Jill Laufer
@jilllaufer.bsky.social
Public Policy Prof
Youth Political Participation
Media & Framing
Gun Violence & Climate Change
AI & Tech • Art & Space
BKLYN in OAK 🖖 | https://ps.ucdavis.edu/people/jill-laufer
Youth Political Participation
Media & Framing
Gun Violence & Climate Change
AI & Tech • Art & Space
BKLYN in OAK 🖖 | https://ps.ucdavis.edu/people/jill-laufer
Pinned
Catching Fire in the News
Cambridge Core - Politics: General Interest - Catching Fire in the News
doi.org
Here is a thread @ our new book Catching Fire in the News by @boydstun.bsky.social, me, @dallascard.bsky.social, and @nlpnoah.bsky.social.
We ask: Why do some events become media storms while others, similar in many ways, don't?
doi.org/10.1017/9781...
video abstract: vimeo.com/1152181904
We ask: Why do some events become media storms while others, similar in many ways, don't?
doi.org/10.1017/9781...
video abstract: vimeo.com/1152181904
Reposted by Jill Laufer
“Alysa Liu’s father, Arthur Liu, went into exile at age 25 in the 1990s from China to the US due to persecution of participants in the 1989 Democracy Movement.”
“Liu was a frontrunner recruitment prospect for China in 2022” but “her father would not be persuaded.” en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alysa_Liu
“Liu was a frontrunner recruitment prospect for China in 2022” but “her father would not be persuaded.” en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alysa_Liu
February 20, 2026 at 6:28 AM
“Alysa Liu’s father, Arthur Liu, went into exile at age 25 in the 1990s from China to the US due to persecution of participants in the 1989 Democracy Movement.”
“Liu was a frontrunner recruitment prospect for China in 2022” but “her father would not be persuaded.” en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alysa_Liu
“Liu was a frontrunner recruitment prospect for China in 2022” but “her father would not be persuaded.” en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alysa_Liu
Reposted by Jill Laufer
For @boltsmag.org, I wrote about the race to unseat Rep. Carla Cunningham in NC. After casting critical votes forcing cooperation with ICE, and backing other Republican legislation, the longtime Democratic lawmaker is facing a strong challenge in next month’s primary.
boltsmag.org/north-caroli...
boltsmag.org/north-caroli...
The Feds Targeted Charlotte. Now a Local Democrat Who Helped ICE Faces Voters. - Bolts
North Carolina lawmaker Carla Cunningham voted to mandate compliance with ICE, and derided immigrants on the House floor. The Democrat faces an intense March primary.
boltsmag.org
February 18, 2026 at 4:21 PM
For @boltsmag.org, I wrote about the race to unseat Rep. Carla Cunningham in NC. After casting critical votes forcing cooperation with ICE, and backing other Republican legislation, the longtime Democratic lawmaker is facing a strong challenge in next month’s primary.
boltsmag.org/north-caroli...
boltsmag.org/north-caroli...
Reposted by Jill Laufer
In the 1800s, a slave owner purchased over a dozen people in Georgia and set the foundation for his family’s generational wealth
Generations later, a railroad company owned by one of his descendants is using eminent domain to seize land of Black farmers
Generations later, a railroad company owned by one of his descendants is using eminent domain to seize land of Black farmers
Georgia Is Letting a Railroad Seize Land a Black Family Has Owned For 100 Years
Descendants of enslaved people are fighting an attempt to use eminent domain to carve a spur through one of Georgia’s largest Black‑owned farms.
capitalbnews.org
February 20, 2026 at 2:06 AM
In the 1800s, a slave owner purchased over a dozen people in Georgia and set the foundation for his family’s generational wealth
Generations later, a railroad company owned by one of his descendants is using eminent domain to seize land of Black farmers
Generations later, a railroad company owned by one of his descendants is using eminent domain to seize land of Black farmers
Reposted by Jill Laufer
This really is a great picture:
February 20, 2026 at 2:08 AM
This really is a great picture:
Reposted by Jill Laufer
lol if white students can bypass graduation requirements because of discomfort with Black and Latino topics, but Black and Latino students can't do the same with topics about white people, isn't that discrimination? 🤔
The University of Texas System’s Board of Regents unanimously approved a rule requiring its universities to ensure students can graduate without studying “unnecessary controversial subjects,” despite warnings it could leave them less prepared for the real world.
University of Texas regents OK limits on controversial subjects
Opponents warned the policy’s vagueness could push professors to self-censor and leave students less prepared for the workplace.
www.texastribune.org
February 20, 2026 at 1:54 AM
lol if white students can bypass graduation requirements because of discomfort with Black and Latino topics, but Black and Latino students can't do the same with topics about white people, isn't that discrimination? 🤔
Reposted by Jill Laufer
Breaking News from @theathletic.com: The U.S. beat Canada in overtime, 2-1, in the women’s hockey tournament to win the gold medal and complete a dramatic comeback. www.nytimes.com/athletic/liv...
February 19, 2026 at 9:16 PM
Breaking News from @theathletic.com: The U.S. beat Canada in overtime, 2-1, in the women’s hockey tournament to win the gold medal and complete a dramatic comeback. www.nytimes.com/athletic/liv...
Reposted by Jill Laufer
Put!
It!
Back!
It!
Back!
'Smiling' fossil discovered in Northumberland
The unusual looking fossil is estimated to be a few hundred million years old dating to the Carboniferous period.
www.bbc.com
February 19, 2026 at 1:25 PM
Put!
It!
Back!
It!
Back!
Reposted by Jill Laufer
She lives with her grandmother in Colombia and travels frequently to the U.S. to visit her mother. Her visa made them targets for ICE.
A trip to Disneyland ended with a 9-year-old, who had broken no laws, detained at Dilley, Texas.
www.propublica.org/article/ice-...
A trip to Disneyland ended with a 9-year-old, who had broken no laws, detained at Dilley, Texas.
www.propublica.org/article/ice-...
How a Planned Disney World Vacation Turned Into Four Months in Immigration Detention
A 9-year-old shares her story of being held at the nation’s only operating detention center for immigrant families in Dilley, Texas.
www.propublica.org
February 19, 2026 at 3:33 PM
She lives with her grandmother in Colombia and travels frequently to the U.S. to visit her mother. Her visa made them targets for ICE.
A trip to Disneyland ended with a 9-year-old, who had broken no laws, detained at Dilley, Texas.
www.propublica.org/article/ice-...
A trip to Disneyland ended with a 9-year-old, who had broken no laws, detained at Dilley, Texas.
www.propublica.org/article/ice-...
Reposted by Jill Laufer
New #Union numbers were released this morning by BLS, showing that in 2025, 16.5 million workers in the United States were represented by a union, an increase of 463,000 from 2024 and the highest number of unionized workers in the U.S. in 16 years. 1/
February 18, 2026 at 3:07 PM
New #Union numbers were released this morning by BLS, showing that in 2025, 16.5 million workers in the United States were represented by a union, an increase of 463,000 from 2024 and the highest number of unionized workers in the U.S. in 16 years. 1/
Reposted by Jill Laufer
🚨 New paper out at @ajpseditor.bsky.social 🚨
Do the public hold meaningful attitudes? Using the case of abortion policy preferences, we provide strong evidence that policy prefrences can be coherent, stable over time, and causally explain vote choice.
doi.org/10.1111/ajps...
Do the public hold meaningful attitudes? Using the case of abortion policy preferences, we provide strong evidence that policy prefrences can be coherent, stable over time, and causally explain vote choice.
doi.org/10.1111/ajps...
February 18, 2026 at 11:26 PM
🚨 New paper out at @ajpseditor.bsky.social 🚨
Do the public hold meaningful attitudes? Using the case of abortion policy preferences, we provide strong evidence that policy prefrences can be coherent, stable over time, and causally explain vote choice.
doi.org/10.1111/ajps...
Do the public hold meaningful attitudes? Using the case of abortion policy preferences, we provide strong evidence that policy prefrences can be coherent, stable over time, and causally explain vote choice.
doi.org/10.1111/ajps...
Reposted by Jill Laufer
Good to get current with @stevelevitsky.bsky.social today, talking protest, politics, social capital, and more. Video here:
February 19, 2026 at 1:50 AM
Good to get current with @stevelevitsky.bsky.social today, talking protest, politics, social capital, and more. Video here:
Reposted by Jill Laufer
This is a truly horrifying memo. It says that the policy of the US government will now be to proactively seek out and arrest likely tens of thousands of refugees who entered legally under Biden and subject them to detention, where they will be interrogated about their status.
February 19, 2026 at 2:12 AM
This is a truly horrifying memo. It says that the policy of the US government will now be to proactively seek out and arrest likely tens of thousands of refugees who entered legally under Biden and subject them to detention, where they will be interrogated about their status.
Reposted by Jill Laufer
In the concentration camp universe, this is what's known as a filtration camp. A government preemptively takes a whole class of people to interrogate and detain extrajudicially in order to inflict duress on them while arbitrarily assessing their (supposed) culpability.
This is a truly horrifying memo. It says that the policy of the US government will now be to proactively seek out and arrest likely tens of thousands of refugees who entered legally under Biden and subject them to detention, where they will be interrogated about their status.
February 19, 2026 at 2:20 AM
In the concentration camp universe, this is what's known as a filtration camp. A government preemptively takes a whole class of people to interrogate and detain extrajudicially in order to inflict duress on them while arbitrarily assessing their (supposed) culpability.
Reposted by Jill Laufer
Bless her heart. She's never checked out a book from a library, has she?
Leavitt: "You need an ID to go and purchase alcohol. You need an ID to go to the library and check out a book. So the president thinks you should have an ID to vote in our nation's elections."
February 18, 2026 at 8:15 PM
Bless her heart. She's never checked out a book from a library, has she?
Reposted by Jill Laufer
Reposted by Jill Laufer
After initially rejecting Moderna’s application for review, the FDA will now consider the mRNA flu shot
FDA agrees to review Moderna mRNA flu vaccine in dramatic reversal
After initially rejecting Moderna’s application for review, the FDA will now consider the mRNA flu shot
www.scientificamerican.com
February 18, 2026 at 2:58 PM
After initially rejecting Moderna’s application for review, the FDA will now consider the mRNA flu shot
Reposted by Jill Laufer
whitekanda forever
New data shows #Brexit has lowered UK GDP by 6-8% over the past decade. Investment down 12-18%, employment down 3-4%. It's even worse than economists had predicted pre-referendum, because they thought there would be a bounce-back long term. "Economists were roughly right on the
Brexit’s slow‑burn hit to the UK economy
The UK is once again debating why its economy has grown slowly since the mid‑2010s. This column examines the impact of the decision to leave the European Union in 2016. Using almost a decade of data s...
cepr.org
February 18, 2026 at 7:33 AM
whitekanda forever
Reposted by Jill Laufer
Scoop: Ring's CEO told staff Search Party is not going to be just for dogs, according to a leaked email I obtained. Said it is "first for finding dogs" before suggesting it would be expanded to be used for crime:
www.404media.co/leaked-email...
www.404media.co/leaked-email...
Leaked Email Suggests Ring Plans to Expand ‘Search Party’ Surveillance Beyond Dogs
Ring's CEO told staff the feature is “first for finding dogs,” indicating a plan to expand.
www.404media.co
February 18, 2026 at 2:39 PM
Scoop: Ring's CEO told staff Search Party is not going to be just for dogs, according to a leaked email I obtained. Said it is "first for finding dogs" before suggesting it would be expanded to be used for crime:
www.404media.co/leaked-email...
www.404media.co/leaked-email...
Reposted by Jill Laufer
BREAKING: The Department of Education has ended its directive that attempted to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in schools nationwide.
This is a victory for academic freedom and education equity.
This is a victory for academic freedom and education equity.
February 18, 2026 at 5:39 PM
BREAKING: The Department of Education has ended its directive that attempted to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in schools nationwide.
This is a victory for academic freedom and education equity.
This is a victory for academic freedom and education equity.
Reposted by Jill Laufer
Will we see a mass deployment of ICE to polls?
This thread offers a thoughtful explanation of why that’s unlikely:
This thread offers a thoughtful explanation of why that’s unlikely:
People would be more determined to vote.
Also, even if they tried in a handful of places:
-ICE has about 10-12K field agents (& will shrink if forced to de-mask)
-US has 100K voting locations, many w multiple entrances
-Any place they tried would risk a riot so they’d need prob >15-20 per site… /1
Also, even if they tried in a handful of places:
-ICE has about 10-12K field agents (& will shrink if forced to de-mask)
-US has 100K voting locations, many w multiple entrances
-Any place they tried would risk a riot so they’d need prob >15-20 per site… /1
One of my biggest fears about the midterms is that ICE could flood the polls with agents who perform Kavanaugh Stops on every non-white person before they get a chance to cast a ballot, then detain them until voting is over. Which is not far-fetched at this point. www.huffpost.com/entry/ice-po...
February 18, 2026 at 3:31 AM
Will we see a mass deployment of ICE to polls?
This thread offers a thoughtful explanation of why that’s unlikely:
This thread offers a thoughtful explanation of why that’s unlikely:
Reposted by Jill Laufer
California, Connecticut preparing 'attack' against Trump's repeal of basis of US climate regulation reut.rs/4rWXDyr
California, Connecticut preparing 'attack' against Trump's repeal of basis of US climate regulation
California and Connecticut are working together on a multi-state "plan of attack" against President Donald Trump's repeal of the foundation of federal climate regulation of vehicles, the states' attorneys general told Reuters on Tuesday.
reut.rs
February 18, 2026 at 12:30 AM
California, Connecticut preparing 'attack' against Trump's repeal of basis of US climate regulation reut.rs/4rWXDyr
Reposted by Jill Laufer
The @postguild.bsky.social's data is the latest example in the years-long unraveling of the news industry’s promises to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion after George Floyd’s killing and the ensuing “racial reckoning” of 2020. www.niemanlab.org/2026/02/wash...
Washington Post layoffs disproportionately affected union members of color, preliminary Guild data shows
"We cannot ignore what this means for equity, representation, and the future of this organization."
www.niemanlab.org
February 18, 2026 at 12:30 AM
The @postguild.bsky.social's data is the latest example in the years-long unraveling of the news industry’s promises to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion after George Floyd’s killing and the ensuing “racial reckoning” of 2020. www.niemanlab.org/2026/02/wash...
Reposted by Jill Laufer
American Political Science Review - Volume 120 - Issue 1 - February 2026 - https://cup.org/45Bmj6Q
Where not #OpenAccess, this issue is free to read until the end of February 2026.
cc @apsa.bsky.social @apsrjournal.bsky.social
Where not #OpenAccess, this issue is free to read until the end of February 2026.
cc @apsa.bsky.social @apsrjournal.bsky.social
February 18, 2026 at 12:40 AM
American Political Science Review - Volume 120 - Issue 1 - February 2026 - https://cup.org/45Bmj6Q
Where not #OpenAccess, this issue is free to read until the end of February 2026.
cc @apsa.bsky.social @apsrjournal.bsky.social
Where not #OpenAccess, this issue is free to read until the end of February 2026.
cc @apsa.bsky.social @apsrjournal.bsky.social
Reposted by Jill Laufer
Honestly, journalism funders should have just handed them 10x this amount, but maybe it’s better to come from the community.
Today @lataco.bsky.social launched a fundraiser to help me start their investigative news desk. We're hoping to raise $25k to help pay for lab tests, analyze ICE data that the Daily Memo's been compiling + work with more freelancers. Been dreaming of this for years!
givebutter.com/la-taco-inve...
givebutter.com/la-taco-inve...
L.A. TACO Investigative Journalism Fund
By L.A. TACO
givebutter.com
February 18, 2026 at 12:47 AM
Honestly, journalism funders should have just handed them 10x this amount, but maybe it’s better to come from the community.
Reposted by Jill Laufer
i think jesse jackson was one of the most important american political figures of the post-war era and i think that his 1984 and 1988 campaigns for the democratic nomination still have a great deal to teach about forging a path to a more egalitarian world. RIP.
February 17, 2026 at 1:36 PM
i think jesse jackson was one of the most important american political figures of the post-war era and i think that his 1984 and 1988 campaigns for the democratic nomination still have a great deal to teach about forging a path to a more egalitarian world. RIP.
