Shelly Penton
@plaidsilk.bsky.social
PhD Candidate Religious Studies. UVA. Skeets my own.
Reposted by Shelly Penton
I really urge anyone interested in or concerned for UVA to read the letter, which is soberly written but includes some pretty dramatic information.
November 14, 2025 at 2:04 PM
I really urge anyone interested in or concerned for UVA to read the letter, which is soberly written but includes some pretty dramatic information.
Reposted by Shelly Penton
MAGA’s ongoing war on academic freedom, reflected in headlines from the last 24 hours.
November 14, 2025 at 1:17 PM
MAGA’s ongoing war on academic freedom, reflected in headlines from the last 24 hours.
Reposted by Shelly Penton
This seems to be a common misconception. *There is nowhere to go* for most faculty & staff. The academic labor market is incredibly inflexible even in good times, we haven't been in good times for decades, and we're now in a *contracting* phase, not expanding. For most people, there's nowhere to go.
November 14, 2025 at 1:57 PM
This seems to be a common misconception. *There is nowhere to go* for most faculty & staff. The academic labor market is incredibly inflexible even in good times, we haven't been in good times for decades, and we're now in a *contracting* phase, not expanding. For most people, there's nowhere to go.
Reposted by Shelly Penton
So much to unpack here. But importantly: the first rule of journalism is to get the name of the cat, or dog. Or in this case, the horse.
"The ad’s aesthetic sits somewhere between a political campaign ad and a Jeep commercial..." is ✨ writing
www.propublica.org/article/kris...
"The ad’s aesthetic sits somewhere between a political campaign ad and a Jeep commercial..." is ✨ writing
www.propublica.org/article/kris...
NEW: We’ve uncovered the first known example of taxpayer money flowing from DHS to businesses controlled by Kristi Noem’s allies and friends.
It’s part of a money trail that’s been shrouded in secrecy—and involves $220 million, a mysterious Delaware LLC & a horse named Gill.
It’s part of a money trail that’s been shrouded in secrecy—and involves $220 million, a mysterious Delaware LLC & a horse named Gill.
November 14, 2025 at 2:05 PM
So much to unpack here. But importantly: the first rule of journalism is to get the name of the cat, or dog. Or in this case, the horse.
"The ad’s aesthetic sits somewhere between a political campaign ad and a Jeep commercial..." is ✨ writing
www.propublica.org/article/kris...
"The ad’s aesthetic sits somewhere between a political campaign ad and a Jeep commercial..." is ✨ writing
www.propublica.org/article/kris...
Fox News propaganda machine still winning at providing pretextual fodder to violate people's rights.
NEW: ProPublica examined months of Fox News’ coverage and reviewed over 700 videos posted on social media.
The network used five-year-old footage, mislabeled other dates and implied footage from elsewhere was in Portland.
The network used five-year-old footage, mislabeled other dates and implied footage from elsewhere was in Portland.
“Riots Raging”: The Misleading Story Fox News Told About Portland Before Trump Sent Troops
After reviewing coverage from the network and hours of social media videos that preceded Trump’s decision, ProPublica found that Fox’s portrayal of “Portland rioters” routinely instigating violence was misleading.
www.propublica.org
November 14, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Fox News propaganda machine still winning at providing pretextual fodder to violate people's rights.
The message has always been, "These people did whatever the fuck they wanted, and they still do. And they're going to do it to you," and we should say it that way.
Trump is demanding that GOP side with him over Epstein's victims, Rep Ansari tells me. She had a harrowing exchange with one victim who recounts how her mom had cancer and he exploited that.
Also note her mockery of network disclaimers on Trump. More like this, Ds:
newrepublic.com/article/2031...
Also note her mockery of network disclaimers on Trump. More like this, Ds:
newrepublic.com/article/2031...
November 14, 2025 at 2:00 PM
The message has always been, "These people did whatever the fuck they wanted, and they still do. And they're going to do it to you," and we should say it that way.
Reposted by Shelly Penton
Meanwhile, here's an example of the horrendous things found in Hillary Clinton's emails—the only story worth covering for any serious news outlet in 2016, apparently.
This email is also regarding a child who suffered abuse from a grown man.
This email is also regarding a child who suffered abuse from a grown man.
November 13, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Meanwhile, here's an example of the horrendous things found in Hillary Clinton's emails—the only story worth covering for any serious news outlet in 2016, apparently.
This email is also regarding a child who suffered abuse from a grown man.
This email is also regarding a child who suffered abuse from a grown man.
Reposted by Shelly Penton
What you want from a functional, thriving superpower is every reporter in the country spending all day combing through a cache of documents that all say, more or less, “hi [rich ruling class person], it was good seeing you last week for all the child sex crimes!”
November 13, 2025 at 3:13 AM
What you want from a functional, thriving superpower is every reporter in the country spending all day combing through a cache of documents that all say, more or less, “hi [rich ruling class person], it was good seeing you last week for all the child sex crimes!”
Reposted by Shelly Penton
*at christmas* “look, honey, of course we all wanted more things under the tree, but the people in charge made the completely reasonable decision to protect the international brotherhood of sex pests”
November 12, 2025 at 5:22 PM
*at christmas* “look, honey, of course we all wanted more things under the tree, but the people in charge made the completely reasonable decision to protect the international brotherhood of sex pests”
Reposted by Shelly Penton
Imagine trying to convince someone a decade ago that this sentence would be a 100% literally accurate description of the American political situation.
The attorney general and the FBI director, a manosphere podcaster bro, pulled into the situation room a member of Congress best known for getting kicked out of a Beetlejuice musical for drunkenly giving her date a handy, in order to pressure her about the president's child sex trafficking scandal.
November 13, 2025 at 2:04 AM
Imagine trying to convince someone a decade ago that this sentence would be a 100% literally accurate description of the American political situation.
Reposted by Shelly Penton
This inspired me to run an experiment, and bsky.app/profile/numb...
November 13, 2025 at 12:37 PM
This inspired me to run an experiment, and bsky.app/profile/numb...
Reposted by Shelly Penton
It is journalistic malpractice to be within a city block of Vance and not read him this tweet through a bullhorn
November 13, 2025 at 12:43 PM
It is journalistic malpractice to be within a city block of Vance and not read him this tweet through a bullhorn
Reposted by Shelly Penton
People are doing something. Is it enough? No, not yet. Will it prevent catastrophe? We don't know. Are we still hurtling towards an unknowable future? You bet. But this is literally what doing something looks like.
November 13, 2025 at 12:41 PM
People are doing something. Is it enough? No, not yet. Will it prevent catastrophe? We don't know. Are we still hurtling towards an unknowable future? You bet. But this is literally what doing something looks like.
Reposted by Shelly Penton
This has gotten lost: Abigail Spanberger won big after vowing to RESCIND Glenn Youngkin's executive order directing local cooperation with ICE and voting AGAINST the anti-immigrant Laken Riley Act. Yet she gained bigly with working class.
New piece laying this out:
newrepublic.com/article/2030...
New piece laying this out:
newrepublic.com/article/2030...
November 12, 2025 at 6:49 PM
This has gotten lost: Abigail Spanberger won big after vowing to RESCIND Glenn Youngkin's executive order directing local cooperation with ICE and voting AGAINST the anti-immigrant Laken Riley Act. Yet she gained bigly with working class.
New piece laying this out:
newrepublic.com/article/2030...
New piece laying this out:
newrepublic.com/article/2030...
Reposted by Shelly Penton
In 2017, the sitting president had Thanksgiving with his old friend who had been convicted of sex crimes with a minor.
And we’re only learning about this now?
And we’re only learning about this now?
November 13, 2025 at 12:18 PM
In 2017, the sitting president had Thanksgiving with his old friend who had been convicted of sex crimes with a minor.
And we’re only learning about this now?
And we’re only learning about this now?
Great update and thread on UVA's president search process.
Hoping Steven's analysis holds true!
Hoping Steven's analysis holds true!
👇🏼
Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger sent a letter to the UVA Board of Visitors on Wednesday, saying it should wait to pick a new president until after her inauguration in January.
November 13, 2025 at 12:36 PM
Great update and thread on UVA's president search process.
Hoping Steven's analysis holds true!
Hoping Steven's analysis holds true!
I'm convinced 80% of both leading executives and Trump's base are men who can't get over being rejected by women in high school.
Ooh look it is a Larry Summers being a mysogynist ass... Again.
Here's the full Summers email, btw.
November 12, 2025 at 5:10 PM
I'm convinced 80% of both leading executives and Trump's base are men who can't get over being rejected by women in high school.
Welp, here's hoping "pedophile" works better than "fascist" as a red flag for the American populace.
November 12, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Welp, here's hoping "pedophile" works better than "fascist" as a red flag for the American populace.
Reposted by Shelly Penton
Reposted by Shelly Penton
They thought they were going to get pretext to throw a bunch of liberals in prison bsky.app/profile/maya...
Will always be puzzled as to why Republicans hammered so hard on the Epstein stuff given that it was obvious that it would be a huge risk for their own guy
Trump and Epstein were buddies throughout the height of his trafficking -- what did they think would happen?
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/u...
Trump and Epstein were buddies throughout the height of his trafficking -- what did they think would happen?
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/u...
Epstein Alleged in Emails That Trump Knew of His Conduct
www.nytimes.com
November 12, 2025 at 3:54 PM
They thought they were going to get pretext to throw a bunch of liberals in prison bsky.app/profile/maya...
"guys" being this one guy in particular
November 12, 2025 at 4:35 PM
"guys" being this one guy in particular
I'm not saying this won't work, but given the extremely partisan polarization of the electorate and media, it might be more effective to let the few GOP leaders who are susceptible keep calling for release of the files.
Like, MTG is a good person to call and be like "thanks for pushing this issue."
Like, MTG is a good person to call and be like "thanks for pushing this issue."
the only thing democrats should be saying today is “the entire republican party is engaged in a coverup of the most notorious child sex trafficking ring in world history”
November 12, 2025 at 4:29 PM
I'm not saying this won't work, but given the extremely partisan polarization of the electorate and media, it might be more effective to let the few GOP leaders who are susceptible keep calling for release of the files.
Like, MTG is a good person to call and be like "thanks for pushing this issue."
Like, MTG is a good person to call and be like "thanks for pushing this issue."
Reposted by Shelly Penton
"phillip k dick, but stupid" describes everything now
November 11, 2025 at 7:29 PM
"phillip k dick, but stupid" describes everything now
Reposted by Shelly Penton
Turns out poor people spent a lot of money on tea and sugar *because they were poor* and that was their inadequate replacement for unaffordable things like cooking fuel, food with actual nutritional content, and enough calories to slave away over a loom for 12 hours.
November 11, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Turns out poor people spent a lot of money on tea and sugar *because they were poor* and that was their inadequate replacement for unaffordable things like cooking fuel, food with actual nutritional content, and enough calories to slave away over a loom for 12 hours.
Reposted by Shelly Penton
an actual not-made-up death panel, except there’s only one guy
“In Texas, CDC funds to stem a measles outbreak weren’t available until after the crisis had subsided and two children had died. A project to protect Alabamans from raw sewage and hookworm was abandoned…Time-dependent surveys on HIV and maternal mortality were halted…”
Wielding Obscure Budget Tools, Trump’s ‘Reaper’ Vought Sows Turmoil in Public Health - KFF Health News
Through shrouded bureaucratic maneuvers, White House budget director Russell Vought and DOGE have quietly upended outbreak response, HIV treatment, and dementia care in communities across America.
kffhealthnews.org
November 12, 2025 at 1:18 AM
an actual not-made-up death panel, except there’s only one guy