and this is for travel dates between Jan. 6th and Feb. 28th! 🚌
Saw tickets for Providence to NYC for $9! 🫢
peterpanbus.com/cyber-monday/
Saw tickets for Providence to NYC for $9! 🫢
peterpanbus.com/cyber-monday/
Reposted by Betsy Cazden
‘[Trump] is sensitive to being compared, even if not explicitly, to Sleepy Joe,’ a Trump adviser tells Zeteo.
Read the latest from @swin24.bsky.social on how news coverage of Trump’s mental health makes him furious like nothing else.
zeteo.com/p/trump-furi...
Read the latest from @swin24.bsky.social on how news coverage of Trump’s mental health makes him furious like nothing else.
zeteo.com/p/trump-furi...
December 5, 2025 at 7:45 PM
‘[Trump] is sensitive to being compared, even if not explicitly, to Sleepy Joe,’ a Trump adviser tells Zeteo.
Read the latest from @swin24.bsky.social on how news coverage of Trump’s mental health makes him furious like nothing else.
zeteo.com/p/trump-furi...
Read the latest from @swin24.bsky.social on how news coverage of Trump’s mental health makes him furious like nothing else.
zeteo.com/p/trump-furi...
Reposted by Betsy Cazden
Does anyone else remember it the way I do? Didn’t the administration claim that the “crew” of 11 on the first boat was somehow indicative of it being a drug boat, and then all of a sudden every other boat they hit had two and three man crews, and then SMALL crews were indicative of drug activity?
December 5, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Does anyone else remember it the way I do? Didn’t the administration claim that the “crew” of 11 on the first boat was somehow indicative of it being a drug boat, and then all of a sudden every other boat they hit had two and three man crews, and then SMALL crews were indicative of drug activity?
Reposted by Betsy Cazden
two very basic facts that are a really basic "we live in a reality" thing is that
1)the video does not show any evidence of drugs at all
2)the boat was obviously not headed to the US (thousands of miles away) bsky.app/profile/greg...
1)the video does not show any evidence of drugs at all
2)the boat was obviously not headed to the US (thousands of miles away) bsky.app/profile/greg...
It looks like Tom Cotton was being deceptive by saying video shows the men trying to flip boat "loaded with drugs." As I reported, Ds who saw video say no drugs were visible/boat was crippled.
Q for Rs is simple: Did you see drugs and was boat incapacitated, or no?
newrepublic.com/article/2039...
Q for Rs is simple: Did you see drugs and was boat incapacitated, or no?
newrepublic.com/article/2039...
December 5, 2025 at 5:27 PM
two very basic facts that are a really basic "we live in a reality" thing is that
1)the video does not show any evidence of drugs at all
2)the boat was obviously not headed to the US (thousands of miles away) bsky.app/profile/greg...
1)the video does not show any evidence of drugs at all
2)the boat was obviously not headed to the US (thousands of miles away) bsky.app/profile/greg...
Reposted by Betsy Cazden
Come to think of it, Pete Hegseth just admitted openly that they're committing extrajudicial murders in international waters partly in order to please MAGA influencers that want retribution for political attacks on Pete Hegseth:
Sadism is the lifeblood of MAGA politics. Hard to overstate how disgusting and embarrassing for our country it is for the US Secretary of Defense to be doing this:
December 5, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Come to think of it, Pete Hegseth just admitted openly that they're committing extrajudicial murders in international waters partly in order to please MAGA influencers that want retribution for political attacks on Pete Hegseth:
Reposted by Betsy Cazden
JUST IN: Judge unseals Epstein grand jury records in south Florida. Judge Rodney Smith (Trump) says law Congress passed & Trump signed overrides background grand jury secrecy. Doc: www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
EpsteinFLSDGJOrd120525.PDF
www.documentcloud.org
December 5, 2025 at 6:16 PM
JUST IN: Judge unseals Epstein grand jury records in south Florida. Judge Rodney Smith (Trump) says law Congress passed & Trump signed overrides background grand jury secrecy. Doc: www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
Reposted by Betsy Cazden
I've recently heard a rumor that @chuckborges.bsky.social is living rent free in the heads of DOGE leadership.
Honestly, there is no greater gift this holiday season.
Help him pay that rent.
Repost this.
That's all it takes. It'll be fun.
#paytherent #DOGE #SSA #ethics #publicservice #repost
Honestly, there is no greater gift this holiday season.
Help him pay that rent.
Repost this.
That's all it takes. It'll be fun.
#paytherent #DOGE #SSA #ethics #publicservice #repost
December 4, 2025 at 5:20 PM
I've recently heard a rumor that @chuckborges.bsky.social is living rent free in the heads of DOGE leadership.
Honestly, there is no greater gift this holiday season.
Help him pay that rent.
Repost this.
That's all it takes. It'll be fun.
#paytherent #DOGE #SSA #ethics #publicservice #repost
Honestly, there is no greater gift this holiday season.
Help him pay that rent.
Repost this.
That's all it takes. It'll be fun.
#paytherent #DOGE #SSA #ethics #publicservice #repost
Reposted by Betsy Cazden
We are OVERJOYED to announce that award-winning librarian and ‘Reading Rainbow’ host @mychal3ts.bsky.social will serve as our 2026 National Library Week honorary chair!
#NationalLibraryWeek will be held April 19-25 with the theme "Find Your Joy."
Read our full announcement: https://bit.ly/4rDSagx
#NationalLibraryWeek will be held April 19-25 with the theme "Find Your Joy."
Read our full announcement: https://bit.ly/4rDSagx
December 4, 2025 at 4:11 PM
We are OVERJOYED to announce that award-winning librarian and ‘Reading Rainbow’ host @mychal3ts.bsky.social will serve as our 2026 National Library Week honorary chair!
#NationalLibraryWeek will be held April 19-25 with the theme "Find Your Joy."
Read our full announcement: https://bit.ly/4rDSagx
#NationalLibraryWeek will be held April 19-25 with the theme "Find Your Joy."
Read our full announcement: https://bit.ly/4rDSagx
Reposted by Betsy Cazden
Reposted by Betsy Cazden
GOV. WALZ on Trump’s racist attack on Somali Americans: “Unprecedented. We have kids going to school today and the president called them ‘garbage’ — condemn this attack or you are complicit in it… the only thing hurting this state is Trump himself.”
Our kids are watching.
Our kids are watching.
December 4, 2025 at 9:21 PM
GOV. WALZ on Trump’s racist attack on Somali Americans: “Unprecedented. We have kids going to school today and the president called them ‘garbage’ — condemn this attack or you are complicit in it… the only thing hurting this state is Trump himself.”
Our kids are watching.
Our kids are watching.
Reposted by Betsy Cazden
whether hegseth gets away with it remains to be seen but it is interesting to see that he thought trump handed him a license to murder with this job, no questions asked, and now questions are definitely being asked.
December 4, 2025 at 4:29 PM
whether hegseth gets away with it remains to be seen but it is interesting to see that he thought trump handed him a license to murder with this job, no questions asked, and now questions are definitely being asked.
For all the doomsayers who think all these lawsuits are stupid because the regime never follows court rulings they don't like: Here's yet another one that resulted in real money being released.
NEWS: The Institute of Museum & Library Services has restored ALL previously canceled federal grants to libraries, following a ruling by a federal judge in Rhode Island last month.
This is a massive win for libraries & communities in every state & territory!
Learn more: www.ala.org/news/2025/12...
This is a massive win for libraries & communities in every state & territory!
Learn more: www.ala.org/news/2025/12...
December 3, 2025 at 10:35 PM
For all the doomsayers who think all these lawsuits are stupid because the regime never follows court rulings they don't like: Here's yet another one that resulted in real money being released.
Reposted by Betsy Cazden
The entire video of the September 2nd strike ordered by Secretary Hegseth should be released to Congress & shared with the American people.
Joined Dana Bash on @cnn.com to discuss bipartisan efforts to demand facts, materials, & accountability.
Joined Dana Bash on @cnn.com to discuss bipartisan efforts to demand facts, materials, & accountability.
December 2, 2025 at 10:44 PM
The entire video of the September 2nd strike ordered by Secretary Hegseth should be released to Congress & shared with the American people.
Joined Dana Bash on @cnn.com to discuss bipartisan efforts to demand facts, materials, & accountability.
Joined Dana Bash on @cnn.com to discuss bipartisan efforts to demand facts, materials, & accountability.
Reposted by Betsy Cazden
Damn, messing up on day one.
Pentagon spox confirmed that all strikes in Caribbean are "directed by the President". Congrats.
Pentagon spox confirmed that all strikes in Caribbean are "directed by the President". Congrats.
December 2, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Damn, messing up on day one.
Pentagon spox confirmed that all strikes in Caribbean are "directed by the President". Congrats.
Pentagon spox confirmed that all strikes in Caribbean are "directed by the President". Congrats.