John W. Curtis
@johnwcurtis.bsky.social
Sociologist learning about US higher education, labor and careers, and urbanization in Kenya, among other things. Father and grandfather. Washington Nationals fan.📍Washington, DC.
Reposted by John W. Curtis
What's old is new again...
In 1954, the U.S. helped overthrow Guatemala’s democratically elected government, ushering in a military junta that jailed political opponents, igniting an almost two-decade long civil war that killed hundreds of thousands of people. 🧵
In 1954, the U.S. helped overthrow Guatemala’s democratically elected government, ushering in a military junta that jailed political opponents, igniting an almost two-decade long civil war that killed hundreds of thousands of people. 🧵
The dramatic escalation in Trump's regime change efforts took place after months of strikes on boats in the waters near Venezuela.
U.S. Abducts Nicolás Maduro From Venezuela in Trump Regime Change Operation
Trump claimed early Saturday the U.S. had carried out a “large-scale strike” on Venezuela and captured the country's leader and his wife.
interc.pt
January 4, 2026 at 2:56 AM
What's old is new again...
In 1954, the U.S. helped overthrow Guatemala’s democratically elected government, ushering in a military junta that jailed political opponents, igniting an almost two-decade long civil war that killed hundreds of thousands of people. 🧵
In 1954, the U.S. helped overthrow Guatemala’s democratically elected government, ushering in a military junta that jailed political opponents, igniting an almost two-decade long civil war that killed hundreds of thousands of people. 🧵
Reposted by John W. Curtis
Live look in to this right wing protest 10 minutes after it was scheduled to start.
January 3, 2026 at 8:12 PM
Live look in to this right wing protest 10 minutes after it was scheduled to start.
Reposted by John W. Curtis
It's good to know that not even a little wargasm can dissuade him from his one true love -- being a lying sack of shit.
Donald Trump is now reposting videos on Truth Social suggesting that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz had Melissa Hortman assassinated.
This is objectively evil, and calling it out should not be political.
This is objectively evil, and calling it out should not be political.
January 4, 2026 at 12:13 AM
It's good to know that not even a little wargasm can dissuade him from his one true love -- being a lying sack of shit.
Reposted by John W. Curtis
Can't help but feel like this is one of the reasons why the Constitution says If a dude in office does an insurrection, don't let that motherfucker hold office again
Bc clearly they cannot be trusted with power & control over the levers of government, & they do not care about democratic constraints
Bc clearly they cannot be trusted with power & control over the levers of government, & they do not care about democratic constraints
January 3, 2026 at 2:31 PM
Can't help but feel like this is one of the reasons why the Constitution says If a dude in office does an insurrection, don't let that motherfucker hold office again
Bc clearly they cannot be trusted with power & control over the levers of government, & they do not care about democratic constraints
Bc clearly they cannot be trusted with power & control over the levers of government, & they do not care about democratic constraints
Reposted by John W. Curtis
The Trump admin has fused the war on terror with the war on drugs to create a framework for justifying its own acts everywhere from Chicago to Caracas.
Remember the helicopter raid on a Chicago apartment building? A key rationale was to go after the Venezuelan TdA.*
Same with Caracas raid.
Remember the helicopter raid on a Chicago apartment building? A key rationale was to go after the Venezuelan TdA.*
Same with Caracas raid.
January 3, 2026 at 3:39 PM
The Trump admin has fused the war on terror with the war on drugs to create a framework for justifying its own acts everywhere from Chicago to Caracas.
Remember the helicopter raid on a Chicago apartment building? A key rationale was to go after the Venezuelan TdA.*
Same with Caracas raid.
Remember the helicopter raid on a Chicago apartment building? A key rationale was to go after the Venezuelan TdA.*
Same with Caracas raid.
Reposted by John W. Curtis
It’s almost like green energy is the only way forward and a handful of oil barons are doing everything in their power to keep that from happening so they can get even richer at the cost of literally everything else in the world.
Wall Street’s biggest banks made more money financing green projects than they did from working with fossil fuel companies for a fourth straight year, even as they faced ongoing pressure to pull back from the business
Banks Notch Higher Fees From Green Bonds Than Fossil Fuel Debt
Wall Street’s biggest banks made more money financing green projects than they did from working with fossil fuel companies for a fourth straight year, even as they faced ongoing pressure to pull back from the business.
bloom.bg
January 3, 2026 at 3:00 AM
It’s almost like green energy is the only way forward and a handful of oil barons are doing everything in their power to keep that from happening so they can get even richer at the cost of literally everything else in the world.
Reposted by John W. Curtis
Your ability to take paid time off to recover from illness or injury or childbirth shouldn't depend on where you live.
Minnesota just launched our statewide paid leave program.
Starting today new parents, small business owners, and people recovering from illness or injury will have the security to take needed time off work without risking their paycheck.
Starting today new parents, small business owners, and people recovering from illness or injury will have the security to take needed time off work without risking their paycheck.
January 3, 2026 at 1:11 AM
Your ability to take paid time off to recover from illness or injury or childbirth shouldn't depend on where you live.
Reposted by John W. Curtis
Dr. Jonathan Reiner on CNN ticks through all the evidence we have that something has changed for the worse with Trump's health since October that the White House is covering up
January 2, 2026 at 9:08 PM
Dr. Jonathan Reiner on CNN ticks through all the evidence we have that something has changed for the worse with Trump's health since October that the White House is covering up
Reposted by John W. Curtis
Strange takes on Mayor Zamdani swearing his oath on the Qu’ran. It has nothing to do with church & state. The point of the oath is for the person swearing in to do so upon some text that is sacred TO THEM. Some Presidents swore in w/o any book. John Quincy Adams was sworn on a law book. His choice.
January 1, 2026 at 11:07 PM
Strange takes on Mayor Zamdani swearing his oath on the Qu’ran. It has nothing to do with church & state. The point of the oath is for the person swearing in to do so upon some text that is sacred TO THEM. Some Presidents swore in w/o any book. John Quincy Adams was sworn on a law book. His choice.
Reposted by John W. Curtis
So the GOP’s official position would seem to be that in the interest of viewpoint diversity, university history departments should hire more Republican-voting Holocaust deniers, but then to combat antisemitism they should immediately fire them?
I missed this from the Manhattan Institute survey on December 1 of the "current GOP." 37% are Holocaust deniers, which, to my surprise, is greater than the percentage (33%) that believes vaccines cause autism.
January 1, 2026 at 11:54 PM
So the GOP’s official position would seem to be that in the interest of viewpoint diversity, university history departments should hire more Republican-voting Holocaust deniers, but then to combat antisemitism they should immediately fire them?
Reposted by John W. Curtis
DHS reportedly fast-tracked a contract worth almost $1 billion to a company led by a donor to a pro-Trump nonprofit group where one of the officials overseeing the deal previously worked.
That raises serious ethics concerns.
That raises serious ethics concerns.
DHS fast-tracked $1 billion contract to pro-Trump donor’s company
A DHS official leading the process previously worked at the America First Policy Institute, a pro-Trump nonprofit where the contractor’s CEO was a donor.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 2, 2026 at 12:05 AM
DHS reportedly fast-tracked a contract worth almost $1 billion to a company led by a donor to a pro-Trump nonprofit group where one of the officials overseeing the deal previously worked.
That raises serious ethics concerns.
That raises serious ethics concerns.
Reposted by John W. Curtis
Mamdani really hit the ground running
January 1, 2026 at 8:23 PM
Mamdani really hit the ground running
Reposted by John W. Curtis
Oh my goodness, this Wall Street Journal piece about Trump's ailing health that includes an interview with him (gift link). There are a number of ridiculous details in it and I'll put a few of them in this thread. (1/6)
Exclusive | As Signs of Aging Emerge, Trump Responds With Defiance
In an interview, President Trump—the oldest man to assume the office—said he has eschewed some advice from his doctors and regrets getting advanced imaging.
www.wsj.com
January 1, 2026 at 2:57 PM
Oh my goodness, this Wall Street Journal piece about Trump's ailing health that includes an interview with him (gift link). There are a number of ridiculous details in it and I'll put a few of them in this thread. (1/6)
Reposted by John W. Curtis
January 1, 2026 at 8:45 PM
Reposted by John W. Curtis
Mamdani’s message is as American as apple pie, and that’s why he drives reactionaries of many different political stripes crazy.
Mamdani: Where else can you hear the sound of the steel pan, savor the smell of sancocho, and pay $9 for coffee on the same block? Where else could a Muslim kid like me grow up eating bagels and lox every Sunday?
January 1, 2026 at 8:41 PM
Mamdani’s message is as American as apple pie, and that’s why he drives reactionaries of many different political stripes crazy.
Reposted by John W. Curtis
And actually--Comet Pizza was a page out of a playbook that started with daycare decades before.
In 1983, a California mom accused her son's childcare provider of subjecting children to Satanic rituals--like flushing them down toilets into secret basements where they were then filmed for porn. 1/🧵
In 1983, a California mom accused her son's childcare provider of subjecting children to Satanic rituals--like flushing them down toilets into secret basements where they were then filmed for porn. 1/🧵
Trump guys are about to Comet Pizza every third daycare center because they think they are all fronts for Somali money laundering. They're only doing this near cities with progressive mayors. This is straight up Government by LibsOfTikTok.
December 31, 2025 at 1:19 AM
And actually--Comet Pizza was a page out of a playbook that started with daycare decades before.
In 1983, a California mom accused her son's childcare provider of subjecting children to Satanic rituals--like flushing them down toilets into secret basements where they were then filmed for porn. 1/🧵
In 1983, a California mom accused her son's childcare provider of subjecting children to Satanic rituals--like flushing them down toilets into secret basements where they were then filmed for porn. 1/🧵
Reposted by John W. Curtis
Newly unsealed docs show DOJ moved to prosecute Kilmar Abrego Garcia for smuggling only after it became clear Trump might not be able to deport him. Sure looks driven by a desire to punish him for fighting back against Trump/Miller lawlessness. Trump had to be right.
www.cbsnews.com/news/abrego-...
www.cbsnews.com/news/abrego-...
December 30, 2025 at 11:14 PM
Newly unsealed docs show DOJ moved to prosecute Kilmar Abrego Garcia for smuggling only after it became clear Trump might not be able to deport him. Sure looks driven by a desire to punish him for fighting back against Trump/Miller lawlessness. Trump had to be right.
www.cbsnews.com/news/abrego-...
www.cbsnews.com/news/abrego-...
Reposted by John W. Curtis
Trump posted a photo claiming it shows a bald eagle in the United States killed by a windmill.
In reality, the image is of a dead falcon in Israel from 2017.
In reality, the image is of a dead falcon in Israel from 2017.
December 31, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Trump posted a photo claiming it shows a bald eagle in the United States killed by a windmill.
In reality, the image is of a dead falcon in Israel from 2017.
In reality, the image is of a dead falcon in Israel from 2017.
Reposted by John W. Curtis
JUST IN: AG Pam Bondi deletes a post touting a chart as proof of the Trump administration's success in reducing drug overdoses—after being informed the data actually reflected the *Biden* administration’s record.
December 31, 2025 at 12:11 AM
JUST IN: AG Pam Bondi deletes a post touting a chart as proof of the Trump administration's success in reducing drug overdoses—after being informed the data actually reflected the *Biden* administration’s record.
Reposted by John W. Curtis
All based on a “gotcha” video claiming that 3 daycares had no kids. One hadn’t opened yet for the day; one is actually closed. Dude arrived with no I.D. No call ahead. They DIDN’T LET HIM IN!
The fraud they’re referencing was investigated & prosecuted by the Biden DOJ. The ringleader was white.
The fraud they’re referencing was investigated & prosecuted by the Biden DOJ. The ringleader was white.
This is monstrous. He wants to turn the residents of the state against Walz and against the Somali-American population.
BREAKING
The Trump administration says it has frozen all childcare payments to Minnesota in the aftermath of allegations of fraud by some in the Somali community.
Important: allegations along these lines have existed for years, which has resulted in prosecutions starting with the Biden DOJ.
The Trump administration says it has frozen all childcare payments to Minnesota in the aftermath of allegations of fraud by some in the Somali community.
Important: allegations along these lines have existed for years, which has resulted in prosecutions starting with the Biden DOJ.
December 31, 2025 at 12:11 AM
All based on a “gotcha” video claiming that 3 daycares had no kids. One hadn’t opened yet for the day; one is actually closed. Dude arrived with no I.D. No call ahead. They DIDN’T LET HIM IN!
The fraud they’re referencing was investigated & prosecuted by the Biden DOJ. The ringleader was white.
The fraud they’re referencing was investigated & prosecuted by the Biden DOJ. The ringleader was white.
Reposted by John W. Curtis
THIS THIS THIS. ALL OF THIS
THIS is why faculty resist technological strategies for teaching. There is no engaging with Edtech without this context
THIS is why faculty resist technological strategies for teaching. There is no engaging with Edtech without this context
December 30, 2025 at 1:50 AM
THIS THIS THIS. ALL OF THIS
THIS is why faculty resist technological strategies for teaching. There is no engaging with Edtech without this context
THIS is why faculty resist technological strategies for teaching. There is no engaging with Edtech without this context
Reposted by John W. Curtis
In this clip from a right wing radio show on Friday, Trump claims that on Christmas Eve the US “knocked out” a facility in Venezuela from which the supposed drug boats launch. Has this been reported anywhere else?
The station’s write up doesn’t mention it: wabcradio.com/2025/12/26/s...
The station’s write up doesn’t mention it: wabcradio.com/2025/12/26/s...
December 28, 2025 at 7:37 PM
In this clip from a right wing radio show on Friday, Trump claims that on Christmas Eve the US “knocked out” a facility in Venezuela from which the supposed drug boats launch. Has this been reported anywhere else?
The station’s write up doesn’t mention it: wabcradio.com/2025/12/26/s...
The station’s write up doesn’t mention it: wabcradio.com/2025/12/26/s...
Reposted by John W. Curtis
Zelenskyy calls Russia’s claim of a strike on one of Putin’s residences a “complete fabrication,” a lie designed to sabotage diplomacy, justify more attacks on Kyiv, and excuse Moscow’s refusal to end the war. He warns the world must not stay silent as Russia tries to derail peace.
December 29, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Zelenskyy calls Russia’s claim of a strike on one of Putin’s residences a “complete fabrication,” a lie designed to sabotage diplomacy, justify more attacks on Kyiv, and excuse Moscow’s refusal to end the war. He warns the world must not stay silent as Russia tries to derail peace.
Reposted by John W. Curtis
Trump tells supporters in a new fundraising email that if they don’t donate to him within the next hour, Democrats will steal their "tariff rebate checks" and give them to "illegals," that the country is "boiling over," and that only an immediate cash transfer to him can stop total disaster.
December 29, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Trump tells supporters in a new fundraising email that if they don’t donate to him within the next hour, Democrats will steal their "tariff rebate checks" and give them to "illegals," that the country is "boiling over," and that only an immediate cash transfer to him can stop total disaster.
Reposted by John W. Curtis
Yeah, man, the only difference between your career and Mark Rufallo’s career is the political stuff.
December 29, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Yeah, man, the only difference between your career and Mark Rufallo’s career is the political stuff.