Mike Lissner
@michaeljaylissner.com
Executive director and co-founder of @free.law. Occasional long distance athlete. Woodworker. Adroitful dodger of questions.
Signal: mlissner.06
Signal: mlissner.06
Reposted by Mike Lissner
So, if I'm reading this correctly, recent USPS reforms are making it logistically impossible for the agency to postmark all letters on the date received, and services that rely on postmarks to prove deadline adherence shouldn't do so anymore.
Important US Postal Service change regarding postmarks and deadlines. Effective Dec 24, mail may receive a postmark several days after it has been received.
www.currentfederaltaxdevelopments.com/blog/2025/12...
www.currentfederaltaxdevelopments.com/blog/2025/12...
USPS Changes to Postmark Date System Taking Effect December 24, 2025 — Current Federal Tax Developments
Summary of the Final Rule The United States Postal Service (USPS) has adopted a final rule ( FR Doc. 2025-20740 ) adding Section 6 08.11, "Postmarks and Postal Possession," to the Domestic Mail Manu...
www.currentfederaltaxdevelopments.com
December 29, 2025 at 7:29 PM
So, if I'm reading this correctly, recent USPS reforms are making it logistically impossible for the agency to postmark all letters on the date received, and services that rely on postmarks to prove deadline adherence shouldn't do so anymore.
Reposted by Mike Lissner
Reposting this for those that missed it last week. We hope you’ll check out what we accomplished and consider supporting our work.
Our annual director’s letter is out, and, well, it has been an incredible year. Please give it a read to learn about our growth, what we’ve accomplished, and what we hope to do next year. Thank you to all our supporters, big and small. free.law/fundraiser/2...
Our 2025 Director's Letter
In 2025, we launched revolutionary tools, earned major awards, grew our team, and reached historic milestones. Here's how your support made it possible.
free.law
December 29, 2025 at 10:59 PM
Reposting this for those that missed it last week. We hope you’ll check out what we accomplished and consider supporting our work.
Reposted by Mike Lissner
“The Court got a very big one right—in ways that will almost certainly make it more difficult, as it should be, for the Trump administration to attempt to militarize domestic law enforcement based on dubious factual predicates.”
Me in today’s “One First” on four takeaways from Trump v. Illinois:
Me in today’s “One First” on four takeaways from Trump v. Illinois:
199. Four Takeaways From the National Guard Ruling
A deep dive into last Tuesday's ruling in which a 6-3 majority of the Court stopped the Trump administration from deploying federalized National Guard troops into and around Chicago.
www.stevevladeck.com
December 29, 2025 at 2:38 PM
“The Court got a very big one right—in ways that will almost certainly make it more difficult, as it should be, for the Trump administration to attempt to militarize domestic law enforcement based on dubious factual predicates.”
Me in today’s “One First” on four takeaways from Trump v. Illinois:
Me in today’s “One First” on four takeaways from Trump v. Illinois:
Reposted by Mike Lissner
If you are a programmer and an AI hold-out, and you have some time off during Christmas: gift yourself a 100 USD subscription to Claude Code and … try it. But really try it. Take a week if you can afford it and dive in. It will change your opinion on these tools.
December 29, 2025 at 3:12 PM
If you are a programmer and an AI hold-out, and you have some time off during Christmas: gift yourself a 100 USD subscription to Claude Code and … try it. But really try it. Take a week if you can afford it and dive in. It will change your opinion on these tools.
Reposted by Mike Lissner
“Car bloat”—increasingly oversized automobiles—worsens road safety, affordability and the environment.
Here are some of the stories I wrote in 2025 examining the trend and proposing solutions. 🧵
In @vox.com, I likened car bloat to secondhand smoke (which helped bring down the US tobacco industry).
Here are some of the stories I wrote in 2025 examining the trend and proposing solutions. 🧵
In @vox.com, I likened car bloat to secondhand smoke (which helped bring down the US tobacco industry).
Gigantic SUVs are a public health threat. Why don’t we treat them like one?
The anti-tobacco playbook could help turn the US public against their beloved oversized cars.
www.vox.com
December 28, 2025 at 1:08 PM
“Car bloat”—increasingly oversized automobiles—worsens road safety, affordability and the environment.
Here are some of the stories I wrote in 2025 examining the trend and proposing solutions. 🧵
In @vox.com, I likened car bloat to secondhand smoke (which helped bring down the US tobacco industry).
Here are some of the stories I wrote in 2025 examining the trend and proposing solutions. 🧵
In @vox.com, I likened car bloat to secondhand smoke (which helped bring down the US tobacco industry).
This might be real and that’s probably good enough for now.
another robot highlight for 2025: man wearing humanoid mocap suit kicks himself in the balls
December 28, 2025 at 5:32 AM
This might be real and that’s probably good enough for now.
The actual article does not support the headline. It’s just a summary of a bunch of posts on X. Beware of posts like this that don’t link to the source and that crop out the name of the publication. www.ibtimes.co.uk/epstein-file...
December 27, 2025 at 3:55 AM
The actual article does not support the headline. It’s just a summary of a bunch of posts on X. Beware of posts like this that don’t link to the source and that crop out the name of the publication. www.ibtimes.co.uk/epstein-file...
Reposted by Mike Lissner
In case you didn't know...
Both male & female Reindeer grow antlers, but males lose them in late Autumn. All Santa’s reindeer are therefore female, which means Rudolph is persistently misgendered.
Both male & female Reindeer grow antlers, but males lose them in late Autumn. All Santa’s reindeer are therefore female, which means Rudolph is persistently misgendered.
December 24, 2025 at 9:54 PM
In case you didn't know...
Both male & female Reindeer grow antlers, but males lose them in late Autumn. All Santa’s reindeer are therefore female, which means Rudolph is persistently misgendered.
Both male & female Reindeer grow antlers, but males lose them in late Autumn. All Santa’s reindeer are therefore female, which means Rudolph is persistently misgendered.
Reposted by Mike Lissner
Merry Christmas to those who like being wished Merry Christmas and have a very nice Thursday to those who do not
December 25, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Merry Christmas to those who like being wished Merry Christmas and have a very nice Thursday to those who do not
Reposted by Mike Lissner
A small (personal) example of this book’s intellectual dishonesty:
My father-in-law is reading In Covid’s Wake, and excitedly told me he found a passage where I’m quoted. The quote in question is me saying the FBI worked to censor speech on social media.
Huh? When did I say that?!
My father-in-law is reading In Covid’s Wake, and excitedly told me he found a passage where I’m quoted. The quote in question is me saying the FBI worked to censor speech on social media.
Huh? When did I say that?!
December 24, 2025 at 7:00 PM
A small (personal) example of this book’s intellectual dishonesty:
My father-in-law is reading In Covid’s Wake, and excitedly told me he found a passage where I’m quoted. The quote in question is me saying the FBI worked to censor speech on social media.
Huh? When did I say that?!
My father-in-law is reading In Covid’s Wake, and excitedly told me he found a passage where I’m quoted. The quote in question is me saying the FBI worked to censor speech on social media.
Huh? When did I say that?!
I kid you not, this whole really long article is about at most a $2.50 fee on a ride that usually costs around $100. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/24/n....
$100 for a Cab to the Airport? It May Soon Get Worse.
www.nytimes.com
December 24, 2025 at 3:57 PM
I kid you not, this whole really long article is about at most a $2.50 fee on a ride that usually costs around $100. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/24/n....
Reposted by Mike Lissner
On Trump’s orders, the National Center for Atmospheric Research will be shut down after more than 50 years as a leader in global research on climate science and monitoring. This is what authoritarian science looks like.
www.thenation.com/article/poli...
www.thenation.com/article/poli...
Destroy the Metrics, Destroy the Truth
Trump’s decimation of public health systems isn’t about efficiency, cost-saving, or even ideology. It’s about building a world without truth or the possibility of accountability.
www.thenation.com
December 24, 2025 at 10:34 AM
On Trump’s orders, the National Center for Atmospheric Research will be shut down after more than 50 years as a leader in global research on climate science and monitoring. This is what authoritarian science looks like.
www.thenation.com/article/poli...
www.thenation.com/article/poli...
Awesome and obvious.
Finland uses a progressive scale for speeding tickets; the fine amount is based in part on income. In 2023, a businessman got hit with a €121,000 fine. [theguardian.com]
Finnish businessman hit with €121,000 speeding fine
Anders Wiklöf fell foul of system based on severity of offence and offender’s income
www.theguardian.com
December 23, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Awesome and obvious.
Reposted by Mike Lissner
NEW:
One brought a gun home.
One moved.
Others improved home security.
Life as a federal judge in the age of Trump:
www.nbcnews.com/politics/pol...
One brought a gun home.
One moved.
Others improved home security.
Life as a federal judge in the age of Trump:
www.nbcnews.com/politics/pol...
Judges who ruled against Trump say harassment and threats have changed their lives
More than 100 pizzas were delivered to the homes of judges and their families this year, some with signs of foreign involvement. Judges say the message is clear: We know where you live.
www.nbcnews.com
December 23, 2025 at 7:06 PM
NEW:
One brought a gun home.
One moved.
Others improved home security.
Life as a federal judge in the age of Trump:
www.nbcnews.com/politics/pol...
One brought a gun home.
One moved.
Others improved home security.
Life as a federal judge in the age of Trump:
www.nbcnews.com/politics/pol...
Reposted by Mike Lissner
Kavanaugh in a footnote in today's opinion says "the officers must not make interior immigration stops or arrests based on race or ethnicity."
December 23, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Kavanaugh in a footnote in today's opinion says "the officers must not make interior immigration stops or arrests based on race or ethnicity."
My annual letter is out. Please do give it a read. The team has really delivered incredible things this year, and next looks to be another step up.
Our annual director’s letter is out, and, well, it has been an incredible year. Please give it a read to learn about our growth, what we’ve accomplished, and what we hope to do next year. Thank you to all our supporters, big and small. free.law/fundraiser/2...
Our 2025 Director's Letter
In 2025, we launched revolutionary tools, earned major awards, grew our team, and reached historic milestones. Here's how your support made it possible.
free.law
December 23, 2025 at 7:42 PM
My annual letter is out. Please do give it a read. The team has really delivered incredible things this year, and next looks to be another step up.
Reposted by Mike Lissner
This is wild. Why would a line like this be redacted:
“Epstein also threatened harm to victims and helped release damaging stories about them to damage their credibility when they tried to go public with their stories of being trafficked and sexually abused.”
“Epstein also threatened harm to victims and helped release damaging stories about them to damage their credibility when they tried to go public with their stories of being trafficked and sexually abused.”
Ok. Now had a chance to check and, well, at least some docs do appear to be straight up classic redaction fail. And there are some *interesting* bits here.
www.justice.gov/multimedia/C...
www.justice.gov/multimedia/C...
December 23, 2025 at 4:25 AM
This is wild. Why would a line like this be redacted:
“Epstein also threatened harm to victims and helped release damaging stories about them to damage their credibility when they tried to go public with their stories of being trafficked and sexually abused.”
“Epstein also threatened harm to victims and helped release damaging stories about them to damage their credibility when they tried to go public with their stories of being trafficked and sexually abused.”
Just mentioning this in case it’s useful to anybody…
Y’all know we have a tool for finding exactly these kinds of bad redactions, right? free.law/open-source-...
December 23, 2025 at 5:14 AM
Just mentioning this in case it’s useful to anybody…
Scrapers are back. This time they're hitting the front end using browsers with JavaScript, so they show up in our analytics logs:
December 22, 2025 at 11:41 PM
Scrapers are back. This time they're hitting the front end using browsers with JavaScript, so they show up in our analytics logs:
Reposted by Mike Lissner
Worth noting, I guess, that inside of a year we've gone from administration officials taking selfies of themselves at CECOT and bragging about how it's hell on earth to now getting their horrible little media worms to kill stories about it
December 22, 2025 at 2:55 AM
Worth noting, I guess, that inside of a year we've gone from administration officials taking selfies of themselves at CECOT and bragging about how it's hell on earth to now getting their horrible little media worms to kill stories about it
Reposted by Mike Lissner
A new bus-only lane was criticized for years for a design that encouraged illegal speeding. But simple interventions, including bollards, have drastically reduced fatalities.
International Boulevard’s makeover ended pedestrian deaths this year
A new bus-only lane was criticized for years for a design that encouraged illegal speeding. But simple interventions, including bollards, have drastically reduced fatalities.
oaklandside.org
December 22, 2025 at 9:05 PM
A new bus-only lane was criticized for years for a design that encouraged illegal speeding. But simple interventions, including bollards, have drastically reduced fatalities.
Christ, Apple. Pine nuts, not prime mutes. How is Apple so bad at this?
December 22, 2025 at 6:26 AM
Christ, Apple. Pine nuts, not prime mutes. How is Apple so bad at this?
Reposted by Mike Lissner
Amazing work from whoever was up in N6914W over Ohio … www.flightaware.com/live/flight/...
December 22, 2025 at 12:03 AM
Amazing work from whoever was up in N6914W over Ohio … www.flightaware.com/live/flight/...
Reposted by Mike Lissner
this labeler tells you a bunch of useful things but the killer app is the flag for if somebody’s caught 20+ blocks in a 24-hour period and I never want to be without it again
bsky.app
December 19, 2025 at 6:12 AM
this labeler tells you a bunch of useful things but the killer app is the flag for if somebody’s caught 20+ blocks in a 24-hour period and I never want to be without it again
