Max Kennerly
@maxkennerly.bsky.social
Nearly 20 years in court as a law-talking guy for plaintiffs, now a mix of stuff. Posts too much about politics.
email max@kennerlylaw.com
email max@kennerlylaw.com
Reposted by Max Kennerly
Pretty clear that Trump aims to destroy the basic research capacities of the United States.
Students applying for NSF funding are having their applications “returned without review” for being “ineligible,” despite their proposed research falling squarely within the application guidelines. eos.org/research-and...
Graduate Students’ NSF Fellowship Applications Are Being “Returned Without Review” - Eos
Graduate students applying for NSF funding have had their applications returned without review—even though their proposed research appears to fall squarely within the fields of study outlined in the p...
eos.org
February 12, 2026 at 12:54 AM
Pretty clear that Trump aims to destroy the basic research capacities of the United States.
Reposted by Max Kennerly
If you saw today's headline that Gallup will stop measuring presidential approval, they did the same thing in 2018. They do it whenever Trump is president.
February 11, 2026 at 7:27 PM
If you saw today's headline that Gallup will stop measuring presidential approval, they did the same thing in 2018. They do it whenever Trump is president.
Reposted by Max Kennerly
this is a level of complicity that had not occurred to me
Gallup will no longer measure presidential approval after 88 years thehill.com/homenews/med...
February 11, 2026 at 7:28 PM
this is a level of complicity that had not occurred to me
TBH I'd like to upgrade our factional internecine purity test hypothetical question to:
"In the 2028 election, if your two choices are Trump and Mamdani, would you vote for Mamdani?"
"But—"
"Yes, the Constitution prohibits both candidates from taking office. You still must answer the question."
"In the 2028 election, if your two choices are Trump and Mamdani, would you vote for Mamdani?"
"But—"
"Yes, the Constitution prohibits both candidates from taking office. You still must answer the question."
tbh nobody should be asking leftists if they'll support newsom and leftists should mostly brush off the question. it's a divisive trap that serves *only* newsom's personal interests. he isn't the candidate, he's a shithead and nominating him would be a bad idea. useless hypothetical.
February 11, 2026 at 5:44 PM
TBH I'd like to upgrade our factional internecine purity test hypothetical question to:
"In the 2028 election, if your two choices are Trump and Mamdani, would you vote for Mamdani?"
"But—"
"Yes, the Constitution prohibits both candidates from taking office. You still must answer the question."
"In the 2028 election, if your two choices are Trump and Mamdani, would you vote for Mamdani?"
"But—"
"Yes, the Constitution prohibits both candidates from taking office. You still must answer the question."
Reposted by Max Kennerly
This was Mike Johnson's third failed rule vote of the 119th Congress, bringing him closer to tying the modern era record for rule failure in the House.
Which is currently held by... Mike Johnson, from the 118th Congress
Which is currently held by... Mike Johnson, from the 118th Congress
RULE VOTE FAILS, 217-214.
Three Republicans- Thomas Massie, Kevin Kiley, and Don Bacon - buck the party to allow floor consideration of measures to end Trump's tariffs.
The first such measure, likely on Canada tariffs, could come up as soon as tomorrow
Three Republicans- Thomas Massie, Kevin Kiley, and Don Bacon - buck the party to allow floor consideration of measures to end Trump's tariffs.
The first such measure, likely on Canada tariffs, could come up as soon as tomorrow
Republicans have been holding this vote open for 40 minutes or so, but the holdouts- Massie, Kiley, Bacon, reportedly left the Capitol. The absent Republican is Greg Murphy (R-NC), who has missed a lot of time since a mid December surgery.
Not clear why Johnson is still holding this vote open
Not clear why Johnson is still holding this vote open
February 11, 2026 at 3:07 AM
This was Mike Johnson's third failed rule vote of the 119th Congress, bringing him closer to tying the modern era record for rule failure in the House.
Which is currently held by... Mike Johnson, from the 118th Congress
Which is currently held by... Mike Johnson, from the 118th Congress
Reposted by Max Kennerly
"construction jobs are way up" [EXTREMELY LOUD INCORRECT BUZZER]
February 10, 2026 at 9:44 PM
"construction jobs are way up" [EXTREMELY LOUD INCORRECT BUZZER]
Probably an inflated number anyway (ahem, "suspected") but this is precisely the result guaranteed by Stephen Miller's quotas. Finding gang members / terrorists is hard, and there aren't many.
But grabbing green card holders & asylum seekers at court hearings & schools is super easy.
But grabbing green card holders & asylum seekers at court hearings & schools is super easy.
A stunning detail the ICE chief shared in this hearing that was supposed to be a brag, except it isn't: ICE has arrested 379,000 people between Jan. 2025-Jan. 2026 -- but only 8,700 were suspected gang members or known suspected terrorists.
That's 2%! www.huffpost.com/entry/latest...
That's 2%! www.huffpost.com/entry/latest...
Congresswoman Uses Simple Math To Show How Broken ICE Is
www.huffpost.com
February 10, 2026 at 8:13 PM
Probably an inflated number anyway (ahem, "suspected") but this is precisely the result guaranteed by Stephen Miller's quotas. Finding gang members / terrorists is hard, and there aren't many.
But grabbing green card holders & asylum seekers at court hearings & schools is super easy.
But grabbing green card holders & asylum seekers at court hearings & schools is super easy.
Sure, Republicans lie, but I can't get over how ludicrous their stated positions are.
In this clip, if you take what he says at face value ("still investigating... from what we have seen... if it is true"), House Republicans are unsure how to confirm the lyrics to a song because it was in Spanish.
In this clip, if you take what he says at face value ("still investigating... from what we have seen... if it is true"), House Republicans are unsure how to confirm the lyrics to a song because it was in Spanish.
Rep Mark Alford (R-MO) says House Rs are "investigating" Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show & talking with FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr. Alford says he didn't watch the whole thing & also doesn't know Spanish but suspects it might have been "much worse than the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction"
February 10, 2026 at 6:28 PM
Sure, Republicans lie, but I can't get over how ludicrous their stated positions are.
In this clip, if you take what he says at face value ("still investigating... from what we have seen... if it is true"), House Republicans are unsure how to confirm the lyrics to a song because it was in Spanish.
In this clip, if you take what he says at face value ("still investigating... from what we have seen... if it is true"), House Republicans are unsure how to confirm the lyrics to a song because it was in Spanish.
Reposted by Max Kennerly
NBC nails the promotional material ahead of the gold medal round.
Its curling time!
(this time with the Alt text)
Its curling time!
(this time with the Alt text)
February 10, 2026 at 5:00 PM
NBC nails the promotional material ahead of the gold medal round.
Its curling time!
(this time with the Alt text)
Its curling time!
(this time with the Alt text)
Reposted by Max Kennerly
just a fucking weird statement on it's face but also highlights how filthy rich and completely out of touch trump's whole cabinet is. a private boat for a family vacation? stopping by a billionaire's island for lunch? nannies, plural?? the epstein class, indeed.
VAN HOLLEN: Did you in fact make the visit to Epstein's private island?
LUTNICK: I did have lunch w/ him as I was on a boat going across on a family vacation. My wife was with me as were my 4 children and nannies. We had lunch on the island. That's true. For an hour. We left with all of my children
LUTNICK: I did have lunch w/ him as I was on a boat going across on a family vacation. My wife was with me as were my 4 children and nannies. We had lunch on the island. That's true. For an hour. We left with all of my children
February 10, 2026 at 4:36 PM
just a fucking weird statement on it's face but also highlights how filthy rich and completely out of touch trump's whole cabinet is. a private boat for a family vacation? stopping by a billionaire's island for lunch? nannies, plural?? the epstein class, indeed.
Reposted by Max Kennerly
Always a great sign for how things are going in your country when 21-year-olds are like “hey, I innovated a system to play bagpipes in tear gas”
Jack Duffy attaches a respirator to his bagpipes to play through tear gas. “I always play it whenever the police retreat because it's like, ‘You fucking ran while we stayed,’” he says.
The full story: lataco.com/protest-bagp...
By Julianne Le
The full story: lataco.com/protest-bagp...
By Julianne Le
February 10, 2026 at 2:19 PM
Always a great sign for how things are going in your country when 21-year-olds are like “hey, I innovated a system to play bagpipes in tear gas”
Reposted by Max Kennerly
Newsom fucked it up. They added language he asked to be included in the bill which gave the judge space to strike down the masking since it only targeted fed agents and not state cops as well. What a penis
February 10, 2026 at 4:05 AM
Newsom fucked it up. They added language he asked to be included in the bill which gave the judge space to strike down the masking since it only targeted fed agents and not state cops as well. What a penis
Reposted by Max Kennerly
After "this out of touch liberal multiculturalism will fail" didn't pan out - BB's show set ratings records and is the most talked-about part of the super bowl - they are desperately pivoting to a blatant lie that "it was successful because it wasn't political"
Analysis: Weeks before he set foot on the stage, Bad Bunny’s halftime performance had already become a media event.
But if you were looking for political commentary, the closest that you got was when he said “God bless America” in English.
But if you were looking for political commentary, the closest that you got was when he said “God bless America” in English.
Analysis | Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show was expected to provoke. Did it?
The Bad Bunny Super Bowl show nodded to injustices in Puerto Rico but mostly evoked wholesome family values that meshed with the more sentimental commercials.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 9, 2026 at 8:28 PM
After "this out of touch liberal multiculturalism will fail" didn't pan out - BB's show set ratings records and is the most talked-about part of the super bowl - they are desperately pivoting to a blatant lie that "it was successful because it wasn't political"
Reposted by Max Kennerly
the primary reason rightwingers will never control culture is because everything they do is hinged upon it being a reaction to the broader culture. the TPUSA half time event would not exist without it being a representation of their grievences
February 9, 2026 at 8:35 PM
the primary reason rightwingers will never control culture is because everything they do is hinged upon it being a reaction to the broader culture. the TPUSA half time event would not exist without it being a representation of their grievences
Reposted by Max Kennerly
The fact that her reaction is almost certainly opportunistic makes this more, not less, significant.
GOP Sen Lummis says she’s changed her mind after the new Epstein revelations today: “Initially my reaction to all this was, I don’t care. I don’t see what the big deal is. But now I see what the big deal is. The members of Congress who were pushing this were not wrong!”
February 10, 2026 at 1:59 AM
The fact that her reaction is almost certainly opportunistic makes this more, not less, significant.
As a father of daughters, let me just say: I don't give a shit what he thinks, it's not his life.
Lindsey Vonn’s father tells the AP he wants her to retire after her Olympic crash
Lindsey Vonn's father says she will no longer race if he has any say. The American skiing superstar broke her left leg in the Olympics downhill over the weekend.
apnews.com
February 10, 2026 at 12:02 AM
As a father of daughters, let me just say: I don't give a shit what he thinks, it's not his life.
Reposted by Max Kennerly
Breaking: Trump told Palm Beach police chief 'everyone' knew about Epstein and 'evil' Maxwell www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...
Trump told Palm Beach police chief ‘everyone’ knew about Epstein, Maxwell was ‘evil’
The new information comes as Ghislaine Maxwell was summoned to appear Monday before a Congressional committee.
www.miamiherald.com
February 9, 2026 at 10:32 PM
Breaking: Trump told Palm Beach police chief 'everyone' knew about Epstein and 'evil' Maxwell www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...
Notable that basically everyone is NIMBY about these, even jerks like Fetterman, who opposes the one planned for Tremont, Pennsylvania. ICE concentration camps pay no taxes while also making huge demands on local infrastructure, everything from water to sewage to power to hospitals.
ICE has now spent over half a BILLION dollars just on purchasing warehouses around the country to convert into detention camps.
If these mega-camps are utilized to the full capacity ICE intends, they'll be the largest prisons in the country, with little real oversight. www.ajc.com/politics/202...
If these mega-camps are utilized to the full capacity ICE intends, they'll be the largest prisons in the country, with little real oversight. www.ajc.com/politics/202...
ICE to begin detaining immigrants inside Social Circle warehouse in April
Homeland Security plans to build warehouse detention facilities in other cities being met with opposition.
www.ajc.com
February 9, 2026 at 9:49 PM
Notable that basically everyone is NIMBY about these, even jerks like Fetterman, who opposes the one planned for Tremont, Pennsylvania. ICE concentration camps pay no taxes while also making huge demands on local infrastructure, everything from water to sewage to power to hospitals.
Reposted by Max Kennerly
oh so the jobs report is going to be BAD bad
February 9, 2026 at 9:14 PM
oh so the jobs report is going to be BAD bad
That's absurd, and also: Anthropic just caused a stir with their legal plugin, but what she's saying undermines using Claude for law. A "kind and worldly assistant" is different from a "zealous advocate." I don't need praise for my draft brief, I need to see how an unethical opponent will attack it.
“She compares her work to the efforts of a parent raising a child. She’s training Claude to detect the difference between right and wrong while imbuing it with unique personality traits.”
This Philosopher Is Teaching AI to Have Morals
The tech company has entrusted the philosopher to endow its chatbot with a sense of right and wrong.
www.wsj.com
February 9, 2026 at 4:59 PM
That's absurd, and also: Anthropic just caused a stir with their legal plugin, but what she's saying undermines using Claude for law. A "kind and worldly assistant" is different from a "zealous advocate." I don't need praise for my draft brief, I need to see how an unethical opponent will attack it.
Just imagine how many times Jake Paul asked Grok to come up with some explanation for why "fake American citizen" was not meant as an insult towards Bad Bunny or Puerto Rico, and each time Grok replying with "???"
February 9, 2026 at 4:26 PM
Just imagine how many times Jake Paul asked Grok to come up with some explanation for why "fake American citizen" was not meant as an insult towards Bad Bunny or Puerto Rico, and each time Grok replying with "???"
Reposted by Max Kennerly
I feel like I'm losing my goddamnned mind.
This op-ed was written by Kathrine Mangu-Ward. Katherine is editor-in-chief of Reason magazine.
Reason fired @shikhadalmia.bsky.social for being too anti-Trump.
This op-ed was written by Kathrine Mangu-Ward. Katherine is editor-in-chief of Reason magazine.
Reason fired @shikhadalmia.bsky.social for being too anti-Trump.
Opinion | Libertarians Tried to Warn You About Trump
www.nytimes.com
February 9, 2026 at 2:09 PM
I feel like I'm losing my goddamnned mind.
This op-ed was written by Kathrine Mangu-Ward. Katherine is editor-in-chief of Reason magazine.
Reason fired @shikhadalmia.bsky.social for being too anti-Trump.
This op-ed was written by Kathrine Mangu-Ward. Katherine is editor-in-chief of Reason magazine.
Reason fired @shikhadalmia.bsky.social for being too anti-Trump.
Reposted by Max Kennerly
*Green card application in process and work permit, married to US citizen
*Lived in US for 20 years, no criminal record
*In detention for five months with no charge, despite judge approving release
*He disputes ICE claim that he signed forms agreeing to deportation
*Lived in US for 20 years, no criminal record
*In detention for five months with no charge, despite judge approving release
*He disputes ICE claim that he signed forms agreeing to deportation
And here is my story: ‘Absolute hell’: Irishman with valid US work permit held by Ice since September
www.irishtimes.com/world/us/202...
www.irishtimes.com/world/us/202...
‘Absolute hell’: Irishman with valid US work permit held by Ice since September
Seamus Culleton has been in a detention facility in Texas for nearly five months despite having no criminal record
www.irishtimes.com
February 9, 2026 at 12:29 PM
*Green card application in process and work permit, married to US citizen
*Lived in US for 20 years, no criminal record
*In detention for five months with no charge, despite judge approving release
*He disputes ICE claim that he signed forms agreeing to deportation
*Lived in US for 20 years, no criminal record
*In detention for five months with no charge, despite judge approving release
*He disputes ICE claim that he signed forms agreeing to deportation
I take comfort in how many Americans think the same. Squid Game and Money Heist were hugely popular in the U.S., and Bad Bunny was at the Super Bowl precisely because he's so popular.
Downside of all this pluralism, though, is that later this month I have to take my daughter to a TWICE concert. 😂
Downside of all this pluralism, though, is that later this month I have to take my daughter to a TWICE concert. 😂
Watched the halftime show. I guess where I fundamentally depart from MAGA is that, when I see something like this, celebrating a culture that's not quite mine, with some references I don't get, something that's not For Me ... I *like* it. I like seeing inside other worlds. Why wouldn't you?
February 9, 2026 at 12:10 PM
I take comfort in how many Americans think the same. Squid Game and Money Heist were hugely popular in the U.S., and Bad Bunny was at the Super Bowl precisely because he's so popular.
Downside of all this pluralism, though, is that later this month I have to take my daughter to a TWICE concert. 😂
Downside of all this pluralism, though, is that later this month I have to take my daughter to a TWICE concert. 😂
Reposted by Max Kennerly
