MerTheLibrarian
@merthelibrarian.bsky.social
Just keep trying to do the next right thing.
Reposted by MerTheLibrarian
Sometimes you have to say it out loud to appreciate how dire t all is:
The president just openly declared his plans to steal the midterm elections — in an interview with the former number two person at the FBI.
The president just openly declared his plans to steal the midterm elections — in an interview with the former number two person at the FBI.
Trump: "These people were brought to our country to vote, & they vote illegally. The Republicans should say, we should take over the voting in at least 15 places. The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting. We have states that I won that show I didn't win. You're gonna see something in Georgia"
February 2, 2026 at 10:05 PM
Sometimes you have to say it out loud to appreciate how dire t all is:
The president just openly declared his plans to steal the midterm elections — in an interview with the former number two person at the FBI.
The president just openly declared his plans to steal the midterm elections — in an interview with the former number two person at the FBI.
Reposted by MerTheLibrarian
Experts said the FBI’s seizing of ballots in Georgia triggered fears of federal interference in this year’s midterm elections:
“It's a dramatic escalation … to expand federal control over our country's historically state-run election infrastructure.”
“It's a dramatic escalation … to expand federal control over our country's historically state-run election infrastructure.”
FBI’s Search of Georgia Election Center Is “Dangerous,” Experts Warn
The search warrant, which sought 2020 election ballots, tabulator tapes, digital data and voter rolls from Fulton County, marked what experts described as a significant escalation in President Donald ...
www.propublica.org
February 2, 2026 at 3:00 AM
Experts said the FBI’s seizing of ballots in Georgia triggered fears of federal interference in this year’s midterm elections:
“It's a dramatic escalation … to expand federal control over our country's historically state-run election infrastructure.”
“It's a dramatic escalation … to expand federal control over our country's historically state-run election infrastructure.”
Reposted by MerTheLibrarian
Do you remember when people were saying "I think my phone is listening to me, i'm getting ads for stuff I spoke about" and people said "They arent listening to you, they're just this good at predicting your interests"?
Well, it happens they were doing exactly that.
www.cbsnews.com/news/google-...
Well, it happens they were doing exactly that.
www.cbsnews.com/news/google-...
Google to pay $68 million over allegations its voice assistant eavesdropped on users
Class-action lawsuit alleged that Google's voice assistant illegally recorded and shared private conversations with advertisers.
www.cbsnews.com
February 1, 2026 at 9:44 PM
Do you remember when people were saying "I think my phone is listening to me, i'm getting ads for stuff I spoke about" and people said "They arent listening to you, they're just this good at predicting your interests"?
Well, it happens they were doing exactly that.
www.cbsnews.com/news/google-...
Well, it happens they were doing exactly that.
www.cbsnews.com/news/google-...
Reposted by MerTheLibrarian
In Springfield, Ohio, people are preparing in advance of a “large deportation” promised by the president. To all appearances, the city is 2 or 3 days from a federal ethnic cleansing, grounded in a hate campaign organized by the vice-president and American Nazis.
snyder.substack.com/p/ethnic-cle...
snyder.substack.com/p/ethnic-cle...
Ethnic Cleansing in Ohio?
Nazi Lies in Vance's America
snyder.substack.com
February 2, 2026 at 1:09 AM
In Springfield, Ohio, people are preparing in advance of a “large deportation” promised by the president. To all appearances, the city is 2 or 3 days from a federal ethnic cleansing, grounded in a hate campaign organized by the vice-president and American Nazis.
snyder.substack.com/p/ethnic-cle...
snyder.substack.com/p/ethnic-cle...
Reposted by MerTheLibrarian
Free them all
It appears there is now a measles outbreak at the Dilley family detention facility. www.sacurrent.com/news/san-ant...
Source: Measles outbreak reported at ICE's Dilley family detention facility
DPS troopers stand guard in front of the Dilley detention center during a protest last weekend. After a week of public outcry over the Dilley, Texas South
www.sacurrent.com
February 2, 2026 at 12:42 AM
Free them all
Reposted by MerTheLibrarian
Our government has effectively deputized Big Tech to censor our new media landscape, all while the legacy media amplifies moral panics about misinformation and online harm in order to manufacture consent for mass surveillance. zeteo.com/p/trump-tikt...
The Disastrous Rollout of the Trump-Approved TikTok Serves as a Stark Warning for Us All
Big Tech platforms wield far too much power over our information landscape to continue operating without transparency.
zeteo.com
February 1, 2026 at 8:57 PM
Our government has effectively deputized Big Tech to censor our new media landscape, all while the legacy media amplifies moral panics about misinformation and online harm in order to manufacture consent for mass surveillance. zeteo.com/p/trump-tikt...
Reposted by MerTheLibrarian
“America cannot survive as a free society if ICE and CBP continue to operate as they have over the last year — let alone as both agencies are turbocharged and empowered with even more funding, more officers, more guns, and more arrests." Garrett Graff
www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/accountabi...
www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/accountabi...
Accountability for ICE and CBP
However bad you think the corruption and misconduct at ICE and CBP is — the reality is far far worse.
www.doomsdayscenario.co
February 2, 2026 at 1:13 AM
“America cannot survive as a free society if ICE and CBP continue to operate as they have over the last year — let alone as both agencies are turbocharged and empowered with even more funding, more officers, more guns, and more arrests." Garrett Graff
www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/accountabi...
www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/accountabi...
Reposted by MerTheLibrarian
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
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.
Reposted by MerTheLibrarian
I spoke to WNYC's On The Media about the Verification, Deliberation, Accountability framework I've developed, and how, without major interventions, it predicts the inevitable slide of democracies into populism, conspiracy, and, finally, authoritarianism
www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm...
www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm...
Videos of ICE Violence Are Plentiful. Accountability.… Not So Much. | On the Media | WNYC Studios
The Trump administration called Alex Pretti, who was shot and killed by federal officers, a “domestic terrorist.” And then bystander footage flooded the internet. On this week’s On th...
www.wnycstudios.org
January 31, 2026 at 9:01 AM
I spoke to WNYC's On The Media about the Verification, Deliberation, Accountability framework I've developed, and how, without major interventions, it predicts the inevitable slide of democracies into populism, conspiracy, and, finally, authoritarianism
www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm...
www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm...
Reposted by MerTheLibrarian
@josephcox.bsky.social, and the team at 404 Media, have been closely tracking ICE’s use of technology in the field. They’ve found unreliable facial recognition, expansive location data, and little regard for warrants on-the-media.visitlink.me/uD8uCj
On the Media
The Peabody Award-winning On the Media podcast is your guide to examining how the media sausage is made. Hosts Brooke Gladstone and Micah Loewinger examine threats to free speech and government transparency, cast a skeptical eye on media coverage of the week’s big stories and unravel hidden political narratives in everything we read, watch and hear.
on-the-media.visitlink.me
January 24, 2026 at 8:00 PM
@josephcox.bsky.social, and the team at 404 Media, have been closely tracking ICE’s use of technology in the field. They’ve found unreliable facial recognition, expansive location data, and little regard for warrants on-the-media.visitlink.me/uD8uCj
Reposted by MerTheLibrarian
the costs to society of this derangement are going to be enormous and every one of these people should face judgment for it
Breaking News: Rejecting decades of science, the chair of the federal panel that recommends vaccines for Americans said that shots against polio and measles — and perhaps all diseases — should be optional. The vaccines are credited with preventing disability and millions of deaths worldwide.
Vaccine Panel Chair Says Polio and Other Shots Should Be Optional, Rejecting Decades of Science
Dr. Kirk Milhoan, a pediatric cardiologist who leads the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, said a person’s right to refuse a vaccine outweighed concerns about illness or death from infectious diseases.
nyti.ms
January 23, 2026 at 6:26 PM
the costs to society of this derangement are going to be enormous and every one of these people should face judgment for it
Reposted by MerTheLibrarian
BREAKING:
The Trump administration has filed an appeal over Rhode Island v. Trump, which barred the administration from further dismantling the IMLS.
That, plus the IMLS propaganda-laden grant application period.
bookriot.com/rhode-island...
The Trump administration has filed an appeal over Rhode Island v. Trump, which barred the administration from further dismantling the IMLS.
That, plus the IMLS propaganda-laden grant application period.
bookriot.com/rhode-island...
Trump Administration Appeals Decision in IMLS Lawsuit Brough By State Attorneys General
The Trump administration had filed an appeal to overturn the court's decision in November that bars further dismantling of the IMLS.
bookriot.com
January 19, 2026 at 2:30 PM
BREAKING:
The Trump administration has filed an appeal over Rhode Island v. Trump, which barred the administration from further dismantling the IMLS.
That, plus the IMLS propaganda-laden grant application period.
bookriot.com/rhode-island...
The Trump administration has filed an appeal over Rhode Island v. Trump, which barred the administration from further dismantling the IMLS.
That, plus the IMLS propaganda-laden grant application period.
bookriot.com/rhode-island...
Reposted by MerTheLibrarian
New from 404 Media: ICE's facial recognition app, which the agency is using to decide who to detain and deport, misidentified a woman. Twice.
ICE says results of the app are definitive and override a birth certificate; obviously this case shows the app is inaccurate
www.404media.co/ices-facial-...
ICE says results of the app are definitive and override a birth certificate; obviously this case shows the app is inaccurate
www.404media.co/ices-facial-...
ICE’s Facial Recognition App Misidentified a Woman. Twice
In testimony from a CBP official obtained by 404 Media, the official described how Mobile Fortify returned two different names after scanning a woman's face during an immigration raid. ICE has said th...
www.404media.co
January 19, 2026 at 2:31 PM
New from 404 Media: ICE's facial recognition app, which the agency is using to decide who to detain and deport, misidentified a woman. Twice.
ICE says results of the app are definitive and override a birth certificate; obviously this case shows the app is inaccurate
www.404media.co/ices-facial-...
ICE says results of the app are definitive and override a birth certificate; obviously this case shows the app is inaccurate
www.404media.co/ices-facial-...
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Today MN faith leaders are meeting with the Target CEO demanding they side with our communities instead of ICE. Stand with me in demanding Target call for #ICEOUT #ReclaimMLK share.jwj.org/s/e1bYb4MZ
Tell Target: ICE OUT
share.jwj.org
January 19, 2026 at 2:33 PM
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Today MN faith leaders are meeting with the Target CEO demanding they side with our communities instead of ICE. Stand with me in demanding Target call for #ICEOUT #ReclaimMLK share.jwj.org/s/e1bYb4MZ
Reposted by MerTheLibrarian
The decision has been made to break an American city. It is an experiment. We must do all we can (legally) to help Minneapolis hold on.
if you want to know what it is like in minneapolis, I don’t even have to scroll on facebook to find a horror story. it’s basically my whole feed.
everyone i know in minneapolis is seeing ICE take people—at gas stations, taquerias, bus stops, schools. just snatching random people.
everyone i know in minneapolis is seeing ICE take people—at gas stations, taquerias, bus stops, schools. just snatching random people.
January 10, 2026 at 2:47 PM
The decision has been made to break an American city. It is an experiment. We must do all we can (legally) to help Minneapolis hold on.
Reposted by MerTheLibrarian
We've removed the paywall from this guide so everyone can access it. 👇 Stay safe.
Just days into 2026, the killing of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by a federal immigration officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has sparked protests around the US.
If you’re planning to protest, here’s how to safeguard your digital security.
If you’re planning to protest, here’s how to safeguard your digital security.
How to Protest Safely in the Age of Surveillance
Law enforcement has more tools than ever to track your movements and access your communications. Here’s how to protect your privacy if you plan to protest.
www.wired.com
January 8, 2026 at 6:35 PM
We've removed the paywall from this guide so everyone can access it. 👇 Stay safe.
Reposted by MerTheLibrarian
A handful of people with more money than the entire middle class combined want you to blame anyone and anything but their own greed for why everything is so expensive. Don’t fall for it.
January 2, 2026 at 9:17 PM
A handful of people with more money than the entire middle class combined want you to blame anyone and anything but their own greed for why everything is so expensive. Don’t fall for it.
Reposted by MerTheLibrarian
I’ve been searching a lot of highly specific things (old tech, specific model numbers, different types of medication, etc) and nearly every search the AI overview isn’t just wrong, it’s about something else entirely AND it’s wrong
December 31, 2025 at 3:15 AM
I’ve been searching a lot of highly specific things (old tech, specific model numbers, different types of medication, etc) and nearly every search the AI overview isn’t just wrong, it’s about something else entirely AND it’s wrong
Reposted by MerTheLibrarian
COMMENTARY: Putting Steve Pearce at the helm of BLM would put Arizona’s cherished landscapes at risk of being stripped of protections, ransacked by extractive industries and sold to the highest bidder.
Trump’s Bureau of Land Management nominee threatens Arizona’s public lands
President Trump recently nominated Steve Pearce — an anti-environmentalist obsessed with selling off public lands — to run the nation’s largest land management agency.
azmirror.com
January 2, 2026 at 7:15 PM
COMMENTARY: Putting Steve Pearce at the helm of BLM would put Arizona’s cherished landscapes at risk of being stripped of protections, ransacked by extractive industries and sold to the highest bidder.
Reposted by MerTheLibrarian
Google is hosting a CBP app that uses facial recognition to identify immigrants, while simultaneously removing apps that report the location of ICE officials because Google sees ICE as a vulnerable group. “Big tech has made their choice.”
www.404media.co/google-has-c...
www.404media.co/google-has-c...
Google Has Chosen a Side in Trump's Mass Deportation Effort
Google is hosting a CBP app that uses facial recognition to identify immigrants, while simultaneously removing apps that report the location of ICE officials because Google sees ICE as a vulnerable…
www.404media.co
December 28, 2025 at 2:30 AM
Google is hosting a CBP app that uses facial recognition to identify immigrants, while simultaneously removing apps that report the location of ICE officials because Google sees ICE as a vulnerable group. “Big tech has made their choice.”
www.404media.co/google-has-c...
www.404media.co/google-has-c...
Reposted by MerTheLibrarian
A Chicago man originally from Bulgaria died in ICE custody this week after being arrested during Operation Midway Blitz.
blockclubchicago.org/2025/12/21/c...
blockclubchicago.org/2025/12/21/c...
December 22, 2025 at 12:19 AM
A Chicago man originally from Bulgaria died in ICE custody this week after being arrested during Operation Midway Blitz.
blockclubchicago.org/2025/12/21/c...
blockclubchicago.org/2025/12/21/c...
Reposted by MerTheLibrarian
Now seems like a swell time to point out that Frontline just released this excellent 11-minute mini-documentary about what happened inside CECOT.
Surviving CECOT (full documentary) | Deported to a Maximum-Security Prison | FRONTLINE + ProPublica
YouTube video by FRONTLINE PBS | Official
m.youtube.com
December 21, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Now seems like a swell time to point out that Frontline just released this excellent 11-minute mini-documentary about what happened inside CECOT.
Reposted by MerTheLibrarian
On this week’s @onthemedia.bsky.social I spoke with Stephen Witt about how AI tycoons have tied our economy up in knots and are demanding that we let them do significant harm to our planet:
Deep Fakes, Data Centers, and AI Slop — Are We Cooked? | On the Media | WNYC Studios
Donald Trump has signed an executive order limiting state regulation on artificial intelligence. On this week’s On the Media, Republicans spar over AI, and what deregulating the indus...
www.wnycstudios.org
December 21, 2025 at 1:57 PM
On this week’s @onthemedia.bsky.social I spoke with Stephen Witt about how AI tycoons have tied our economy up in knots and are demanding that we let them do significant harm to our planet:
Reposted by MerTheLibrarian
CBP, DEA and local law enforcement agencies have created a massive surveillance dragnet targeting drivers on highways along the US-Mexico border. Here's how to spot automated license plate readers by the roadside. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...
How to Identify Automated License Plate Readers at the U.S.-Mexico
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and scores of state and local law enforcement agencies have installed a massive dragnet of automated license plate
www.eff.org
December 20, 2025 at 8:01 PM
CBP, DEA and local law enforcement agencies have created a massive surveillance dragnet targeting drivers on highways along the US-Mexico border. Here's how to spot automated license plate readers by the roadside. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...
Reposted by MerTheLibrarian
Now there is an effective metaphor.
"AI is the asbestos in the walls of our technological society, stuffed there with wild abandon by a finance sector and tech monopolists run amok. We will be excavating it for a generation or more."
This piece on AI by Cory Doctorow is spectactular.
pluralistic.net/2025/12/05/p...
This piece on AI by Cory Doctorow is spectactular.
pluralistic.net/2025/12/05/p...
December 20, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Now there is an effective metaphor.