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
Every time someone’s like “put that in the louvre,” my head now goes “and then steal it from the louvre, the security password is louvre”
November 11, 2025 at 3:33 AM
Every time someone’s like “put that in the louvre,” my head now goes “and then steal it from the louvre, the security password is louvre”
I know, everybody should leave X, but I think an exception should be made solely for Joyce Carol Oates so she can keep wounding Musk's withered soul on his own site and he can't do a thing about it.
![Joyce Carol Oates quoting a tweet that says “wherever he [Elon Musk] goes, he wants to leave”:
"wherever he goes, he wants to leave"-- that's because when he gets there, he has brought his own self along; & whatever club he's invited to join has been devalued by the invitation.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:buy3qvqcj3o76leo6ap7pn2p/bafkreifilfbsxemfsambf4kqwolr24ld2ekqcrz4ybgv3bv7kzi5e6kppm@jpeg)
November 11, 2025 at 3:14 AM
I know, everybody should leave X, but I think an exception should be made solely for Joyce Carol Oates so she can keep wounding Musk's withered soul on his own site and he can't do a thing about it.
Hemp regulation is a genuine issue but overnight obliteration is ludicrously bad policy. Whole lot of hemp and hemp-associated businesses will go under, this criminalizes basically every delta-8/9 product with enough in it to have a psychoactive effect.
(Those 24 Senators voted the right way.)
(Those 24 Senators voted the right way.)
The shutdown deal includes a ban on hemp products that none of its negotiators debated in public.
Disappointing that only 24 senators voted against killing an amendment to strike that ban.
www.senate.gov/legislative/...
Disappointing that only 24 senators voted against killing an amendment to strike that ban.
www.senate.gov/legislative/...
November 11, 2025 at 2:30 AM
Hemp regulation is a genuine issue but overnight obliteration is ludicrously bad policy. Whole lot of hemp and hemp-associated businesses will go under, this criminalizes basically every delta-8/9 product with enough in it to have a psychoactive effect.
(Those 24 Senators voted the right way.)
(Those 24 Senators voted the right way.)
This allows Trump (via DOJ) to use taxpayer money to bribe eight GOP Senators. It's that simple, there's no other way to describe it.
And where's the compensation for people injured by the Trump admin's unlawful conduct through DHS & DOGE?
Take a bow, @schumer.senate.gov, you did this.
And where's the compensation for people injured by the Trump admin's unlawful conduct through DHS & DOGE?
Take a bow, @schumer.senate.gov, you did this.
November 10, 2025 at 9:23 PM
This allows Trump (via DOJ) to use taxpayer money to bribe eight GOP Senators. It's that simple, there's no other way to describe it.
And where's the compensation for people injured by the Trump admin's unlawful conduct through DHS & DOGE?
Take a bow, @schumer.senate.gov, you did this.
And where's the compensation for people injured by the Trump admin's unlawful conduct through DHS & DOGE?
Take a bow, @schumer.senate.gov, you did this.
Wish I could say something more weighty than "clown shit" but this is clown shit, not serious legislative maneuvers from the Democratic Senate Whip. Durbin's big ask is a pointless symbolic vote, even if it passes (it won't) Speaker Johnson said the House will never take it up.
Whoa -- Sen. Durbin went to up Leader Thune during the vote last night to tell him that on the shutdown vote and ACA promise that "8 of us are sticking our neck out that you're going to keep your word. I hope you will. He said 'I assure you I will,'" Durbin says just now
November 10, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Wish I could say something more weighty than "clown shit" but this is clown shit, not serious legislative maneuvers from the Democratic Senate Whip. Durbin's big ask is a pointless symbolic vote, even if it passes (it won't) Speaker Johnson said the House will never take it up.
Funny thing about Nate's attempt to show he and his buddies on X are normal:
Sydney Sweeney's new movie just posted one of the worst wide-release openings ever, whereas Predator Badlands—somehow deemed "woke," "gay," and "feminist" by online right-wingers—crushed it, setting a franchise record.
Sydney Sweeney's new movie just posted one of the worst wide-release openings ever, whereas Predator Badlands—somehow deemed "woke," "gay," and "feminist" by online right-wingers—crushed it, setting a franchise record.
the hipsters, they’re ordering double frufru mocha soy frappuccino. doesn’t anybody order a black coffee anymore
November 10, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Funny thing about Nate's attempt to show he and his buddies on X are normal:
Sydney Sweeney's new movie just posted one of the worst wide-release openings ever, whereas Predator Badlands—somehow deemed "woke," "gay," and "feminist" by online right-wingers—crushed it, setting a franchise record.
Sydney Sweeney's new movie just posted one of the worst wide-release openings ever, whereas Predator Badlands—somehow deemed "woke," "gay," and "feminist" by online right-wingers—crushed it, setting a franchise record.
Yup. A rapid shift to solar/wind is unquestionably the right decision both as a matter of national interest and economic prosperity, including among the rich. Heck, it's essential for the proposed AI economy.
They oppose it nonetheless because they fear disruption to their political/social control.
They oppose it nonetheless because they fear disruption to their political/social control.
I should write the argument up properly somewhere, but I think this is fundamentally wrong. A decisive fraction of the capitalist class does oppose addressing the climate crisis, but *not* because it would be bad for profits. If anything, a green New Deal type program would raise aggregate profits.
Yes, this is correct. And the reason is because our capitalist classes have decided that it is not sufficiently profitable, so they're not going to do it.
We must understand this reality. Capital *cannot* be relied upon to address the climate crisis.
We must understand this reality. Capital *cannot* be relied upon to address the climate crisis.
November 10, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Yup. A rapid shift to solar/wind is unquestionably the right decision both as a matter of national interest and economic prosperity, including among the rich. Heck, it's essential for the proposed AI economy.
They oppose it nonetheless because they fear disruption to their political/social control.
They oppose it nonetheless because they fear disruption to their political/social control.
Reposted by Max Kennerly
“And they are Republicans. I can’t conceive of them once again lying to my face as they have done in the past over and over…”
Shaheen: "We've heard from a number of our colleagues on the other side of the aisle that they're willing to come to the table, they're willing to work with us once the govt is open to get this done. We've heard the same thing from the White House. So now we'll see if they're really gonna work w/us"
November 10, 2025 at 3:13 PM
“And they are Republicans. I can’t conceive of them once again lying to my face as they have done in the past over and over…”
The coordinated nature of this—none are facing voters in 2026—means that either Schumer approved it or failed in his job as Senate Majority Leader to stop it.
Dems voting "no" get zero credit until they demand a change in leadership. Schumer out as Leader, Durbin out as Whip.
Dems voting "no" get zero credit until they demand a change in leadership. Schumer out as Leader, Durbin out as Whip.
so currently defectors are:
Kaine (2030)
Shaheen (Retiring)
Hasan (2028)
Fetterman (2028)
Durbin (Retiring)
CCM (2028)
Rosen (2030)
King (2030)
Kaine (2030)
Shaheen (Retiring)
Hasan (2028)
Fetterman (2028)
Durbin (Retiring)
CCM (2028)
Rosen (2030)
King (2030)
November 10, 2025 at 2:43 AM
The coordinated nature of this—none are facing voters in 2026—means that either Schumer approved it or failed in his job as Senate Majority Leader to stop it.
Dems voting "no" get zero credit until they demand a change in leadership. Schumer out as Leader, Durbin out as Whip.
Dems voting "no" get zero credit until they demand a change in leadership. Schumer out as Leader, Durbin out as Whip.
How much lead do you have to ingest to think you can sell voters on your victory of creating new convoluted HSAs to replace (and, likely, be less than) what used to be a couple button clicks on the ACA marketplace website? Nobody asked for this and nobody will like it.
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
November 9, 2025 at 9:24 PM
How much lead do you have to ingest to think you can sell voters on your victory of creating new convoluted HSAs to replace (and, likely, be less than) what used to be a couple button clicks on the ACA marketplace website? Nobody asked for this and nobody will like it.
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
Reposted by Max Kennerly
Absolute queen shit
November 9, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Absolute queen shit
Reposted by Max Kennerly
Maybe—just maybe—sports leagues getting in bed with gambling companies wasn’t such a hot idea…
November 9, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Maybe—just maybe—sports leagues getting in bed with gambling companies wasn’t such a hot idea…
I particularly hate the suggestion there's some sort of grand bargain in which trans rights are given up in exchange for _______.
No one is offering such a thing. No one would change their vote to Dems after that. The argument exists solely to justify throwing trans people under the bus.
No one is offering such a thing. No one would change their vote to Dems after that. The argument exists solely to justify throwing trans people under the bus.
the harris campaign said the “they/them” ad didn’t sway the election.
one of the trump campaign’s top strategists this week said trans rights isn’t in the top five issues for swing voters.
when will the press stop talking about us like we’re a liability and start looking itself in the mirror
one of the trump campaign’s top strategists this week said trans rights isn’t in the top five issues for swing voters.
when will the press stop talking about us like we’re a liability and start looking itself in the mirror
November 9, 2025 at 6:20 PM
I particularly hate the suggestion there's some sort of grand bargain in which trans rights are given up in exchange for _______.
No one is offering such a thing. No one would change their vote to Dems after that. The argument exists solely to justify throwing trans people under the bus.
No one is offering such a thing. No one would change their vote to Dems after that. The argument exists solely to justify throwing trans people under the bus.
Gov't-backing of 50-year mortgage would create more buyers, but 'more demand, same supply' means prices go up. Plus, a buyer who can't afford monthly payments of a 30-year mortgage probably shouldn't be on a 50-year either, they're likely to default.
It'd just be inflating the bubble a bit more.
It'd just be inflating the bubble a bit more.
November 9, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Gov't-backing of 50-year mortgage would create more buyers, but 'more demand, same supply' means prices go up. Plus, a buyer who can't afford monthly payments of a 30-year mortgage probably shouldn't be on a 50-year either, they're likely to default.
It'd just be inflating the bubble a bit more.
It'd just be inflating the bubble a bit more.
right-wingers: "It is the natural state of affairs for a hierarchical society that matches my preferences."
actual ancient history: societal structures have tremendous variety but there's always somebody making an adorable chonky boi
actual ancient history: societal structures have tremendous variety but there's always somebody making an adorable chonky boi
Happy Sunday! 🦛 💙
Adorable ancient Egyptian blue faience hippos made by artisans some 4,000 years ago!
📷 by me
#Archaeology
Adorable ancient Egyptian blue faience hippos made by artisans some 4,000 years ago!
📷 by me
#Archaeology
November 9, 2025 at 1:38 PM
right-wingers: "It is the natural state of affairs for a hierarchical society that matches my preferences."
actual ancient history: societal structures have tremendous variety but there's always somebody making an adorable chonky boi
actual ancient history: societal structures have tremendous variety but there's always somebody making an adorable chonky boi
Reposted by Max Kennerly
40 men Trump sent to CECOT tell the NYT they were beaten, tortured, and sexually assaulted. The details are worse than you can imagine.
We can’t let them get away with this. Miller and the other architects of this sadism need to go to prison.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/w...
We can’t let them get away with this. Miller and the other architects of this sadism need to go to prison.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/w...
‘You Are All Terrorists’: Four Months in a Salvadoran Prison
www.nytimes.com
November 9, 2025 at 2:20 AM
40 men Trump sent to CECOT tell the NYT they were beaten, tortured, and sexually assaulted. The details are worse than you can imagine.
We can’t let them get away with this. Miller and the other architects of this sadism need to go to prison.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/w...
We can’t let them get away with this. Miller and the other architects of this sadism need to go to prison.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/w...
Who wants to use a credit card / go to a store when you can't tell if the form of payment you brought is accepted until you try it?
The best explanation here is: they know much of the American economy is more collusive than competitive, so consumers generally won't have a choice anyway.
The best explanation here is: they know much of the American economy is more collusive than competitive, so consumers generally won't have a choice anyway.
November 9, 2025 at 2:08 AM
Who wants to use a credit card / go to a store when you can't tell if the form of payment you brought is accepted until you try it?
The best explanation here is: they know much of the American economy is more collusive than competitive, so consumers generally won't have a choice anyway.
The best explanation here is: they know much of the American economy is more collusive than competitive, so consumers generally won't have a choice anyway.
Reposted by Max Kennerly
A Sharon Begley byline, almost 5 years after her death.
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
James Watson, dead at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers
James Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA who died Thursday at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers.
www.statnews.com
November 8, 2025 at 1:39 PM
A Sharon Begley byline, almost 5 years after her death.
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Earlier today, LinkedIn once again recommended I follow Bari Weiss.
It is the 16th time this year LinkedIn has emailed me to recommend I follow her.
This isn't tailored to me; my account is dormant with few connections. She's been a default recommendation all year—yet still only 33k followers.
It is the 16th time this year LinkedIn has emailed me to recommend I follow her.
This isn't tailored to me; my account is dormant with few connections. She's been a default recommendation all year—yet still only 33k followers.
November 9, 2025 at 12:35 AM
Earlier today, LinkedIn once again recommended I follow Bari Weiss.
It is the 16th time this year LinkedIn has emailed me to recommend I follow her.
This isn't tailored to me; my account is dormant with few connections. She's been a default recommendation all year—yet still only 33k followers.
It is the 16th time this year LinkedIn has emailed me to recommend I follow her.
This isn't tailored to me; my account is dormant with few connections. She's been a default recommendation all year—yet still only 33k followers.
NYTimes can't even excuse this misrepresentation away as a subjective characterization in an "opinion" piece. It's in a straight news story in the "Politics" section, presented as if it's an objective fact.
"overwhelming defeat" is when you lose by a point and a half (historically narrow) www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/u...
November 8, 2025 at 10:33 PM
NYTimes can't even excuse this misrepresentation away as a subjective characterization in an "opinion" piece. It's in a straight news story in the "Politics" section, presented as if it's an objective fact.
Reposted by Max Kennerly
oh so these people do pay attention to who politicians follow on social media, they just don’t care that the vice president follows a bunch of actual neo-nazis
Axios tried to bust James Talarico for following adult content creators on Instagram and I'm genuinely impressed by his campaign's response
November 8, 2025 at 4:39 PM
oh so these people do pay attention to who politicians follow on social media, they just don’t care that the vice president follows a bunch of actual neo-nazis
Yep. On the one hand, we can never know if something was nullification versus standard failure to prove, but I think we had ample evidence that the agent was never in any fear (reasonable or otherwise) of physical injury.
Evidence so ample that it's a disgrace the prosecution was brought at all.
Evidence so ample that it's a disgrace the prosecution was brought at all.
Sandwich verdict wasn’t jury nullification. It was failure to prove the required “reasonable fear of physical injury” in a case where the agent was wearing A BULLETPROOF VEST. The only crime was the waste of resources on this case. My thoughts in @MSNBCDaily.
www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnb...
www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnb...
Opinion | The sandwich thrower was wrong. But Jeanine Pirro was, too.
To establish a forcible assault, jurors were required to find that Dunn caused “reasonable apprehension of immediate bodily harm.” That allegation was laughable.
www.msnbc.com
November 8, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Yep. On the one hand, we can never know if something was nullification versus standard failure to prove, but I think we had ample evidence that the agent was never in any fear (reasonable or otherwise) of physical injury.
Evidence so ample that it's a disgrace the prosecution was brought at all.
Evidence so ample that it's a disgrace the prosecution was brought at all.
Thinking about the many times I've seen "Obama is ignorant" or "AOC doesn't understand economics" or the like while Trump belches out a half-baked insincere proposal for a two-step version of the same ACA subsidy he's trying to eliminate.
November 8, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Thinking about the many times I've seen "Obama is ignorant" or "AOC doesn't understand economics" or the like while Trump belches out a half-baked insincere proposal for a two-step version of the same ACA subsidy he's trying to eliminate.
Reminder that Republicans don't really believe in religious liberty. Religion is a tool for enhancing their political power, and any expression of faith to the contrary must be suppressed.
“Federal authorities told demonstrators Friday that there would be ‘no more prayer’ in front of or inside the Broadview ICE facility, in a move that mystified local leaders and raised legal questions.” blockclubchicago.org/2025/11/07/f...
Feds Tell Faith Leaders 'No More Prayer' Outside Broadview Facility
In a possible violation of the First Amendment, federal officials instructed demonstrators to stop holding religious gatherings outside the immigration processing facility in suburban Broadview after ...
blockclubchicago.org
November 8, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Reminder that Republicans don't really believe in religious liberty. Religion is a tool for enhancing their political power, and any expression of faith to the contrary must be suppressed.
Reposted by Max Kennerly
Remember, historically judges will almost always take gov't claims at face value. It's an astounding fact that judges are now increasingly realizing that this administration just flat out lies to them constantly. And it's good to see them calling it out (in this case with a Trump-appointed judge).
A long and comprehensive opinion, but this jumped out at me: The judge accused the Federal Protective Service—which was called in to suppress the protests—of lying under oath to slander the regular Portland police.😬
DOJ recently admitted that other FPS claims in this case were objectively false.
DOJ recently admitted that other FPS claims in this case were objectively false.
November 8, 2025 at 1:24 AM
Remember, historically judges will almost always take gov't claims at face value. It's an astounding fact that judges are now increasingly realizing that this administration just flat out lies to them constantly. And it's good to see them calling it out (in this case with a Trump-appointed judge).