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kmbates.bsky.social
@kmbates.bsky.social
510 followers 1K following 800 posts
Retired International business woman. Now a volunteer political organizer. I am interested in science, facts truth and ethics. I’m in the fight to save our democracy. I support Ukraine 🇺🇦
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Reposted
newsguy.bsky.social
Paris prosecutors raid the French offices of Elon Musk's X as part of an ongoing investigation of algorithm manipulation and illicit data extraction that has expanded into alleged complicity in spreading child sex abuse materials and sexualizing deepfakes. www.france24.com/en/france/20...
Paris prosecutor's cybercrime unit raids X’s French office
The cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor's office on Tuesday launched a search of the French offices of social media platform X. The raid was connected to an ongoing investigation launched in January…
www.france24.com
February 3, 2026 at 12:12 PM
kmbates.bsky.social
Anyone using #Starlink have problems getting Rachel Maddow tonight?
February 3, 2026 at 3:28 AM
Reposted
stevevladeck.bsky.social
Even if you don't have time to read all 83 pages of Judge Reyes's opinion barring the Trump administration from rescinding Temporary Protected Status for 350,000+ Haitians, please at least check out the four-page introduction.

It's a tour de force:

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
"On December 2, 1783, then-Commander-in-Chief George Washington penned: “America is open to receive not only the Opulent & respected Stranger, but the oppressed & persecuted of all Nations & Religions.”1 More than two centuries later, Congress reaffirmed President Washington’s vision by establishing the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program. See 8 U.S.C. § 1254a (TPS statute). It provides humanitarian relief to foreign nationals in the United States who come from disaster-stricken countries. It also brings in substantial revenue, with TPS holders generating $5.2 billion in taxes annually. See Part VI. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem has a different take. [screenshot of tweet]. So says the official responsible for overseeing the TPS program. And one of those (her word) “damn” countries is Haiti. Relevant here, three days before making the above post, Secretary Noem announced she would terminate Haiti’s TPS designation as of February 3, 2026. See 90 Fed. Reg. 54733 (Nov. 28, 2025) (Termination). Plaintiffs are five Haitian TPS holders. They are not, it emerges, “killers, leeches, or entitlement junkies.” They are instead: Fritz Emmanuel Lesly Miot, a neuroscientist researching Alzheimer’s disease, Dkt. 90 (Second Am. Compl. (SAC)) ¶ 1; Rudolph Civil, a software engineer at a national bank, id. ¶ 2; Marlene Gail Noble, a laboratory assistant in a toxicology department, id. ¶ 3; Marica Merline Laguerre, a college economics major, id. ¶ 4; and Vilbrun Dorsainvil, a full-time registered nurse, id. ¶ 5. They claim that Secretary Noem’s decision violates the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), 5 U.S.C. § 706(2), and the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The Government counters that the Court does not have jurisdiction, and, in any case, the Secretary did not violate the law. Plaintiffs seek to stay the Secretary’s decision under 5 U.S.C. § 705 pending the outcome of this litigation. See Dkt. 81 (§ 705 Mot.). To decide their motion, the Court considers first whether it has jurisdiction. It does. See Part II. It then considers: whether Plaintiffs have a substantial likelihood of success on the merits; whether they will be irreparably harmed absent a stay; and whether a merged balance of the equities and public interest analysis favors a stay. See Part III. Each element favors Plaintiffs. See Parts IV, V, and VI. Plaintiffs charge that Secretary Noem preordained her termination decision and did so because of hostility to nonwhite immigrants. This seems substantially likely. Secretary Noem has terminated every TPS country designation to have reached her desk—twelve countries up, twelve countries down. See Section IV.A.2. Her conclusion that Haiti (a majority nonwhite country) faces merely “concerning” conditions cannot be squared with the “perfect storm of suffering” and “staggering” “humanitarian toll” described in page-after-page of the Certified Administrative Record (CAR). See Section IV.A.3.a. She ignored Congress’s requirement that she “review the conditions” in Haiti only “after” consulting “with appropriate agencies.” 8 U.S.C. § 1254a(b)(3)(A); see Section IV.A.1. Indeed, she did not consult other agencies at all. See id. Her “national interest” analysis focuses on Haitians outside the United States or here illegally, ignoring that Haitian TPS holders already live here, and legally so. See Section IV.A.3.b. And though she states that the analysis must include “economic considerations,” she ignores altogether the billions Haitian TPS holders contribute to the economy. See id. The Government’s primary response is that the TPS statute gives the Secretary unbounded discretion to make whatever determination she wants, any way she wants. And, yes, the statute does grant her some discretion. But not unbounded discretion. To the contrary, Congress passed the TPS statute to standardize the then ad hoc temporary protection system—to replace executive whim with statutory predictability. See Section I.A. As to irreparable harm, the Government contends that, at most, the harms to Haitian TPS holders are speculative. But the Department of State (State) warns [screenshot] Dkt. 100 (§ 705 Reply) at 20–21.4 “Do not travel to Haiti for any reason” does not exactly scream, as Secretary Noem concluded, suitable for return. And so, the Government studiously does not argue that Plaintiffs will suffer no harm if removed to Haiti. Instead, it argues Plaintiffs will not certainly suffer irreparable harm because DHS might not remove them. But this fails to take Secretary Noem at her word: “WE DON’T WANT THEM. NOT ONE.” See Section IV.B.2.b. Finally, the balance of equities and public interest favor a stay. The Government does not cite any reason termination must occur post haste. Secretary Noem complains of strains unlawful immigrants place on our immigration-enforcement system. Her answer? Turn 352,959 lawful immigrants into unlawful immigrants overnight. She complains of strains to our economy. Her answer? Turn employed lawful immigrants who contribute billions in taxes into the legally unemployable. She complains of strains to our healthcare system. Her answer? Turn the insured into the uninsured. This approach is many things—in the public interest is not one of them. For the reasons below, the Court GRANTS Plaintiffs’ Renewed Motion for a Stay Under 5 U.S.C. § 705, Dkt. 81.
February 3, 2026 at 1:06 AM
Reposted
activistchecklist.bsky.social
🌱🌱🌱🌱 New checklist: ICE Watch Digital security. For anyone working to hold ICE accountable through filming, foot patrols, adopt-a-corner, or rapid response.

→ activistchecklist.org/ice

Designed with a lot of feedback from folks on the frontlines (Minneapolis and elsewhere).
ICE Watch Digital Security | Digital Security Checklists for Activists
Digital security checklist for anyone doing ICE watch, rapid response foot patrols, or accompaniment
activistchecklist.org
February 2, 2026 at 7:04 PM
Reposted
joncooper-us.bsky.social
Taylor Rehmet’s stunning victory in Texas by flipping a +17 Trump district can’t be overstated. He’s the first Democrat in 35 years to win this district, and he won by 14 points — despite the GOP outspending him by over $2 million. Democrats have now won or overperformed in 240 of 269 key elections.
February 2, 2026 at 3:24 PM
Reposted
maddow.bsky.social
I know you've heard that a federal judge ordered the release of 5 year old Liam Conejo Arias and his father, and that they're now home.

But did you look at the judge's order?

It's less than 2.5 pages and well worth a minute. "Jesus wept."

Link to pdf: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
February 2, 2026 at 7:11 PM
Reposted
joncooper-us.bsky.social
👇👇👇👇
February 2, 2026 at 6:10 PM
Reposted
sciam.bsky.social
The sun is experiencing a violent solar storm, releasing one of the strongest solar flares seen in the past 30 years
The sun just unleashed its most powerful solar flare in years
The sun is experiencing a violent solar storm, releasing one of the strongest solar flares seen in the past 30 years
www.scientificamerican.com
February 2, 2026 at 6:40 PM
Reposted
maddow.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The arrests of Don Lemon and Georgia Fort are a danger to all Americans | Theodore J Boutrous, Jr and Katie Townsend
We are witnessing a dangerous escalation in the Trump administration’s attacks on the press and a clear threat to first amendment freedoms
www.theguardian.com
February 2, 2026 at 5:29 PM
Reposted
leahlitman.bsky.social
Jodi Kantor in the NY Times reports that the Chief Justice requested Court employees sign nondisclosure agreements in November 2024 - moving to formal contracts requiring silence/confidentiality after Trump was reelected: www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/u...
In November of 2024, two weeks after voters returned President Donald Trump to office, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. summoned employees of the U.S. Supreme Court for an unusual announcement. Facing them in a grand conference room beneath ornate chandeliers, he requested they each sign a nondisclosure agreement promising to keep the court’s inner workings secret.
February 2, 2026 at 11:48 AM
Reposted
ericcolumbus.bsky.social
Quite a kicker here @nikobowie.bsky.social
The secrecy allows the justices to dismiss criticism on the grounds that outsiders don’t know or understand what’s happening behind the scenes, said Nikolas Bowie, a Harvard Law School professor who served as a clerk to Justice Sonia Sotomayor. “Many of the court’s decisions are being made out of the public eye in a way that makes it difficult to assess or criticize them, or to understand what actually motivated the justices,” he said. “The lack of transparency makes it difficult for the broader public to know how to respond.” He said it also allows the court to conceal weaknesses in its processes, including the justices’ reliance on clerks for legal reasoning and writing. “If the public were aware of how much of the deliberations affecting millions of people are made by 27-year-olds after happy hour, they’d be shocked,” he said. Ann E. Marimow contributed reporting. Julie Tate contributed research. Jodi Kantor is an investigative reporter currently focused on the Supreme Court. Her work has spurred cultural and legal shifts in the United States and across the globe.
February 2, 2026 at 6:53 PM
Reposted
sahilkapur.bsky.social
Over the weekend, Christian Menefee (D) won a special election in a dark blue Houston-area House seat that has been vacant for ~11 months.

The House margin becomes 218 R, 214 D.

1-VOTE margin for Republicans.

(2nd defection = 216-216 tie = bill fails.)

www.nbcnews.com/politics/ele...
Democrat Christian Menefee wins special election for vacant, deep-blue House seat in Texas
Menefee will serve the rest of the term won in 2024 by Rep. Sylvester Turner, who died almost a year ago.
www.nbcnews.com
February 2, 2026 at 6:54 PM
kmbates.bsky.social
This is a compounding nightmare. Done in our name
February 2, 2026 at 7:17 AM
kmbates.bsky.social
This is a huge deal. Independents and some Republicans are actually voting for democrats. This was not a focus group. This was an actual election!!
February 2, 2026 at 5:17 AM
kmbates.bsky.social
Please do! And request that the case be expedited. Best to start getting the discovery documents together!
gmf1369.bsky.social 𝕲𝖆𝖊𝖙𝖆𝖓𝖔 @gmf1369.bsky.social · 2d
#GVerse #Shit4Brains says he might sue the Epstein Estate for “political harm.”

Read that again.

The guy whose name keeps appearing 13,000 times in Epstein records now wants to sue the estate of a dead sex trafficker for damaging his reputation.

You can’t parody this level of delusion.
February 2, 2026 at 5:13 AM
Reposted
carlquintanilla.bsky.social
PORTLAND MAYOR WILSON:

“.. To those who continue to work for ICE: Resign. To those who control this facility: Leave. … you have lost all legitimacy and replaced it with shame.”

@politico.com
www.politico.com/news/2026/02...
February 1, 2026 at 10:35 PM
kmbates.bsky.social
The Republican governments of the Southern States have failed the people. The Republicans that control the Federal programs like FEMA have failed the people. If you want a government that gives a damn about people - vote for candidates who care. Vote for a Democrat. Try it!
nytimes.com The New York Times @nytimes.com · 2d
Tens of thousands of people across Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana have gone a week without power or heat after a brutal ice storm. At least three dozen people have died in connection with the storm, officials have said.
Fear and Anger Grow as Thousands Remain Without Power in the South
More than 30 people have died across three Southern states in connection with last week’s storm, and thousands remain without power.
nyti.ms
February 2, 2026 at 5:06 AM
Reposted
maddow.bsky.social
"Four hours after his arrest, he was taken to a hospital emergency room in Edina with swelling and bruising around his right eye and bleeding. A CT scan revealed at least eight skull fractures and life-threatening hemorrhages in at least five areas of his brain..."

apnews.com/article/immi...
ICE claim that a man shattered his skull running into wall triggers tension at a Minnesota hospital
Nurses in Minneapolis doubted federal immigration officers' claims about a Mexican immigrant's severe injuries.
apnews.com
February 2, 2026 at 12:04 AM
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gtconway.bsky.social
@davidfrum.bsky.social
February 2, 2026 at 1:18 AM
Reposted
rgoodlaw.bsky.social
Following latest Epstein files, at least two legal paths to accountability are available:

Congress and NY and other state/local prosecutors can now take up the charge.

I explained the roadmap⬇️
February 1, 2026 at 3:53 PM
Reposted
rbreich.bsky.social
Poverty is a policy choice. Concentrated wealth is a policy choice. Inequality is a policy choice. None of it is natural or inevitable. Remember: We have the power to build a system that serves the many, not the powerful few.
February 1, 2026 at 7:01 PM
Reposted
hunterw.bsky.social
Bad Bunny at the Grammys: "Before I say thanks to God, I want to say ICE out. We're not savage, we're not animals, we're not aliens, we are humans, and we are Americans."
February 2, 2026 at 2:18 AM
Reposted
rbreich.bsky.social
February 2, 2026 at 3:43 AM
Reposted
muellershewrote.com
BREAKING: CBP agents who murdered Alex Pretti have been IDENTIFIED: Jesus Ochoa, 43, and Raymundo Gutierrez, 35. www.propublica.org/article/alex...
Two CBP Agents Identified in Alex Pretti Shooting
The two federal immigration agents who fired on Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti are identified in government records as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raym...
www.propublica.org
February 1, 2026 at 9:20 PM
Reposted
adamkinzinger.substack.com
February 2, 2026 at 12:41 AM