Bex, if you can keep it
@bextraordinary.bsky.social
🇦🇺 in 🇺🇸 (MA). Sr Research Associate, (B)exited academia.
Work: Criminal justice, public health, CBPAR, women & girls, IPV/IPH, substance use & harm reduction.
Play: Fantasy crochet, pottery, TTRPGs.
bextraordinarycreatures.com
Work: Criminal justice, public health, CBPAR, women & girls, IPV/IPH, substance use & harm reduction.
Play: Fantasy crochet, pottery, TTRPGs.
bextraordinarycreatures.com
Pinned
-- I'm a criminal justice and public health scholar interested in the intersection of health and the criminal legal system, especially substance use, harm reduction, and reproductive justice. This year I left my tenured Assoc. Prof. position to work for a research & evaluation nonprofit. It's great!
Reposted by Bex, if you can keep it
Hi. 👋 Child welfare researcher here. 👋
No.
No.
Kristi Noem: "Zero children have been trafficked in the last 12 months because of President Trump's leadership"
February 2, 2026 at 12:20 AM
Hi. 👋 Child welfare researcher here. 👋
No.
No.
Reposted by Bex, if you can keep it
Bon Iver says he is wearing a whistle at the Grammys
to honour the peaceful observers in Minneapolis
to honour the peaceful observers in Minneapolis
February 1, 2026 at 11:47 PM
Bon Iver says he is wearing a whistle at the Grammys
to honour the peaceful observers in Minneapolis
to honour the peaceful observers in Minneapolis
Reposted by Bex, if you can keep it
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 1, 2026 at 11:17 PM
It appears there is now a measles outbreak at the Dilley family detention facility. www.sacurrent.com/news/san-ant...
Reposted by Bex, if you can keep it
lol read E*stein's wikipedia page and the amount of people connected to this man who are just roaming about teaching students is literally sickening.
February 1, 2026 at 10:29 PM
lol read E*stein's wikipedia page and the amount of people connected to this man who are just roaming about teaching students is literally sickening.
Reposted by Bex, if you can keep it
Same here in Laredo. Many people see a law enforcement career as their only ticket to the middle class.
lotta people about to learn about the fucked up dynamics in the Rio Grande Valley, where CBP has long been one of the biggest employers and the place where you are most likely to find people with brown skin and Mexican surnames casually dropping the most vile anti immigrant slurs non-stop
BREAKING: 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 Raymundo Gutierrez.
February 1, 2026 at 10:01 PM
Same here in Laredo. Many people see a law enforcement career as their only ticket to the middle class.
Reposted by Bex, if you can keep it
Your friends who are sex assault survivors are having a rough week.
February 1, 2026 at 7:54 PM
Your friends who are sex assault survivors are having a rough week.
Reposted by Bex, if you can keep it
a woman reached out to donate 500,000 delta skymiles to get people home to MN as they are released from custody in TX.
we're getting flights booked today. it should be enough to get at least 15 people home.
delta should be doing for free since they take ICE money.
we're getting flights booked today. it should be enough to get at least 15 people home.
delta should be doing for free since they take ICE money.
February 1, 2026 at 5:50 PM
a woman reached out to donate 500,000 delta skymiles to get people home to MN as they are released from custody in TX.
we're getting flights booked today. it should be enough to get at least 15 people home.
delta should be doing for free since they take ICE money.
we're getting flights booked today. it should be enough to get at least 15 people home.
delta should be doing for free since they take ICE money.
Reposted by Bex, if you can keep it
This shit hits like a sledgehammer right now. It's not even remotely an exaggeration.
February 1, 2026 at 12:30 AM
This shit hits like a sledgehammer right now. It's not even remotely an exaggeration.
Reposted by Bex, if you can keep it
Yesterday, five-year-old Liam and his dad Adrian were released from Dilley detention center. I picked them up last night and escorted them back to Minnesota this morning.
Liam is now home. With his hat and his backpack.
Liam is now home. With his hat and his backpack.
February 1, 2026 at 3:49 PM
Yesterday, five-year-old Liam and his dad Adrian were released from Dilley detention center. I picked them up last night and escorted them back to Minnesota this morning.
Liam is now home. With his hat and his backpack.
Liam is now home. With his hat and his backpack.
This is who runs this account.
February 1, 2026 at 4:08 PM
This is who runs this account.
Reposted by Bex, if you can keep it
Was thinking about this yesterday, processing those fawning emails. It reminded me of someone I used to know who was just, like, such a shitty person but ENTHRALLING in a really disturbing way.
I mean they also wanted to be near the guy. This was not an odious donor they kept at arms’ length. Otherwise they would just take the money, name stuff after him, and go home, like they did with the Sacklers.
February 1, 2026 at 2:52 PM
Was thinking about this yesterday, processing those fawning emails. It reminded me of someone I used to know who was just, like, such a shitty person but ENTHRALLING in a really disturbing way.
Reposted by Bex, if you can keep it
Epstein’s economic power among academics was made possible by a capitalist system that makes higher education dependent on the charity economy rather than a public good supported by taxing the rich
February 1, 2026 at 2:33 PM
Epstein’s economic power among academics was made possible by a capitalist system that makes higher education dependent on the charity economy rather than a public good supported by taxing the rich
Reposted by Bex, if you can keep it
Once again here to tap the mic and say Texas is a gerrymandered, voter repressed state, not a "red" state. And every one of you celebrating the (significant) win in Tarrant County better not be the same people in my mentions saying to throw the whole South away. There are good people fighting.
February 1, 2026 at 2:47 PM
Once again here to tap the mic and say Texas is a gerrymandered, voter repressed state, not a "red" state. And every one of you celebrating the (significant) win in Tarrant County better not be the same people in my mentions saying to throw the whole South away. There are good people fighting.
Reposted by Bex, if you can keep it
Yeah, where are all the pearl clutching stories about the education gaps? I remember a time when kids missing school was a fate worse than getting COVID.
NEW: School hallways are silent. Grandparents patrol outside in shifts. Two more kids taken from Liam Ramos' school.
Trump isn't deescalating ICE at all at MN schools.
“I stopped wearing my high heels to work. I wear my boots to work because I have had to run." www.huffpost.com/entry/ice-mi...
Trump isn't deescalating ICE at all at MN schools.
“I stopped wearing my high heels to work. I wear my boots to work because I have had to run." www.huffpost.com/entry/ice-mi...
ICE Is Circling Minnesota Schools, Looking For Children to Take
Liam Ramos, 5, isn’t the only child in detention. Teachers and parents describe kids being hunted by federal agents.
www.huffpost.com
February 1, 2026 at 2:25 PM
Yeah, where are all the pearl clutching stories about the education gaps? I remember a time when kids missing school was a fate worse than getting COVID.
Reposted by Bex, if you can keep it
Venn Diagram of "Harvard Center for the Restoration of the American Tradition" and "Epstein email contacts" is a single, overlapping circle.
February 1, 2026 at 2:08 PM
Venn Diagram of "Harvard Center for the Restoration of the American Tradition" and "Epstein email contacts" is a single, overlapping circle.
Reposted by Bex, if you can keep it
So believe me I understand this is deeply frustrating and unfair, but a march that does everything right and still gets tear gassed is a successful march that is winning.
A lot of the strategy of protest is luring the authorities into engaging in obviously, transparently unjust uses of force.
A lot of the strategy of protest is luring the authorities into engaging in obviously, transparently unjust uses of force.
It's hard to overstate how ell-organized the portland march that got gassed was... organizers made the crowd promise to be peaceful, said the march would slow in front of the ICE building but not stop, that we would stick to one chant (ICE Out). They did absolutely everything right and got gassed.
February 1, 2026 at 6:31 AM
So believe me I understand this is deeply frustrating and unfair, but a march that does everything right and still gets tear gassed is a successful march that is winning.
A lot of the strategy of protest is luring the authorities into engaging in obviously, transparently unjust uses of force.
A lot of the strategy of protest is luring the authorities into engaging in obviously, transparently unjust uses of force.
Reposted by Bex, if you can keep it
The Republican candidate spent more than 2 million dollars in Texas SD9 to get 40,600 votes. That is insane.
February 1, 2026 at 12:54 PM
The Republican candidate spent more than 2 million dollars in Texas SD9 to get 40,600 votes. That is insane.
Reposted by Bex, if you can keep it
Former Texas Lege reporter here. A Dem hasn't held this seat since 1990. Tarrant is the safest of red suburban counties. There is no way the TX and national GOP aren't in panic mode right now.
JUST IN: Democrats flip a red seat in the Texas Senate.
Taylor Rehmet wins against Leigh Wambsganss, a conservative activist who helped lead right-wing efforts to take over TX school boards.
With all early vote, and 95% of precincts, in, Dem up 57/43.
Trump won this seat by 17% in Tarrant County.
Taylor Rehmet wins against Leigh Wambsganss, a conservative activist who helped lead right-wing efforts to take over TX school boards.
With all early vote, and 95% of precincts, in, Dem up 57/43.
Trump won this seat by 17% in Tarrant County.
February 1, 2026 at 5:29 AM
Former Texas Lege reporter here. A Dem hasn't held this seat since 1990. Tarrant is the safest of red suburban counties. There is no way the TX and national GOP aren't in panic mode right now.
Reposted by Bex, if you can keep it
This is why Democrats need to compete EVERYWHERE.
We won’t win every race, but it’s stupid and irresponsible to simply forfeit certain races to incumbents. Always but especially now, we need competitive elections. And at the bare minimum, make them spend money defending seats they had won by 17 pts
We won’t win every race, but it’s stupid and irresponsible to simply forfeit certain races to incumbents. Always but especially now, we need competitive elections. And at the bare minimum, make them spend money defending seats they had won by 17 pts
JUST IN: Democrats flip a red seat in the Texas Senate.
Taylor Rehmet wins against Leigh Wambsganss, a conservative activist who helped lead right-wing efforts to take over TX school boards.
With all early vote, and 95% of precincts, in, Dem up 57/43.
Trump won this seat by 17% in Tarrant County.
Taylor Rehmet wins against Leigh Wambsganss, a conservative activist who helped lead right-wing efforts to take over TX school boards.
With all early vote, and 95% of precincts, in, Dem up 57/43.
Trump won this seat by 17% in Tarrant County.
February 1, 2026 at 12:54 PM
This is why Democrats need to compete EVERYWHERE.
We won’t win every race, but it’s stupid and irresponsible to simply forfeit certain races to incumbents. Always but especially now, we need competitive elections. And at the bare minimum, make them spend money defending seats they had won by 17 pts
We won’t win every race, but it’s stupid and irresponsible to simply forfeit certain races to incumbents. Always but especially now, we need competitive elections. And at the bare minimum, make them spend money defending seats they had won by 17 pts
Reposted by Bex, if you can keep it
Taylor Rehmet, a Democrat (& @runforsomething.net candidate!) flipped a state senate district in Texas that Trump had won by 17 points.
Expand your imagination. When great candidates rooted in community step up to lead, anything is possible.
Expand your imagination. When great candidates rooted in community step up to lead, anything is possible.
February 1, 2026 at 12:19 PM
Taylor Rehmet, a Democrat (& @runforsomething.net candidate!) flipped a state senate district in Texas that Trump had won by 17 points.
Expand your imagination. When great candidates rooted in community step up to lead, anything is possible.
Expand your imagination. When great candidates rooted in community step up to lead, anything is possible.
Reposted by Bex, if you can keep it
If you want things to get better in the institutions in which you travel then you you need to choose to make them better. This does not happen by default and it does not happen without conflict or sacrifice. The easier choice is to let people, sometimes people you like, continue to hurt people.
He's always (very) aggressively fundraised for his lab's research program, students, fellows, and staff. I benefitted from such support as an advisee, so would be a hypocrite to generically fault any scientist for seeking funding, as I (and many of us) do to support those we advise. (3/8)
February 1, 2026 at 2:30 AM
If you want things to get better in the institutions in which you travel then you you need to choose to make them better. This does not happen by default and it does not happen without conflict or sacrifice. The easier choice is to let people, sometimes people you like, continue to hurt people.
Reposted by Bex, if you can keep it
It should not take a court order to get a toddler out of a prison.
January 31, 2026 at 9:22 PM
It should not take a court order to get a toddler out of a prison.
Reposted by Bex, if you can keep it
I guess the best-available defense to this sort of thing—lots of friendly emails and visits with someone recently convicted of procuring a child for the purposes of prostitution, I mean—is something like “He seemed to have lots of money and connections and I would have liked a little piece of that”
![To:
Jeffrey Epsteinljeevacation@gmail.com]
From:
Christakis, Nicholas
Sent:
Thur 9/26/2013 1:56:03 AM
Subject: Re: Thanks
You are hilarious. My sense of humor. Yiddishe kop
N
Please excuse brevity and orthography and this fine print -- since this has been sent from my iPhone.
Nicholas A. Christakis, MD, PhD
http://www.HumanNatureLab.net
On Sep 25, 2013, at 9:40 PM, "Jeffrey Epstein" <jeevacation@gmail.com> wrote:
great first date
On Wed, Sep 25, 2013 at 9:27 PM, Christakis, Nicholas <
wrote:
Dear Jeff
I've been on the road and in meetings literally since leaving your house [sic] yesterday
light and just got to DC. I greatly enjoyed the company and the setting (amazing of course) and the many good questions, especially yours. Josh was terrific; bu you already know that.
Best regards,
Nicholas
Please excuse brevity and orthography and this fine print -- since this has been sent from
my iPhone.
Nicholas A. Christakis, MD, PhD
http://www.HumanNatureLab.net](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:myqic77tkmdhmaufgkvj43hr/bafkreihuwyjpomdy6ttlfhmph5t4movya3ounuzlqkabof7f7wfm5icvly@jpeg)
![From:
Sent:
Christakis, Nicholas
Jeffrey Epstein
Sun 9/8/2013 6:22:14 PM
Subject: Re: meeting again
no back until the 21, but lets definitely schedule after
On Sun, Sep 8, 2013 at 2:21 PM, Christakis, Nicholas
wrote:
dear jeff:
thanks for the kind words. i enjoyed meeting you; i had not known you were connected to john brockman, but i should have guessed!
as luck would have it, i am slated to be in NYC this coming thursday for a dinner and could meet before that, any time between 2 and 5, if that happened to work for you. otherwise, i could surely come back again within the coming weeks.
my lab has a number of foci at present: 1) the evolutionary biology and genetics of social networks and social interaction; 2) the experimental exploration, using online tools, of network structure and function in humans (how does network structure affect phenomena like cooperation, innovation, health, etc.); and 3) randomized controlled trials in the developing world of network 'targeting algorithms' aimed at enhancing spillover effects, so as to facilitate population-level behavior change by identifying and targeting influential people.
let me share three papers with you (one unpublished) that flesh out some of our work (specifically [1] and [2] above):
best, nicholas
On Sep 8, 2013, at 3:41 AM 9/8/13, Jeffrey](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:myqic77tkmdhmaufgkvj43hr/bafkreifasdlwlxw5td4cb3xrnb3jy6mprzy7kqhluonujjrf3optfalbbq@jpeg)
January 31, 2026 at 9:41 PM