Jill Piggott
@jillpiggott.bsky.social
Philosophy & lit professor, now disabled by migraine & ME/CFS. Cofounder, headsUPmigraine. Volunteer prison educator, Equal Justice Initiative. Progressive activist.
Half-time Mainer, half-time Canadian Maritimer
Half-time Mainer, half-time Canadian Maritimer
Pinned
Jill Piggott
@jillpiggott.bsky.social
· Jul 19
!["[W]hen those who have dedicated their careers to teaching & commemorating the Holocaust insist on ignoring or denying Israel’s genocidal actions in Gaza, they threaten to undermine everything that Holocaust scholarship & commemoration have stood for in the past several decades." -- Holocaust scholar Omer Bartov (NYT 15 July 2025)](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:qoewv4sal6ftjn3gwcrzyn4g/bafkreibe2ice5lx5kvoxe7netuxo374feda4pbrbaiesdwszh56if7q57i@jpeg)
I can't recommend Prof. Omer Bartov's NYT opinion piece on the genocide in Gaza more highly. Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/07/15/o...
Reposted by Jill Piggott
Rand Paul tells me that he wants the full video of the Venezuelan boat strike released.
“And I think if the public sees images of people clinging to boat debris and being blown up, I think that there is a chance that finally, the public will get interested enough in this to stop this.”
“And I think if the public sees images of people clinging to boat debris and being blown up, I think that there is a chance that finally, the public will get interested enough in this to stop this.”
December 4, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Rand Paul tells me that he wants the full video of the Venezuelan boat strike released.
“And I think if the public sees images of people clinging to boat debris and being blown up, I think that there is a chance that finally, the public will get interested enough in this to stop this.”
“And I think if the public sees images of people clinging to boat debris and being blown up, I think that there is a chance that finally, the public will get interested enough in this to stop this.”
Bad news for the Barbies. www.bbc.com/news/article...
Warning over cosmetic face fillers as scans reveal new details of risks
Placed incorrectly, cosmetic dermal fillers can damage nearby ateries, leading to to skin loss and even blindness, experts warn.
www.bbc.com
December 4, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Bad news for the Barbies. www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by Jill Piggott
Reposted by Jill Piggott
Anti-abortion groups are pushing to ban abortion coverage for anyone who gets tax credits to pay for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.
If Congress caves, this would be the first federal ban on private insurance coverage of abortion, and could push care out of reach for millions.
If Congress caves, this would be the first federal ban on private insurance coverage of abortion, and could push care out of reach for millions.
The big sticking point in the White House’s health care proposal
For many GOP members, an expansion of abortion restrictions in Obamacare is a must-have in any tentative health care plan.
www.politico.com
December 3, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Anti-abortion groups are pushing to ban abortion coverage for anyone who gets tax credits to pay for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.
If Congress caves, this would be the first federal ban on private insurance coverage of abortion, and could push care out of reach for millions.
If Congress caves, this would be the first federal ban on private insurance coverage of abortion, and could push care out of reach for millions.
I particularly like the fact that the raccoon headed to the bathroom before passing out. www.bbc.com/news/article...
Drunk raccoon found passed out on liquor store floor after breaking in
The intoxicated animal suffered no injuries and was released back into the wild by animal protection once sober.
www.bbc.com
December 3, 2025 at 1:04 PM
I particularly like the fact that the raccoon headed to the bathroom before passing out. www.bbc.com/news/article...
Great idea, @mainepublic.org! Maine's Somali community contributes so much to our state. It's outrageous that they would be targeted & insulted by anyone, least of all the president.
This would be a great time for Somali community (and Maine Media) to extol all they have contributed to Maine #MePolitics
December 3, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Great idea, @mainepublic.org! Maine's Somali community contributes so much to our state. It's outrageous that they would be targeted & insulted by anyone, least of all the president.
Reposted by Jill Piggott
A 6-year-old boy is missing after ICE arrested him and his dad in NYC last week and shipped them off to separate facilities. www.thecity.nyc/2025/12/02/i... @thecity.nyc @gwynnefitz.bsky.social
ICE Arrested and Separated Chinese Father From 6-Year-Old Son, Advocates Say
The father and son were detained at an ICE check-in on Nov. 26, advocates say. The son’s location is currently unknown, while the father is being held at an upstate ICE facility.
www.thecity.nyc
December 2, 2025 at 5:42 PM
A 6-year-old boy is missing after ICE arrested him and his dad in NYC last week and shipped them off to separate facilities. www.thecity.nyc/2025/12/02/i... @thecity.nyc @gwynnefitz.bsky.social
Reposted by Jill Piggott
Susan Collins rarely casts a decisive vote. She did so in November, casting the 50th vote in favor of letting Trump launch attacks against Venezuela without Congressional authorization. Mainers have to hold her accountable. #mepolitics
December 3, 2025 at 12:24 AM
Susan Collins rarely casts a decisive vote. She did so in November, casting the 50th vote in favor of letting Trump launch attacks against Venezuela without Congressional authorization. Mainers have to hold her accountable. #mepolitics
Reposted by Jill Piggott
A family in Colombia has filed a petition w/ the DC-based Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, alleging that Colombian citizen Alejandro Carranza Medina was illegally killed in a US airstrike.
This is the 1st formal complaint over airstrikes by the 47's admin on suspected drug boats.
This is the 1st formal complaint over airstrikes by the 47's admin on suspected drug boats.
Family of victim in Trump drug boat killings files first formal complaint
Exclusive: Petition says Colombia citizen Alejandro Carranza Medina was illegally killed in US airstrike on 15 September
www.theguardian.com
December 2, 2025 at 9:40 PM
A family in Colombia has filed a petition w/ the DC-based Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, alleging that Colombian citizen Alejandro Carranza Medina was illegally killed in a US airstrike.
This is the 1st formal complaint over airstrikes by the 47's admin on suspected drug boats.
This is the 1st formal complaint over airstrikes by the 47's admin on suspected drug boats.
Reposted by Jill Piggott
#Migraine is common in kids. Early onset can predict development of daily, near-daily chronic migraine, particularly girls. Kids with recurrent headaches &/or stomachaches should see a neurologist, as prevention can slow or stop disease progression.
December 2, 2025 at 9:08 PM
#Migraine is common in kids. Early onset can predict development of daily, near-daily chronic migraine, particularly girls. Kids with recurrent headaches &/or stomachaches should see a neurologist, as prevention can slow or stop disease progression.
12/2 is the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery. The 13th Amendment allows slavery as "punishment for crime." 7 states pay inmates $0, most other states pay about $1/day, tho prisoners generate billions in goods & services annually. news.uchicago.edu/story/us-pri...
U.S. prison labor programs violate fundamental human rights, new report finds
Law School’s Global Human Rights Clinic, ACLU examine coercion, exploitation in prison labor
news.uchicago.edu
December 2, 2025 at 8:48 PM
12/2 is the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery. The 13th Amendment allows slavery as "punishment for crime." 7 states pay inmates $0, most other states pay about $1/day, tho prisoners generate billions in goods & services annually. news.uchicago.edu/story/us-pri...
Reposted by Jill Piggott
Thinking a lot about this moment from literally the first chapter of "1984."
December 2, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Thinking a lot about this moment from literally the first chapter of "1984."
Reposted by Jill Piggott
Watching @alivitali.bsky.social and I’m begging folks to stop yielding to the idea that there are potential war crimes when there is no war— Congress hasn’t authorized military action. The DoD is simply ordering the execution of civilians in peace time. Crime against humanity is more apt.
December 2, 2025 at 10:42 AM
Watching @alivitali.bsky.social and I’m begging folks to stop yielding to the idea that there are potential war crimes when there is no war— Congress hasn’t authorized military action. The DoD is simply ordering the execution of civilians in peace time. Crime against humanity is more apt.
Quick Call (or email) to Susan Collins: "I live in [ ] & want the Senator to hold an Appropriations Committee hearing on Trump's refusal to spend funds for permanent supportive housing as authorized by Congress."
Collins has been MIA as Appropriations Chair. #mepolitics
Collins has been MIA as Appropriations Chair. #mepolitics
12/2 More than 1,200 vulnerable Mainers could lose their homes because of Trump Admin cuts and rules changes to a critical homelessness program, so Attorney General Aaron Frey has teamed up with other AGs to sue the Administration #maine #MEpolitics
December 2, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Quick Call (or email) to Susan Collins: "I live in [ ] & want the Senator to hold an Appropriations Committee hearing on Trump's refusal to spend funds for permanent supportive housing as authorized by Congress."
Collins has been MIA as Appropriations Chair. #mepolitics
Collins has been MIA as Appropriations Chair. #mepolitics
A Dishonorable Strike - Former head of OLC: "The prohibition on targeting a disabled combatant is so clear that Bradley had a duty, in the words of 18.22.4 of the Manual, 'to refuse to comply with clearly illegal orders to commit violations of the law of war.'" www.execfunctions.org/p/a-dishonor...
A Dishonorable Strike
Indulging all assumptions in favor of the administration’s boat strikes, killing helpless men is murder
www.execfunctions.org
December 1, 2025 at 9:00 PM
A Dishonorable Strike - Former head of OLC: "The prohibition on targeting a disabled combatant is so clear that Bradley had a duty, in the words of 18.22.4 of the Manual, 'to refuse to comply with clearly illegal orders to commit violations of the law of war.'" www.execfunctions.org/p/a-dishonor...
Astounding that the Dept of Defense's Law of War Manual specifically identifies "orders to fire upon the shipwrecked" as "clearly illegal." www.justsecurity.org/125948/illeg...
December 1, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Astounding that the Dept of Defense's Law of War Manual specifically identifies "orders to fire upon the shipwrecked" as "clearly illegal." www.justsecurity.org/125948/illeg...
Reposted by Jill Piggott
“The deskilling, denigration, and displacement of teachers and scholars have historically been central to fascist takeovers, since educators serve as bulwarks against propaganda, anti-intellectualism, and illiteracy.” — @olivia.science
www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/a...
www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/a...
AI Is Hollowing Out Higher Education
Olivia Guest & Iris van Rooij urge teachers and scholars to reject tools that commodify learning, deskill students, and promote illiteracy.
www.project-syndicate.org
October 17, 2025 at 10:59 PM
“The deskilling, denigration, and displacement of teachers and scholars have historically been central to fascist takeovers, since educators serve as bulwarks against propaganda, anti-intellectualism, and illiteracy.” — @olivia.science
www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/a...
www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/a...
No one in Maine ever loses their voting rights. Early in November, it looked as if prisoners weren't going to get their absentee ballots in time, so our DOC Commissioner quickly took action to make it happen.
The vote is not a reward for good behavior. It's every citizen's bedrock right.
The vote is not a reward for good behavior. It's every citizen's bedrock right.
“I think the laws are draconian, I think they're archaic and it should be changed." A snippet of what Tati King, plaintiff in our voting rights suit against the state of Virginia’s broad disenfranchisement policy, told @npr.org. More here:
Virginia's tough rules for felons to regain their voting rights could soon be changing
Virginia is one of just a few states where only the governor can restore voting rights for people with felony convictions. But Virginia's rules may soon be changing.
www.npr.org
November 29, 2025 at 4:17 PM
No one in Maine ever loses their voting rights. Early in November, it looked as if prisoners weren't going to get their absentee ballots in time, so our DOC Commissioner quickly took action to make it happen.
The vote is not a reward for good behavior. It's every citizen's bedrock right.
The vote is not a reward for good behavior. It's every citizen's bedrock right.
Reposted by Jill Piggott
How low we have sunk as a country. The US Department of Defense is now run by a rabid war criminal.
Ordering the execution of helpless survivors of an attack is ALWAYS a war crime, whether they civilian or military.
Pure, mindless, barbarism.
www.thedailybeast.com/pentagon-pet...
Ordering the execution of helpless survivors of an attack is ALWAYS a war crime, whether they civilian or military.
Pure, mindless, barbarism.
www.thedailybeast.com/pentagon-pet...
Pentagon Pete in Legal Peril Over ‘Kill Them All’ Orders
A follow-up missile allegedly killed survivors of a U.S. strike on a drug boat.
www.thedailybeast.com
November 29, 2025 at 6:06 AM
How low we have sunk as a country. The US Department of Defense is now run by a rabid war criminal.
Ordering the execution of helpless survivors of an attack is ALWAYS a war crime, whether they civilian or military.
Pure, mindless, barbarism.
www.thedailybeast.com/pentagon-pet...
Ordering the execution of helpless survivors of an attack is ALWAYS a war crime, whether they civilian or military.
Pure, mindless, barbarism.
www.thedailybeast.com/pentagon-pet...
Palestinian Armistice Plan coauthored by Palestinian scholars & policymakers. Document details how the authors propose Gaza can "move from war to cease-fire, to international intervention, to peace." #FreePalestine cambridgepeace.org/wp-content/u...
November 29, 2025 at 2:38 AM
Palestinian Armistice Plan coauthored by Palestinian scholars & policymakers. Document details how the authors propose Gaza can "move from war to cease-fire, to international intervention, to peace." #FreePalestine cambridgepeace.org/wp-content/u...
What's the T admin got against Maine businesses? Large & small businesses are hard hit by lost revenue from Canadians who aren't crossing the border. Now fewer foreign tourists will come b/c the admin has jacked up their entrance fee to Acadia by $100. #mepolitics www.pressherald.com/2025/11/26/s...
Some foreign tourists will pay $100 extra to visit Acadia National Park under new federal rules
The Trump administration also announced 10 days next year when the park will be free, but only for U.S. residents and citizens.
www.pressherald.com
November 29, 2025 at 12:48 AM
What's the T admin got against Maine businesses? Large & small businesses are hard hit by lost revenue from Canadians who aren't crossing the border. Now fewer foreign tourists will come b/c the admin has jacked up their entrance fee to Acadia by $100. #mepolitics www.pressherald.com/2025/11/26/s...
Trump’s golf trips have cost taxpayers $71M since January and could eventually top $300M, per HuffPost analysis.
His golf trips in 10 months have cost nearly half of what taxpayers spent on his golf game in his 1st term ($151.5 million).
www.the-independent.com/news/world/a...
His golf trips in 10 months have cost nearly half of what taxpayers spent on his golf game in his 1st term ($151.5 million).
www.the-independent.com/news/world/a...
November 28, 2025 at 3:30 AM
Trump’s golf trips have cost taxpayers $71M since January and could eventually top $300M, per HuffPost analysis.
His golf trips in 10 months have cost nearly half of what taxpayers spent on his golf game in his 1st term ($151.5 million).
www.the-independent.com/news/world/a...
His golf trips in 10 months have cost nearly half of what taxpayers spent on his golf game in his 1st term ($151.5 million).
www.the-independent.com/news/world/a...
Because we should be as scared as we are mad:
"[T]he administration’s decision to shift counterterrorism resources to immigration & leave the violence-prevention portfolio to inexperienced appointees is 'reckless'" (ProPublica). Meet the 22-yr-old now overseeing US terrorism prevention.
"[T]he administration’s decision to shift counterterrorism resources to immigration & leave the violence-prevention portfolio to inexperienced appointees is 'reckless'" (ProPublica). Meet the 22-yr-old now overseeing US terrorism prevention.
Take a look at the current head of counter terrorism. He is a 22 year old ex-gardener who worked on the Trump campaign. All other FBI resources diverted to redacting Trump from the Epstein files.
www.propublica.org/article/trum...
www.propublica.org/article/trum...
“The Intern in Charge”: Meet the 22-Year-Old Trump’s Team Picked to Lead Terrorism Prevention
One year out of college and with no apparent national security expertise, Thomas Fugate is the Department of Homeland Security official tasked with overseeing the government’s main hub for combating v...
www.propublica.org
November 27, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Because we should be as scared as we are mad:
"[T]he administration’s decision to shift counterterrorism resources to immigration & leave the violence-prevention portfolio to inexperienced appointees is 'reckless'" (ProPublica). Meet the 22-yr-old now overseeing US terrorism prevention.
"[T]he administration’s decision to shift counterterrorism resources to immigration & leave the violence-prevention portfolio to inexperienced appointees is 'reckless'" (ProPublica). Meet the 22-yr-old now overseeing US terrorism prevention.