Cathy Gellis
@cathygellis.bsky.social
Lawyer, writer, all-around-great person
I mostly post about technology, law, and civil liberties (especially free speech), and how they intersect. And mostly at Techdirt: https://www.techdirt.com/user/cathy/
I also post silly things too.
I mostly post about technology, law, and civil liberties (especially free speech), and how they intersect. And mostly at Techdirt: https://www.techdirt.com/user/cathy/
I also post silly things too.
Pinned
Cathy Gellis
@cathygellis.bsky.social
· Jan 3
Oaths Of Office, And How Everyone Not Moving To Impeach Trump Is Violating Their Own
Until very recently the only member of Congress excused from not having moved to impeach Trump was Rep. Grijalva, because until someone swore her in there was nothing she could officially do. But f…
www.techdirt.com
A reminder: any member of Congress not impeaching is violating their own oath of office.
It's not optional.
www.techdirt.com/2025/11/26/o...
It's not optional.
www.techdirt.com/2025/11/26/o...
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
Howard Lutnick used to be a fixture on the Sunday shows. He did more TV appearances in 2025 than anyone in the Trump admin other than Stephen Miller. But since the last Epstein drop, Lutnick has been hiding from the press.
February 8, 2026 at 4:11 PM
Howard Lutnick used to be a fixture on the Sunday shows. He did more TV appearances in 2025 than anyone in the Trump admin other than Stephen Miller. But since the last Epstein drop, Lutnick has been hiding from the press.
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
bought myself a turntable and proper stereo equipment, and oh my god have spent the last 24 hours melted into the couch experiencing my favorite albums for the first time again
February 8, 2026 at 4:29 PM
bought myself a turntable and proper stereo equipment, and oh my god have spent the last 24 hours melted into the couch experiencing my favorite albums for the first time again
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
What *about* that 5-year-old US citizen? Finish the sentence, Congressman. What does that hypothetical child have to do with Liam Ramos? Spell it out. Don’t just say “but what about our kids” and stop there. Explain your logic.
Gonzales on Liam Ramos and his family: "They're not gonna qualify for asylum. So what do you do with all the people that go through the process and do not qualify for asylum? You deport them. I understand that 5-year-old and it breaks my heart. I also think, what about that 5-year-old US citizen?"
February 8, 2026 at 4:30 PM
What *about* that 5-year-old US citizen? Finish the sentence, Congressman. What does that hypothetical child have to do with Liam Ramos? Spell it out. Don’t just say “but what about our kids” and stop there. Explain your logic.
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
Fixing the Midterms is now the main driver for Trump.
February 8, 2026 at 4:09 PM
Fixing the Midterms is now the main driver for Trump.
We said "no kings" not "no burgers."
February 8, 2026 at 4:24 PM
We said "no kings" not "no burgers."
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
i think people who think like this person are losers who will lose by their own loser terms
The whole article is repulsive but this passage is at the core of it. She has no interest in writing books, she wants to win some kind of competition that nobody entered
February 8, 2026 at 4:10 PM
i think people who think like this person are losers who will lose by their own loser terms
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
The person who wrote a book with all the care and empathy that implies will win whereas you just "generated" a book, a word that implies vomiting forth an ungainly and unloveable pile of words onto a page, delighting and comforting no one
Don't put six random objects in a blender and call it a meal
Don't put six random objects in a blender and call it a meal
“If I can generate a book in a day, and you need six months to write a book, who’s going to win the race?” God this is bleak
The New Fabio Is Claude
www.nytimes.com
February 8, 2026 at 4:05 PM
The person who wrote a book with all the care and empathy that implies will win whereas you just "generated" a book, a word that implies vomiting forth an ungainly and unloveable pile of words onto a page, delighting and comforting no one
Don't put six random objects in a blender and call it a meal
Don't put six random objects in a blender and call it a meal
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
Congress allocated $170 billion dollars for immigration enforcement in July.
This puts the ICE/CBP budget within spitting distance of the Army.
ICE functionally has unlimited resources and its tactics have been tried out on Black communities for decades.
buttondown.com/natebowling/...
This puts the ICE/CBP budget within spitting distance of the Army.
ICE functionally has unlimited resources and its tactics have been tried out on Black communities for decades.
buttondown.com/natebowling/...
ICE is State Violence at Scale
What we're seeing in Minneapolis was always the plan
buttondown.com
February 8, 2026 at 3:47 PM
Congress allocated $170 billion dollars for immigration enforcement in July.
This puts the ICE/CBP budget within spitting distance of the Army.
ICE functionally has unlimited resources and its tactics have been tried out on Black communities for decades.
buttondown.com/natebowling/...
This puts the ICE/CBP budget within spitting distance of the Army.
ICE functionally has unlimited resources and its tactics have been tried out on Black communities for decades.
buttondown.com/natebowling/...
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
Question 4 is absolutely crucial.
NEW: Ghislaine Maxwell is set to invoke her Fifth Amendment rights and refuse to answer all questions related to Epstein, Trump, and more during tomorrow’s deposition. Rep. Ro Khanna has sent the following letter to Oversight Committee Chair James Comer in response:
February 8, 2026 at 3:40 PM
Question 4 is absolutely crucial.
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
The prevailing attitude among Republicans pretty clear is "Democrats shouldnt be allowed to fight back against us," which makes sense for a political party led by a rapist and full of sexpests, pedophiles, & pedophile protectors at every echelon
February 8, 2026 at 4:13 PM
The prevailing attitude among Republicans pretty clear is "Democrats shouldnt be allowed to fight back against us," which makes sense for a political party led by a rapist and full of sexpests, pedophiles, & pedophile protectors at every echelon
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
Here are a list of times and places where people may have been exposed in DC. It’s a lot!
February 8, 2026 at 2:49 PM
Here are a list of times and places where people may have been exposed in DC. It’s a lot!
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
Happy Super Bowl Sunday, everyone! Hope everyone has a good time watching the game at the Bad Bunny concert! 😘
February 8, 2026 at 4:13 PM
Happy Super Bowl Sunday, everyone! Hope everyone has a good time watching the game at the Bad Bunny concert! 😘
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
Not many federal attorneys---and certainly no leadership---left in Minneapolis. I suspect a contempt order is imminent. Without middle managers, however, that contempt order may go pretty far up the chain.
The top lawyer for Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minnesota has left the agency, the same week an ICE attorney was removed after telling a district judge that “this job sucks” and that the Trump administration is “overwhelmed” with immigration cases.
ICE chief counsel in Minnesota retires amid growing number of immigration cases | CNN Politics
The top lawyer for Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minnesota has left the agency, the same week an ICE attorney was removed after telling a district judge that “this job sucks” and that the Tru...
www.cnn.com
February 8, 2026 at 10:38 AM
Not many federal attorneys---and certainly no leadership---left in Minneapolis. I suspect a contempt order is imminent. Without middle managers, however, that contempt order may go pretty far up the chain.
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
What Hess said:
“There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t. … Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.”
Trump, the actual president, has insulted Dems repeatedly.
wapo.st/46eFns3
“There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t. … Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.”
Trump, the actual president, has insulted Dems repeatedly.
wapo.st/46eFns3
February 8, 2026 at 3:48 PM
What Hess said:
“There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t. … Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.”
Trump, the actual president, has insulted Dems repeatedly.
wapo.st/46eFns3
“There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t. … Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.”
Trump, the actual president, has insulted Dems repeatedly.
wapo.st/46eFns3
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
One of my mistakes. After 9-11 Bush (who I detested) made a speech saying Islam is not the enemy. In testimony at my church in Japan, I praised him for this, looking for anything not bad to come of the attack.
Had to walk it back a couple weeks later when he started profiling Muslims.
Had to walk it back a couple weeks later when he started profiling Muslims.
Reminder that ICE was invented after 9/11 to terrorize people on US soil.
W’s “war on terror” incl mass surveillance, even more racial profiling & aggressive policing & treating immigration as a security issue. Muslims & Brown folk perceived as such can tell you how that went.
Abolish.
W’s “war on terror” incl mass surveillance, even more racial profiling & aggressive policing & treating immigration as a security issue. Muslims & Brown folk perceived as such can tell you how that went.
Abolish.
February 8, 2026 at 4:14 PM
One of my mistakes. After 9-11 Bush (who I detested) made a speech saying Islam is not the enemy. In testimony at my church in Japan, I praised him for this, looking for anything not bad to come of the attack.
Had to walk it back a couple weeks later when he started profiling Muslims.
Had to walk it back a couple weeks later when he started profiling Muslims.
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
Stop having liars on national political talk shows. Why is this so hard??
BASH: Is this measles outbreak a consequence of the administration undermining support for vaccines?
DR OZ: I don't believe so. Secretary Kennedy has been advocating for measles vaccines
BASH: Oh, come on
DR OZ: I don't believe so. Secretary Kennedy has been advocating for measles vaccines
BASH: Oh, come on
February 8, 2026 at 3:29 PM
Stop having liars on national political talk shows. Why is this so hard??
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
With every overperformance, it only seems likelier that Democrats will retake one or both houses of Congress by a decent margin.
It's important that they run on a clear promise to hold Trump and his goons accountable, so they can hit the ground running in 2027 with a mandate to do so.
It's important that they run on a clear promise to hold Trump and his goons accountable, so they can hit the ground running in 2027 with a mandate to do so.
February 8, 2026 at 3:16 PM
With every overperformance, it only seems likelier that Democrats will retake one or both houses of Congress by a decent margin.
It's important that they run on a clear promise to hold Trump and his goons accountable, so they can hit the ground running in 2027 with a mandate to do so.
It's important that they run on a clear promise to hold Trump and his goons accountable, so they can hit the ground running in 2027 with a mandate to do so.
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
Yep.
"But what about the NYT?" Essentially one family backed/ran that paper for its entire existence and they subsidized revenue moves (Games! Cooking! Wirecutter!) that have made it more self-sufficient in face of declining ad rates.
Ditto the Atlantic.
"But what about the NYT?" Essentially one family backed/ran that paper for its entire existence and they subsidized revenue moves (Games! Cooking! Wirecutter!) that have made it more self-sufficient in face of declining ad rates.
Ditto the Atlantic.
High-quality journalism is not a viable market product. If you want consistent high-quality journalism, you need some kind of subsidy.
ANY billionaire could set up the WaPo as a high-quality journalism outlet, accept that it's not going to make money, & simply subsidize it. Nothing stopping them.
ANY billionaire could set up the WaPo as a high-quality journalism outlet, accept that it's not going to make money, & simply subsidize it. Nothing stopping them.
February 7, 2026 at 8:22 PM
Yep.
"But what about the NYT?" Essentially one family backed/ran that paper for its entire existence and they subsidized revenue moves (Games! Cooking! Wirecutter!) that have made it more self-sufficient in face of declining ad rates.
Ditto the Atlantic.
"But what about the NYT?" Essentially one family backed/ran that paper for its entire existence and they subsidized revenue moves (Games! Cooking! Wirecutter!) that have made it more self-sufficient in face of declining ad rates.
Ditto the Atlantic.
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
"Come on, just give the baby his bottle" is a terrific attitude for rank and file Republicans to have about the leader of their party.
LAWLER: Renaming infrastructure projects is not a new concept
KARL: Okay, but this isn't like, 'let's honor somebody.' Trump wants it named after himself! And he says he'll unfreeze the money if they do it
L: I could care less what the name of an infrastructure project is. I care that it gets done
KARL: Okay, but this isn't like, 'let's honor somebody.' Trump wants it named after himself! And he says he'll unfreeze the money if they do it
L: I could care less what the name of an infrastructure project is. I care that it gets done
February 8, 2026 at 3:30 PM
"Come on, just give the baby his bottle" is a terrific attitude for rank and file Republicans to have about the leader of their party.
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
ICE doesn’t have the same mandate, tactics, training, oversight, minimal oversight, locally appointed leadership, utility or community ties as police. They aren't even paid by the same governments.
February 8, 2026 at 2:16 AM
ICE doesn’t have the same mandate, tactics, training, oversight, minimal oversight, locally appointed leadership, utility or community ties as police. They aren't even paid by the same governments.
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD) says he was uninvited from a bipartisan White House dinner for governors
"As the nation’s only Black governor, I can’t ignore that being singled out for exclusion from this bipartisan tradition carries an added weight — whether that was the intent or not"
"As the nation’s only Black governor, I can’t ignore that being singled out for exclusion from this bipartisan tradition carries an added weight — whether that was the intent or not"
February 8, 2026 at 2:47 PM
Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD) says he was uninvited from a bipartisan White House dinner for governors
"As the nation’s only Black governor, I can’t ignore that being singled out for exclusion from this bipartisan tradition carries an added weight — whether that was the intent or not"
"As the nation’s only Black governor, I can’t ignore that being singled out for exclusion from this bipartisan tradition carries an added weight — whether that was the intent or not"
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
If you have a LARGE follower count, pls know that Scott Horton is a chronic thief of posts. He also gets things very wrong and won't take posts down. No matter how nicely you ask.
Please unfollow him and do not repost.
Although he steals everything, Horton was recently verified by Bluesky.
Please unfollow him and do not repost.
Although he steals everything, Horton was recently verified by Bluesky.
Check the words. Check the time stamps.
Fucking clown shit.
Fucking clown shit.
February 8, 2026 at 12:32 AM
If you have a LARGE follower count, pls know that Scott Horton is a chronic thief of posts. He also gets things very wrong and won't take posts down. No matter how nicely you ask.
Please unfollow him and do not repost.
Although he steals everything, Horton was recently verified by Bluesky.
Please unfollow him and do not repost.
Although he steals everything, Horton was recently verified by Bluesky.
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
"at least a third of the lawyers on staff at the Justice Department’s environment division have walked out the door, gutting the government’s capacity to defend its own energy and climate policies and kneecapping its power to keep polluters in check"
February 8, 2026 at 3:33 PM
"at least a third of the lawyers on staff at the Justice Department’s environment division have walked out the door, gutting the government’s capacity to defend its own energy and climate policies and kneecapping its power to keep polluters in check"
Right but that's not enough. You have to do more to keep the feds out. Stealing ballots is an even greater danger than roaming goons, and you need to understand that.
Schiff on Gabbard's involvement in Georgia: "All of this is intended to send a message and the message is, 'We will not tolerate or accept an election that we lose.' That's why in these budget discussions we need to make sure, among other things, that we don't have ICE agents at polling places."
February 8, 2026 at 3:47 PM
Right but that's not enough. You have to do more to keep the feds out. Stealing ballots is an even greater danger than roaming goons, and you need to understand that.