Melissa Baker
@melissabaker.bsky.social
Asst prof at UTEP. Political psychology and political communication. Studying mental health, cognition, emotions, info behavior, & social media.
Reposted by Melissa Baker
New: The Supreme Court DENIES Kim Davis' request to overturn Obergefell, the marriage equality decision. No noted dissents. www.supremecourt.gov/orders/court...
November 10, 2025 at 2:31 PM
New: The Supreme Court DENIES Kim Davis' request to overturn Obergefell, the marriage equality decision. No noted dissents. www.supremecourt.gov/orders/court...
Annnnd flights canceled when leaving. I jinxed it.
On one hand, I am really excited about the Texas American Behavior Conference at Texas A&M this week. On the other hand, I am watching TSA line videos from IAH this week & wondering if I will even make it to College Station. (Yes, Texas is big enough that it would be a 10+ hour drive from El Paso.)
November 8, 2025 at 11:17 PM
Annnnd flights canceled when leaving. I jinxed it.
There is now a Gen Z slang dplyr and I might use it just so I can have ‘yeet()’ in my code. github.com/hadley/genzp...
GitHub - hadley/genzplyr: dplyr but make it bussin fr fr no cap
dplyr but make it bussin fr fr no cap. Contribute to hadley/genzplyr development by creating an account on GitHub.
github.com
November 7, 2025 at 2:52 PM
There is now a Gen Z slang dplyr and I might use it just so I can have ‘yeet()’ in my code. github.com/hadley/genzp...
Reposted by Melissa Baker
Happy FSTL day to all who celebrate
November 7, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Happy FSTL day to all who celebrate
Reposted by Melissa Baker
Friends, if you have the means to donate to a local food pantry financially via online giving, I highly encourage you to do that. But I don’t want to discount the importance of actually showing up at the pantry, even if it is just to drop off food. (1/5)
November 5, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Friends, if you have the means to donate to a local food pantry financially via online giving, I highly encourage you to do that. But I don’t want to discount the importance of actually showing up at the pantry, even if it is just to drop off food. (1/5)
First thing I saw on social media today was this headline and now I just want to ban myself from the internet but maybe it’s my own fault for knowing how to read
November 6, 2025 at 2:16 PM
First thing I saw on social media today was this headline and now I just want to ban myself from the internet but maybe it’s my own fault for knowing how to read
Reposted by Melissa Baker
Trump's approval rating has fallen the most among the voters who are newest to his coalition: people of color and young people. Good article from Mary Radcliffe (who is a must-read): marywitha4.substack.com/p/trumps-app...
November 5, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Trump's approval rating has fallen the most among the voters who are newest to his coalition: people of color and young people. Good article from Mary Radcliffe (who is a must-read): marywitha4.substack.com/p/trumps-app...
On one hand, I am really excited about the Texas American Behavior Conference at Texas A&M this week. On the other hand, I am watching TSA line videos from IAH this week & wondering if I will even make it to College Station. (Yes, Texas is big enough that it would be a 10+ hour drive from El Paso.)
November 5, 2025 at 7:03 PM
On one hand, I am really excited about the Texas American Behavior Conference at Texas A&M this week. On the other hand, I am watching TSA line videos from IAH this week & wondering if I will even make it to College Station. (Yes, Texas is big enough that it would be a 10+ hour drive from El Paso.)
I’m gonna need people in NYC* to post videos of reactions in the streets
*except Staten Island
*except Staten Island
Clicked the button to see the borough breakdown EXTREMELY fast.
November 5, 2025 at 2:58 AM
I’m gonna need people in NYC* to post videos of reactions in the streets
*except Staten Island
*except Staten Island
Clicked the button to see the borough breakdown EXTREMELY fast.
November 5, 2025 at 2:53 AM
Clicked the button to see the borough breakdown EXTREMELY fast.
Reposted by Melissa Baker
i want to repeat this: mamdani and spanberger have run similar campaigns tailored to their respective electorates and it is maddening to watch political journalists attempt to create some broad contrast where none exist
the other thing about this is that there is no reason to pit these candidates against each other? each are good fits for their respective electorates and each shows the value of vigorous campaigns focused on the stated material problems of voters.
November 4, 2025 at 1:37 PM
i want to repeat this: mamdani and spanberger have run similar campaigns tailored to their respective electorates and it is maddening to watch political journalists attempt to create some broad contrast where none exist
There’s no way. & the gun range one is about unknown dangers at gun ranges. One of the craziest auto schedule release coincidences.
November 4, 2025 at 2:09 PM
There’s no way. & the gun range one is about unknown dangers at gun ranges. One of the craziest auto schedule release coincidences.
Hey people who are familiar with College Station, where should I eat? Getting into town early before a conference & have a couple meals to fill. Bonus points if it’s Cajun or soul food!
November 3, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Hey people who are familiar with College Station, where should I eat? Getting into town early before a conference & have a couple meals to fill. Bonus points if it’s Cajun or soul food!
Reposted by Melissa Baker
It’s official, Canada has to keep Drake.
November 2, 2025 at 4:27 AM
It’s official, Canada has to keep Drake.
Reposted by Melissa Baker
Will Smith has a reading foundation and visits public schools. Just so you know the guy who hit that game winning homer has done good things for the LAUSD
Daughter comes out of school with a brand new Dodgers hat and I ask her where she got it.
"Oh this guy Will Smith from the Dodgers read us a story at school today"
"Oh this guy Will Smith from the Dodgers read us a story at school today"
November 2, 2025 at 4:26 AM
Will Smith has a reading foundation and visits public schools. Just so you know the guy who hit that game winning homer has done good things for the LAUSD
Reposted by Melissa Baker
Well, this is a story all about how, this game got flipped turned upside down . . . .
November 2, 2025 at 4:09 AM
Well, this is a story all about how, this game got flipped turned upside down . . . .
Reposted by Melissa Baker
Me watching TRL after school in the late 90s
it is ALWAYS Will Smith
November 2, 2025 at 4:08 AM
Me watching TRL after school in the late 90s
Reposted by Melissa Baker
If you're in line to bat at Game 7 of the World Series STAY IN LINE
November 2, 2025 at 3:59 AM
If you're in line to bat at Game 7 of the World Series STAY IN LINE
In hindsight, maybe thinking that I could recover from the stress of the Nebraska football game with game 7 of the World Series wasn’t the best logic in the world.
November 2, 2025 at 3:53 AM
In hindsight, maybe thinking that I could recover from the stress of the Nebraska football game with game 7 of the World Series wasn’t the best logic in the world.
Reposted by Melissa Baker
I’m enjoying the games and the drama, but I honestly believe if I was a real fan of either of these teams I’d be dead from a coronary.
November 2, 2025 at 3:27 AM
I’m enjoying the games and the drama, but I honestly believe if I was a real fan of either of these teams I’d be dead from a coronary.
My whole feed is sports for the first time here and I love it
November 2, 2025 at 3:32 AM
My whole feed is sports for the first time here and I love it
😂
I love sports announcers: “In a game full of MVPs, who could imagine it would be a total fucking loser who would hit a home run to tie the score in the top of the 9th”
November 2, 2025 at 3:31 AM
😂
Watching game 7 as someone who doesn’t care much about baseball but has a lot of love for the cities of Los Angeles and Toronto is conflicting.
November 2, 2025 at 12:52 AM
Watching game 7 as someone who doesn’t care much about baseball but has a lot of love for the cities of Los Angeles and Toronto is conflicting.
Reposted by Melissa Baker
NEWS: The Trump admin's decision to suspend SNAP benefits due to the shutdown has been blocked. In two cases, both judges found the government action is likely illegal. Although a judge in Mass gave the admin until Monday to reverse course, a judge in Rhode Island issued a TRO from the bench today.
BREAKING: Federal judge rules that the Trump administration likely illegally suspended SNAP benefits, ruling that at least reduced distribution is required to go forward under law using the $6 billion reserve fund.
Judge gives the Trump admin until Monday to respond as to whether it will act.
Judge gives the Trump admin until Monday to respond as to whether it will act.
![UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS ET AL.,
Plaintiffs,
V.
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ET AL.,
Defendants.
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Civil Action No. 1:25-cv-13165-IT
MEMORANDUM AND ORDER
October 31, 2025
TALWANI, D.J.
Pending before the court is Plaintiffs' Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order [Doc.
No. 3] seeking to enjoin, on an emergency basis, Defendants' November 1, 2025 suspension of benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ("SNAP"). For the reasons stated
below, Plaintiffs have standing to bring this action and are likely to succeed on their claim that
Defendants' suspension of SNAP benefits is unlawful. Where that suspension of benefits rested
on an erroneous construction of the relevant statutory provisions, the court will allow Defendants
to consider whether they will authorize at least reduced SNAP benefits for November, and report
back to the court no later than Monday, November 3, 2025.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:36eqtmzysqf7wsslczw4uxcd/bafkreiczapq36myqhzcrdp4jfodg5rkso7nuvlta4e5b5r4l5upce7b3le@jpeg)
![As both parties acknowledge, Congress has not yet appropriated any new funds for SNAP
benefits for Fiscal Year 2026, which began on October 1, 2025. Pls.' Mem. 6 [Doc. No. 4];
Defs.' Opp'n 7 [Doc. No. 18]. But Congress took steps to protect against the deprivation of
SNAP assistance. In the 2024 Consolidated Appropriations Act, Pub. L. No. 118-42, § 6, 138
Stat. 25, 93-94, Congress separately appropriated $6 billion to the SNAP program "to remain available through September 30, 2026" and "be placed in reserve for use only in such amounts and at such times as may become necessary to carry out program operations." See also Pub. L.
No. 119-4, § 1101(a), 139 Stat. 9, 10 (2025). As Plaintiffs point out, given the mandatory nature
of SNAP benefits under 7 U.S.C. § 2014(a) and the appropriation of these funds to be available
10
Case 1:25-cv-13165-IT
Document 26 Filed 10/31/25
Page 11 of 15
through this current fiscal year, the government is obligated to use this contingent reserve
account to fund SNAP "as may become necessary to carry out program operations." 138 Stat. at
93-94; Pls.' Mem. 11 [Doc. No. 4].](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:36eqtmzysqf7wsslczw4uxcd/bafkreiac7aa6icx44x5xjkilpwj7il5oriyttttnrslzrhkwvw6b32cbnm@jpeg)
October 31, 2025 at 6:28 PM
NEWS: The Trump admin's decision to suspend SNAP benefits due to the shutdown has been blocked. In two cases, both judges found the government action is likely illegal. Although a judge in Mass gave the admin until Monday to reverse course, a judge in Rhode Island issued a TRO from the bench today.
Reposted by Melissa Baker
These dogs were spotted taking a group photo in their Halloween costumes. We're impressed by the dog walker's dedication to getting the shot, but that ghost definitely wishes he could actually disappear. 14/10 for all (TT: franklinbarkzoo)
October 30, 2025 at 10:57 PM
These dogs were spotted taking a group photo in their Halloween costumes. We're impressed by the dog walker's dedication to getting the shot, but that ghost definitely wishes he could actually disappear. 14/10 for all (TT: franklinbarkzoo)