jon ben-menachem
@jbenmenachem.com
criminalization, abolition, labor, politics, journalism—social science theory & methods too. sociology phd candidate @ columbia. @swcolumbia.bsky.social
Pinned
Can speed cameras make streets safer? Quasi-experimental evidence from New York City | PNAS
Each year, approximately 40,000 people die in vehicle collisions in the United States,
generating $340 billion in economic costs. To make roads saf...
www.pnas.org
Our new study provides rare causal evidence about NYC’s speed camera program. We find large reductions in collisions (30%) and injuries (16%) near intersections with cameras. www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1... @astagoff.bsky.social ky.social @brendenbeck.bsky.social nbeck.bsky.social 🧪
Reposted by jon ben-menachem
This use of “industrial complex” is so passive aggressive lol
Wow, Rubio moved really quickly to crack down on Bari Weiss and OU for their censorship of speech and journalism.
Announcement of Actions to Combat the Global Censorship-Industrial Complex - United States Department of State
The State Department is taking decisive action against five individuals who have led organized efforts to coerce American platforms to censor, demonetize, and suppress American viewpoints they oppose....
www.state.gov
December 25, 2025 at 12:37 AM
This use of “industrial complex” is so passive aggressive lol
Mom has figured out the popover recipe after years of mortal struggle (not to mention coquilles st jacques)
December 25, 2025 at 12:32 AM
Mom has figured out the popover recipe after years of mortal struggle (not to mention coquilles st jacques)
You can just delete facebook. Anyone who actually wants to be in touch with you will still be reachable. Better yet, they might have to make some plans to see you in person!
low stakes posting today reminds me that 1) Facebook is for talking to people you know IRL but don’t like and 2) microblogging sites are for talking to people you don’t know but do like.
we forget these things at our peril
we forget these things at our peril
December 24, 2025 at 11:13 PM
You can just delete facebook. Anyone who actually wants to be in touch with you will still be reachable. Better yet, they might have to make some plans to see you in person!
Reposted by jon ben-menachem
🚨JOB ALERT🚨 Enjoy writing clever headlines and assigning one-of-a-kind stories? Have an eye for detail and a knack for turning rough copy into sparkling prose? We're looking for another editor to join our small but elite team covering New York City news and culture.
Hell Gate Is Hiring Again!
We're looking for an editor to join the worker-owned media revolution.
hellgatenyc.com
December 24, 2025 at 9:03 PM
🚨JOB ALERT🚨 Enjoy writing clever headlines and assigning one-of-a-kind stories? Have an eye for detail and a knack for turning rough copy into sparkling prose? We're looking for another editor to join our small but elite team covering New York City news and culture.
I have been trying to figure out if humidifiers are actually worth it to deal with the drying force of NYC radiators. It seems like the ultrasonic ones will spread white mineral dust all over if I don’t constantly buy distilled water… And evaporative ones require frequent filter change?
December 24, 2025 at 10:18 PM
I have been trying to figure out if humidifiers are actually worth it to deal with the drying force of NYC radiators. It seems like the ultrasonic ones will spread white mineral dust all over if I don’t constantly buy distilled water… And evaporative ones require frequent filter change?
Reposted by jon ben-menachem
"[G]uards told them that there weren't enough staff members inside the facility to let them out."
"These children said solitary confinement was used in every housing unit in the facility, not just isolation units."
#Tennessee #USA #Policing #Education #Incarceration #Solitary #Suicide
"These children said solitary confinement was used in every housing unit in the facility, not just isolation units."
#Tennessee #USA #Policing #Education #Incarceration #Solitary #Suicide
When juvenile detention staff were scarce, youth say they were isolated
Use of solitary confinement went beyond punishment at Shelby County's Youth Justice and Education Center.
mlk50.com
December 24, 2025 at 2:40 PM
"[G]uards told them that there weren't enough staff members inside the facility to let them out."
"These children said solitary confinement was used in every housing unit in the facility, not just isolation units."
#Tennessee #USA #Policing #Education #Incarceration #Solitary #Suicide
"These children said solitary confinement was used in every housing unit in the facility, not just isolation units."
#Tennessee #USA #Policing #Education #Incarceration #Solitary #Suicide
Reposted by jon ben-menachem
Classic reply.
We spoke to Flock safety, the manufacturer of these cameras, about privacy concerns.
"How is that being addressed?" ABC7 News reporter Luz Pena asked.
"If you're not involved in a crime, you shouldn't be concerned about privacy," said Lily Ho, Public Affairs for Flock Safety.
We spoke to Flock safety, the manufacturer of these cameras, about privacy concerns.
"How is that being addressed?" ABC7 News reporter Luz Pena asked.
"If you're not involved in a crime, you shouldn't be concerned about privacy," said Lily Ho, Public Affairs for Flock Safety.
Cop surveillance center in SF is funded by private donations by tech and crypto CEOs who also invest in these technologies. SF is where they can get their marketing tax deductible via testing out tech violence on those pushed down by the wealth gap they have created abc7news.com/post/how-sfp...
How SFPD's new investigation center is 'catching criminals faster' using 400 cameras, drones
The Real-Time Investigation Center is also known as R-TIC. At the center, SFPD investigators have access to 400 license plate reader cameras and more than 60 drones to fight crime.
abc7news.com
December 24, 2025 at 8:38 AM
Classic reply.
We spoke to Flock safety, the manufacturer of these cameras, about privacy concerns.
"How is that being addressed?" ABC7 News reporter Luz Pena asked.
"If you're not involved in a crime, you shouldn't be concerned about privacy," said Lily Ho, Public Affairs for Flock Safety.
We spoke to Flock safety, the manufacturer of these cameras, about privacy concerns.
"How is that being addressed?" ABC7 News reporter Luz Pena asked.
"If you're not involved in a crime, you shouldn't be concerned about privacy," said Lily Ho, Public Affairs for Flock Safety.
Reposted by jon ben-menachem
Latest from me at @journalspectre.bsky.social: I trace how Richard Spencer and other white nationalists have shifted their strategy to stay relevant and rebuild after years of delay forming and antifascist resistance. They are building a new cadre, and have less opposition today.
Last piece of the year y'all! This one is a must read.
@shaneburley.bsky.social takes a deep deep dive into Richard Spencer's rebrand in order to illuminate the fringe right's movement dynamics, influence on the mainstream, and political impasses.
spectrejournal.com/varieties-of...
@shaneburley.bsky.social takes a deep deep dive into Richard Spencer's rebrand in order to illuminate the fringe right's movement dynamics, influence on the mainstream, and political impasses.
spectrejournal.com/varieties-of...
Varieties of White Nationalism – Spectre Journal
Shane Burley looks at Richard Spencer's rebranding effort to illuminate the movement dynamics and political impasses of the "dissident" right.
spectrejournal.com
December 23, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Latest from me at @journalspectre.bsky.social: I trace how Richard Spencer and other white nationalists have shifted their strategy to stay relevant and rebuild after years of delay forming and antifascist resistance. They are building a new cadre, and have less opposition today.
Reposted by jon ben-menachem
Thirty officers disqualified from the New York Police Department because they failed psychological exams or background checks will stay on the job, according to an agreement between the city and their union.
Officers Who Failed N.Y.P.D. Mental Health Exams Can Stay
The city and the union agreed to a 12-month probation for 30 officers. The department had moved to fire them after they failed psychological exams or background checks.
nyti.ms
December 24, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Thirty officers disqualified from the New York Police Department because they failed psychological exams or background checks will stay on the job, according to an agreement between the city and their union.
Reposted by jon ben-menachem
So I have the cover story in next month's TNR.
I interviewed the heads of police groups; immigration defense attorneys, ex-judges and ex-prosecutors; former DOJ and DHS officials, and the former head of Border Patrol.
They're all horrified at what we've seen, and they all fear what's coming.
I interviewed the heads of police groups; immigration defense attorneys, ex-judges and ex-prosecutors; former DOJ and DHS officials, and the former head of Border Patrol.
They're all horrified at what we've seen, and they all fear what's coming.
Trump’s Immigration Nightmare: It Is Happening Here
With astonishing speed, the administration has toppled the most cherished pillars of a free society. And the experts agree: It’s all going to get much, much worse.
newrepublic.com
December 24, 2025 at 3:08 PM
So I have the cover story in next month's TNR.
I interviewed the heads of police groups; immigration defense attorneys, ex-judges and ex-prosecutors; former DOJ and DHS officials, and the former head of Border Patrol.
They're all horrified at what we've seen, and they all fear what's coming.
I interviewed the heads of police groups; immigration defense attorneys, ex-judges and ex-prosecutors; former DOJ and DHS officials, and the former head of Border Patrol.
They're all horrified at what we've seen, and they all fear what's coming.
Reposted by jon ben-menachem
Calls are growing to release Palestinian protester Leqaa Kordia, who was arrested at a Columbia University protest in 2024.
Although that charge was dismissed, she was later detained at an immigration check-in and sent to an ICE jail in Texas, where she has been held since March.
Although that charge was dismissed, she was later detained at an immigration check-in and sent to an ICE jail in Texas, where she has been held since March.
December 24, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Calls are growing to release Palestinian protester Leqaa Kordia, who was arrested at a Columbia University protest in 2024.
Although that charge was dismissed, she was later detained at an immigration check-in and sent to an ICE jail in Texas, where she has been held since March.
Although that charge was dismissed, she was later detained at an immigration check-in and sent to an ICE jail in Texas, where she has been held since March.
Reposted by jon ben-menachem
I count 10 cities in 2025 that are on track to have the fewest murders since at least 1970. Newark is on pace to have the fewest murders since 1956 (though only have data through Oct this year) and San Francisco is on pace to have the fewest murders since 1942.
December 23, 2025 at 7:06 PM
I count 10 cities in 2025 that are on track to have the fewest murders since at least 1970. Newark is on pace to have the fewest murders since 1956 (though only have data through Oct this year) and San Francisco is on pace to have the fewest murders since 1942.
Please enjoy silly pelican
December 23, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Please enjoy silly pelican
Reposted by jon ben-menachem
I don’t mean to sound extreme, but I don’t think we should have torture camps for people with criminal records either.
December 23, 2025 at 1:51 AM
I don’t mean to sound extreme, but I don’t think we should have torture camps for people with criminal records either.
Yeah federal officials who made this happen should face consequences
One of the Venezuelan men interviewed by Sharyn Alfonsi for 60 Minutes said that guards at CECOT would routinely grab prisoners’ genitals with their hands and “tug on them” as a form of torture.
December 22, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Yeah federal officials who made this happen should face consequences
Reposted by jon ben-menachem
!! Here’s a link to full video of the 60 Minutes segment that Bari Weiss killed last minute, via @jasonparis.bsky.social:
is.gd/paU8Ko
(It was uploaded to the Global TV app in Canada, seemingly by accident, and has now been taken down)
is.gd/paU8Ko
(It was uploaded to the Global TV app in Canada, seemingly by accident, and has now been taken down)
December 22, 2025 at 10:39 PM
!! Here’s a link to full video of the 60 Minutes segment that Bari Weiss killed last minute, via @jasonparis.bsky.social:
is.gd/paU8Ko
(It was uploaded to the Global TV app in Canada, seemingly by accident, and has now been taken down)
is.gd/paU8Ko
(It was uploaded to the Global TV app in Canada, seemingly by accident, and has now been taken down)
A (well known) university sent me a physical letter saying my personal data had been exposed in a breach. But I have never attended or applied to this university AFAIK… How did you even get my data 😭
December 22, 2025 at 3:49 PM
A (well known) university sent me a physical letter saying my personal data had been exposed in a breach. But I have never attended or applied to this university AFAIK… How did you even get my data 😭
“Our story was screened five times and cleared by both CBS attorneys and Standards and Practices,” Ms. Alfonsi wrote…CBS News did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Ms. Alfonsi’s note. Reached on Sunday evening, Ms. Alfonsi said, “I refer all questions to Bari Weiss.”
December 22, 2025 at 4:22 AM
“Our story was screened five times and cleared by both CBS attorneys and Standards and Practices,” Ms. Alfonsi wrote…CBS News did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Ms. Alfonsi’s note. Reached on Sunday evening, Ms. Alfonsi said, “I refer all questions to Bari Weiss.”
Reposted by jon ben-menachem
now seems like a good time to remind you all to support independent, worker run, billionaire free, and/or reader funded news how and where you can.
December 22, 2025 at 12:09 AM
now seems like a good time to remind you all to support independent, worker run, billionaire free, and/or reader funded news how and where you can.
Reposted by jon ben-menachem
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December 21, 2025 at 9:57 PM
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I think the typical movie these days would benefit from being roughly 30 minutes shorter on average, if not 45 minutes shorter.
December 21, 2025 at 6:51 PM
I think the typical movie these days would benefit from being roughly 30 minutes shorter on average, if not 45 minutes shorter.
Why does TSA pre check cost money?
December 21, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Why does TSA pre check cost money?
I really don’t study this stuff, but, what strikes me about today’s economy is the apparent prevalence of underemployment and people being unable to secure jobs that provide health benefits. That and people being unable to leave existing jobs for better ones
I think this strengthens the case for Stancilism.
Immediate post pandemic economy was *weird* in a way that made it hard to compare it to similar years.
But we've got low unemployment and low inflation now. Very hard to make the case that now is worse than the Volcker shock.
Immediate post pandemic economy was *weird* in a way that made it hard to compare it to similar years.
But we've got low unemployment and low inflation now. Very hard to make the case that now is worse than the Volcker shock.
UMich consumer sentiment (current conditions) at 50.4 is a new all-time low -- going back to data from the 1970s.
December 21, 2025 at 4:43 PM
I really don’t study this stuff, but, what strikes me about today’s economy is the apparent prevalence of underemployment and people being unable to secure jobs that provide health benefits. That and people being unable to leave existing jobs for better ones
Couldn't figure out why people were walking in very stupid ways on the sidewalk today and then I remembered it is ze holidays
December 20, 2025 at 11:23 PM
Couldn't figure out why people were walking in very stupid ways on the sidewalk today and then I remembered it is ze holidays