Eric Giannella
@giannella.bsky.social
Associate Research Professor at Georgetown Better Gov Lab & Massive Data Institute: 1) Evidence-based implementation for safety net programs 2) Open source tools for data sharing in public services. Founded and led Data Science team at Code for America.
Reposted by Eric Giannella
Judge Ellis says all these errors, no matter how minor, add up. "[A]t some point, it becomes difficult, if not impossible, to believe almost anything that [DHS] represent[s]."
E.g., a top officer testified protestors had shields with nails in them; there were no nails and mostly it was carboard.
E.g., a top officer testified protestors had shields with nails in them; there were no nails and mostly it was carboard.
November 20, 2025 at 11:10 PM
Judge Ellis says all these errors, no matter how minor, add up. "[A]t some point, it becomes difficult, if not impossible, to believe almost anything that [DHS] represent[s]."
E.g., a top officer testified protestors had shields with nails in them; there were no nails and mostly it was carboard.
E.g., a top officer testified protestors had shields with nails in them; there were no nails and mostly it was carboard.
Reposted by Eric Giannella
DHS claimed that agents were forced to use riot munitions to disperse an "unruly mob" on September 19.
In fact, "the scene [was] quiet," and then "almost immediately and without warning, agents lob flashbang grenades, tear gas, and pepper balls, stating 'fuck yea!' as they do so."
In fact, "the scene [was] quiet," and then "almost immediately and without warning, agents lob flashbang grenades, tear gas, and pepper balls, stating 'fuck yea!' as they do so."
![For example, Defendants directed the Court to two videos of agents outside the Broadview facility the evening of September 19, 2025. Doc. 232 at 1. In those videos, agents stand behind a fence preparing to leave the facility’s gates and disperse what Defendants described as an unruly mob. Axon Body 3 Video 2025-09-19 2045 X60AB474J; Axon Body 3 Video 2025-09-19 2045 X60AB375H. The scene appears quiet as the gate opens, revealing a line of protesters standing in the street holding signs. Axon Body 3 Video 2025-09-19 2045 X60AB474J at 1:30; Axon Body 3 Video 2025-09-19 2045 X60AB375H at 1:45. Almost immediately and without warning, agents lob flashbang grenades, tear gas, and pepper balls at the protesters, stating, “fuck yea!”, as they do so, and the crowd scatters. Axon Body 3 Video 2025-09-19 2045 X60AB474J at 1:30–6:30; Axon Body 3 Video 2025-09-19 2045 X60AB375H at 1:45–3:20. This video disproves Defendants’ contentions that protesters were the ones shooting off fireworks, refusing orders, and acting violently so as to justify the agents’ use of force. [FN 7] See Doc. 172-8 (CBP use of force report for evening of September 19, 2025);
[FN 7]: 7 In one of the videos, someone throws a projectile back at agents, which one individual tells agents another person did to protect the crowd from the agents’ use of force. Axon Body 3 Video 2025-09-19 2045 X60AB375H at 4:00–5:00. This is also mentioned in the use of force report, although it is reported that the crowd threw “dangerous objects” at agents “[w]ithout provocation.” Doc. 172-8 at 19, 21. The BWC footage disproves the representation that the crowd threw objects “without provocation,” and the fact that protestors threw objects at agents after they deployed force cannot be used as justification for the use of force that preceded it.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:2vtbmhmrwzbqcfv4we4uxzzt/bafkreig4qz3vzcukthnaqgcwjwjbhibbdires2m3cwnw4q6mbzsu57fyza@jpeg)
November 20, 2025 at 11:07 PM
DHS claimed that agents were forced to use riot munitions to disperse an "unruly mob" on September 19.
In fact, "the scene [was] quiet," and then "almost immediately and without warning, agents lob flashbang grenades, tear gas, and pepper balls, stating 'fuck yea!' as they do so."
In fact, "the scene [was] quiet," and then "almost immediately and without warning, agents lob flashbang grenades, tear gas, and pepper balls, stating 'fuck yea!' as they do so."
Reposted by Eric Giannella
Much more in paper, but results help show that punishment only works if it communicates moral intentions and norms. If those signals are degraded by selfish/biased motives, punishment stops working. Nothing to worry about unless you find yourself in society w/rising corruption and polarization 10/
November 19, 2025 at 11:40 PM
Much more in paper, but results help show that punishment only works if it communicates moral intentions and norms. If those signals are degraded by selfish/biased motives, punishment stops working. Nothing to worry about unless you find yourself in society w/rising corruption and polarization 10/
Reposted by Eric Giannella
If punishment doesn’t work, then why do we punish? We let observers who would benefit from more cooperation choose what experimental conditions they would be assigned to. They overwhelmingly choose conditions where punishers are paid to severely punish, and they lose money as a result. 8/
November 19, 2025 at 11:40 PM
If punishment doesn’t work, then why do we punish? We let observers who would benefit from more cooperation choose what experimental conditions they would be assigned to. They overwhelmingly choose conditions where punishers are paid to severely punish, and they lose money as a result. 8/