Joe Germuska
@joe.germuska.com
Chief Nerd @ Northwestern University Knight Lab • Project lead @ Census Reporter • Board Member @ City Bureau • Information Design • Digital Journalism • Civic Technology
Reposted by Joe Germuska
Everyone should read this story of an immigrant to the US risking his freedom to help an enslaved man gain his freedom. The pamphlet quoted, from his speech after his conviction for violating the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, should be reprinted now. @dansinker.com @robertloerzel.bsky.social
February 15, 2026 at 11:32 PM
Everyone should read this story of an immigrant to the US risking his freedom to help an enslaved man gain his freedom. The pamphlet quoted, from his speech after his conviction for violating the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, should be reprinted now. @dansinker.com @robertloerzel.bsky.social
“the tyranny of the quantifiable”
February 15, 2026 at 7:58 PM
“the tyranny of the quantifiable”
February 15, 2026 at 7:56 PM
TIL Bennison's Bakery (Evanston, IL) has had paczki eating contests for 15 years?
This year's winning team (2 people) ate 22 in five minutes. Last year the winners ate 45 in the same time!
evanstonroundtable.com/2026/02/15/b...
This year's winning team (2 people) ate 22 in five minutes. Last year the winners ate 45 in the same time!
evanstonroundtable.com/2026/02/15/b...
Evanston's Bennison's Bakery hosts paczki contest - Evanston RoundTable
Bennison's Bakery's annual Paczki Eating Contest brings Evanston residents together to celebrate community and raise funds for the Alzheimer's Association.
evanstonroundtable.com
February 15, 2026 at 7:18 PM
TIL Bennison's Bakery (Evanston, IL) has had paczki eating contests for 15 years?
This year's winning team (2 people) ate 22 in five minutes. Last year the winners ate 45 in the same time!
evanstonroundtable.com/2026/02/15/b...
This year's winning team (2 people) ate 22 in five minutes. Last year the winners ate 45 in the same time!
evanstonroundtable.com/2026/02/15/b...
Reposted by Joe Germuska
Tell any of the scientists you know who have remained on the site everyone still calls Twitter, even though it's nothing like Twitter.
Bluesky is the new science Twitter, new study by @whysharksmatter.bsky.social and Julia Wester concludes!
"Results show that for every reported professional benefit that scientists once gained from Twitter, scientists can now gain that benefit more effectively on Bluesky than on Twitter."
"Results show that for every reported professional benefit that scientists once gained from Twitter, scientists can now gain that benefit more effectively on Bluesky than on Twitter."
Scientists no Longer Find Twitter Professionally Useful, and have Switched to Bluesky
Synopsis. Social media has become widely used by the scientific community for a variety of professional uses, including networking and public outreach. For
academic.oup.com
February 14, 2026 at 3:01 AM
Tell any of the scientists you know who have remained on the site everyone still calls Twitter, even though it's nothing like Twitter.
Reposted by Joe Germuska
This is a genuinely huge, sweeping victory today for the University of California—or rather, for us, its faculty, acting through our faculty associations, while the UC itself maintained a strict policy of deer-in-headlights silence.
The Trump admin has given up its appeal of a powerful injunction:
The Trump admin has given up its appeal of a powerful injunction:
Trump administration drops appeal of court order blocking $1.2-billion UCLA settlement
The Trump administration dropped its appeal of a major higher education case in which a federal judge blocked its $1.2-billion settlement proposal to UCLA over alleged civil rights violations. It will...
www.latimes.com
February 14, 2026 at 4:57 AM
This is a genuinely huge, sweeping victory today for the University of California—or rather, for us, its faculty, acting through our faculty associations, while the UC itself maintained a strict policy of deer-in-headlights silence.
The Trump admin has given up its appeal of a powerful injunction:
The Trump admin has given up its appeal of a powerful injunction:
Reposted by Joe Germuska
ICE/CBP were spotted in Chicago with Meta glasses during the Blitz & I *promise you* we’re going to merge those threads.
Disaster capitalism.
“We will launch during a dynamic political environment where many civil society groups that we would expect to attack us would have their resources focused on other concerns…”
“We will launch during a dynamic political environment where many civil society groups that we would expect to attack us would have their resources focused on other concerns…”
Meta Plans to Add Facial Recognition Technology to Its Smart Glasses
www.nytimes.com
February 13, 2026 at 2:36 PM
ICE/CBP were spotted in Chicago with Meta glasses during the Blitz & I *promise you* we’re going to merge those threads.
‘Asked whether it was problematic that his office directed clerks to temporarily bar voters from casting ballots before verifying SAVE’s findings, Hoskins said that was a “good point.”’
www.propublica.org/article/save...
www.propublica.org/article/save...
“Not Ready for Prime Time.” A Federal Tool to Check Voter Citizenship Keeps Making Mistakes.
The Department of Homeland Security pushed out the revamped tool while it was still adding data. That led to widespread misidentification, particularly for citizens born outside the U.S.
www.propublica.org
February 13, 2026 at 12:56 PM
‘Asked whether it was problematic that his office directed clerks to temporarily bar voters from casting ballots before verifying SAVE’s findings, Hoskins said that was a “good point.”’
www.propublica.org/article/save...
www.propublica.org/article/save...
Reposted by Joe Germuska
It was believed in medieval times that hedgehogs had spikes so they could roll over fruit to carry home to their children, which is not true but is a really cute idea
February 13, 2026 at 11:26 AM
It was believed in medieval times that hedgehogs had spikes so they could roll over fruit to carry home to their children, which is not true but is a really cute idea
Reposted by Joe Germuska
The silence of US elites about this remains stunning & utterly damning.
Elon Musk posted about race almost every day in January
Many social media posts by Tesla CEO on his platform are indiscernible from those of white supremacists, say experts
www.theguardian.com
February 12, 2026 at 8:09 PM
The silence of US elites about this remains stunning & utterly damning.
Reposted by Joe Germuska
Every single time a story like this is reported, we must assume that there are many many more that do not.
CBP didn’t give her or anyone any water; she asked 3 times accg to other reports. CBP killed a 7yr old.
“8 hours after the girl & her father were taken into custody, she began having seizures & her body temperature was measured at 105.7 degrees by emergency medical technicians. shorturl.at/d2OTJ
“8 hours after the girl & her father were taken into custody, she began having seizures & her body temperature was measured at 105.7 degrees by emergency medical technicians. shorturl.at/d2OTJ
7-Year-Old Migrant Girl Dies Of Dehydration And Shock In U.S. Border Patrol Custody
The girl's death underscores the crisis precipitated by large groups of families seeking asylum where there are inadequate facilities to detain them.
shorturl.at
February 13, 2026 at 2:00 AM
Every single time a story like this is reported, we must assume that there are many many more that do not.
Reposted by Joe Germuska
Well holy fucking shit. Ring cancelled their partnership with Flock. Keep pressure on them to stop volunteering their feeds to state, local, and federal agencies, though, because that part's still going.
Ring cancels its partnership with Flock Safety after surveillance backlash
Ring cancels its partnership with Flock Safety after surveillance backlash
Flock off
buff.ly
February 13, 2026 at 12:42 AM
Well holy fucking shit. Ring cancelled their partnership with Flock. Keep pressure on them to stop volunteering their feeds to state, local, and federal agencies, though, because that part's still going.
Reposted by Joe Germuska
Just like with Brazil arresting their insurrectionists rather than re-electing them, other countries are holding their Epstein-tied politicians accountable far better than we do. www.bbc.com/news/article...
February 12, 2026 at 5:44 PM
Just like with Brazil arresting their insurrectionists rather than re-electing them, other countries are holding their Epstein-tied politicians accountable far better than we do. www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by Joe Germuska
ICE “left” Chicago in November, but they’ve disappeared three people from my community in two days this week.
Don’t believe the hype about them, leaving Minnesota, either.
Don’t believe the hype about them, leaving Minnesota, either.
February 12, 2026 at 6:27 PM
ICE “left” Chicago in November, but they’ve disappeared three people from my community in two days this week.
Don’t believe the hype about them, leaving Minnesota, either.
Don’t believe the hype about them, leaving Minnesota, either.
Reposted by Joe Germuska
This is a very good open source resource on the variety of ways that DOGE damaged government:
Great to see the new House Oversight Democrats’ report on the schemes behind DOGE's creation, the benefits it offered the billionaire class, and the harms it brought to taxpayers, federal workers, and public services. 🧵
oversightdemocrats.house.gov/imo/media/do...
oversightdemocrats.house.gov/imo/media/do...
February 12, 2026 at 8:25 PM
This is a very good open source resource on the variety of ways that DOGE damaged government:
Reposted by Joe Germuska
The amount of distributed network infrastructure that didn't exist at all last summer, began to form in the fall, and is now robust and ready to be replicated elsewhere is legit extraordinary.
February 12, 2026 at 3:29 PM
The amount of distributed network infrastructure that didn't exist at all last summer, began to form in the fall, and is now robust and ready to be replicated elsewhere is legit extraordinary.
Reposted by Joe Germuska
it really can't be said enough that this is a person who has dined with the president of the united states
Fuentes then fantasizes about “breeding gulags”: “So just like Hitler imprisoned Gypsies, Jews, communists, you know, all of his political rivals, we have to do the same thing with women… They go to the breeding gulags. The good ones will be liberated. The bad ones will toil in the mines forever.”
February 12, 2026 at 4:11 PM
it really can't be said enough that this is a person who has dined with the president of the united states
Reposted by Joe Germuska
This is the second account - the first being in Chicago - of DHS agents mass detaining people and then *sorting them by race*.
More than 400 people, including hundreds of citizens, were “sorted” at gun point into racial and ethnic groups by 200 ICE agents who fired flash-bang grenades into cars with people inside, pointed guns at children & demanded their zip tied parents not comfort them. apple.news/Ausdx6kWtT0e...
Idaho families sue over immigration raid that swept up hundreds, including U.S. citizens — NBC News
About 400 people, including children and U.S. citizens, were detained for four hours while they were denied food and water in the raid, according to the lawsuit.
apple.news
February 12, 2026 at 2:26 AM
This is the second account - the first being in Chicago - of DHS agents mass detaining people and then *sorting them by race*.
Reposted by Joe Germuska
A heartwarming tale of how even if you aren't subscribed to Google Nest their cameras still upload and save "about three hours" of video which can be recovered in the form of "residual data" from "backend servers," surprising even the FBI who claims to have previously believed it was impossible
How Google played a key role in recovering the video from Nancy Guthrie’s cameras | CNN Business
A major breakthrough in the Nancy Guthrie case largely came down to Google’s technical expertise, a person familiar with the investigation told CNN.
www.cnn.com
February 11, 2026 at 2:42 PM
A heartwarming tale of how even if you aren't subscribed to Google Nest their cameras still upload and save "about three hours" of video which can be recovered in the form of "residual data" from "backend servers," surprising even the FBI who claims to have previously believed it was impossible
Reposted by Joe Germuska
An AP review of crimes committed by ICE agents shows how their powers can be abused:
One official admitted he repeatedly sexually abused a woman in his custody.
Another is charged with taking bribes to remove detention orders on people targeted for deportation.
One official admitted he repeatedly sexually abused a woman in his custody.
Another is charged with taking bribes to remove detention orders on people targeted for deportation.
As ICE expands, an AP review of crimes committed by agents shows how their powers can be abused
Investigators say one immigration official abused his girlfriend for years. Another admitted he sexually abused a woman in his custody.
apnews.com
February 11, 2026 at 1:15 PM
An AP review of crimes committed by ICE agents shows how their powers can be abused:
One official admitted he repeatedly sexually abused a woman in his custody.
Another is charged with taking bribes to remove detention orders on people targeted for deportation.
One official admitted he repeatedly sexually abused a woman in his custody.
Another is charged with taking bribes to remove detention orders on people targeted for deportation.
Reposted by Joe Germuska
In the face of fascism, “Fuck you. Make me.” continues to be the right move.
Helluva statement from Colorado Rep Crow (D) on the Trump administration's failure to indict him and others
February 11, 2026 at 2:53 AM
In the face of fascism, “Fuck you. Make me.” continues to be the right move.
Reposted by Joe Germuska
This was a failed coup by the Trump administration against Democratic members of Congress. Everyday Americans on the grand jury stopped it. The 6 targets were right all along—don’t follow illegal orders. Speak truth to power. Because it will prevail.
February 11, 2026 at 3:24 AM
This was a failed coup by the Trump administration against Democratic members of Congress. Everyday Americans on the grand jury stopped it. The 6 targets were right all along—don’t follow illegal orders. Speak truth to power. Because it will prevail.
Reposted by Joe Germuska
Jewish Billionaire are you serious man
I have to say, I do not love this new trend of large liberal accounts with millions of followers identifying Jews.
February 11, 2026 at 4:04 AM
Jewish Billionaire are you serious man
Reposted by Joe Germuska
Consistent with Project 2025, the Trump administration has managed to capture, commandeer, or corrupt every important social institution -- every important social institution except juries, that is. Project 2025 didn't have a plan for juries.
BREAKING: @carolleonnig.bsky.social reports a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C. declined to indict Sens. Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin on charges of seditious conspiracy Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the proceedings.
February 11, 2026 at 2:14 AM
Consistent with Project 2025, the Trump administration has managed to capture, commandeer, or corrupt every important social institution -- every important social institution except juries, that is. Project 2025 didn't have a plan for juries.
Reposted by Joe Germuska
jeeeeeeesus: theintercept.com/2026/02/10/g...
Google Handed ICE Student Journalist’s Bank and Credit Card Numbers
Amandla Thomas-Johnson didn't know how much information ICE requested in a subpoena now. Google never gave him a chance to fight it.
theintercept.com
February 10, 2026 at 8:50 PM
jeeeeeeesus: theintercept.com/2026/02/10/g...