Rodger Payne
@rodgerp.bsky.social
Prof of intern'l relations at U of Louisville. SABR member, Jayhawk hoops fan, film buff, & beer snob. Sabbatical Spring 26: Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development (U Utrecht).
Pictured: Blue Water Bridge linking Michigan to Ontario.
Pictured: Blue Water Bridge linking Michigan to Ontario.
Reposted by Rodger Payne
I can't think of anything I'd want to do less with my time than attending a protest against taxing billionaires. This is an insane amount of bootlicking energy.
An AI startup founder says he's planning a 'March for Billionaires' in protest of California's wealth tax | TechCrunch
The organizer of the event swears it's not a joke.
techcrunch.com
February 7, 2026 at 10:56 AM
I can't think of anything I'd want to do less with my time than attending a protest against taxing billionaires. This is an insane amount of bootlicking energy.
When I was at @duckofminerva.bsky.social I used to post images like this when traveling. Feeling nostalgic today.
February 2, 2026 at 11:54 AM
When I was at @duckofminerva.bsky.social I used to post images like this when traveling. Feeling nostalgic today.
Not good.
Methane pollution from US oil and gas infrastructure causes more climate change than the entire economies of all but seven nations on earth.
(This is with methane's climate impacts conservatively evaluated over a 100-year time frame. Evaluated over shorter time frames, methane's impacts are worse.)
(This is with methane's climate impacts conservatively evaluated over a 100-year time frame. Evaluated over shorter time frames, methane's impacts are worse.)
Accounting for methane from natural gas infrastructure in United States greenhouse gas emission estimates
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that United States net greenhouse gas emissions have declined over the last two decades and are no…
www.sciencedirect.com
February 2, 2026 at 10:06 AM
Not good.
Reposted by Rodger Payne
To be clear, though - one reason Orbán doesn't do this is because his authoritarian regime is consolidated to a degree that Trump's is not.
Steve Levitsky, the co-author of How Democracies Die, on the dangerous place we have reached as Trump escalates:
“Orbán doesn’t arrest journalists,” he said. “And in Hungary if you walk the streets of Budapest or other Hungarian cities, you will not find heavily armed masked men abducting people."
“Orbán doesn’t arrest journalists,” he said. “And in Hungary if you walk the streets of Budapest or other Hungarian cities, you will not find heavily armed masked men abducting people."
February 1, 2026 at 12:39 AM
To be clear, though - one reason Orbán doesn't do this is because his authoritarian regime is consolidated to a degree that Trump's is not.
Not even a proper citation to Fargo season 1.
“.. It was laughable, if there was something to laugh about,” said one of the nurses .. “There was no way this person ran headfirst into a wall.”
@apnews.com
apnews.com/article/immi...
@apnews.com
apnews.com/article/immi...
February 1, 2026 at 9:29 PM
Not even a proper citation to Fargo season 1.
Reposted by Rodger Payne
Steve Levitsky, the co-author of How Democracies Die, on the dangerous place we have reached as Trump escalates:
“Orbán doesn’t arrest journalists,” he said. “And in Hungary if you walk the streets of Budapest or other Hungarian cities, you will not find heavily armed masked men abducting people."
“Orbán doesn’t arrest journalists,” he said. “And in Hungary if you walk the streets of Budapest or other Hungarian cities, you will not find heavily armed masked men abducting people."
January 31, 2026 at 6:52 PM
Steve Levitsky, the co-author of How Democracies Die, on the dangerous place we have reached as Trump escalates:
“Orbán doesn’t arrest journalists,” he said. “And in Hungary if you walk the streets of Budapest or other Hungarian cities, you will not find heavily armed masked men abducting people."
“Orbán doesn’t arrest journalists,” he said. “And in Hungary if you walk the streets of Budapest or other Hungarian cities, you will not find heavily armed masked men abducting people."
Reposted by Rodger Payne
No one should tolerate this in a free society. No one.
Federal agents shatter a grandmother's car window, tear her rotator cuff, and throw her to the ground. After they dump out her purse and discover her US passport, they drive off, leaving her with a concussion and bruised ribs
U.S. citizen injured by federal agents in Salem who demanded to see “papers,” union says - Salem Reporter
A home care worker and union worker was pulled from her car and injured by federal agents Thursday according to a statement by SEIU 503. To comment on this story, use the form at the end of the repor...
www.salemreporter.com
February 1, 2026 at 9:01 PM
No one should tolerate this in a free society. No one.
Reposted by Rodger Payne
100 gigawatts is FIFTY (50) Hoover Dams
i was actually shocked to see the numbers on new research from Global Energy Monitor on new gas projects in the US: nearly 100 gigawatts of power—enough to power tens of millions of homes—are currently in development explicitly to power data centers. At the end of 2023 that number was 4 gigawatts
Data Centers Are Driving a US Gas Boom
Gas projects in the US pipeline explicitly linked to data centers increased by almost 25 times over the past two years, according to new research from Global Energy Monitor.
www.wired.com
January 31, 2026 at 2:55 PM
100 gigawatts is FIFTY (50) Hoover Dams
Reposted by Rodger Payne
The US may harm the UN most by withholding its funding contribution.
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
U.N. secretary general says global body is at risk of fiscal collapse
The United States owes nearly $2.2 billion in overdue and current assessments for the regular U.N. operating budget.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 31, 2026 at 8:51 AM
The US may harm the UN most by withholding its funding contribution.
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Reposted by Rodger Payne
This just in from Amnesty International: "U.S. authorities must immediately release journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort. Journalism is not a crime. Reporting on protests is not a crime. Arresting journalists for their reporting is a clear example of an authoritarian practice."
January 30, 2026 at 6:57 PM
This just in from Amnesty International: "U.S. authorities must immediately release journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort. Journalism is not a crime. Reporting on protests is not a crime. Arresting journalists for their reporting is a clear example of an authoritarian practice."
Checking out the International Court of Justice.
For no particular reason, note that ICC is not far away.
For no particular reason, note that ICC is not far away.
January 25, 2026 at 4:30 PM
Checking out the International Court of Justice.
For no particular reason, note that ICC is not far away.
For no particular reason, note that ICC is not far away.
Reposted by Rodger Payne
Understand that 370 days ago even bringing a motion like this would probably have been treated as sanctionably frivolous
Today it was granted ex parte
Today it was granted ex parte
A federal judge issues a restraining order against the feds, barring them from "destroying or altering evidence"
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
January 25, 2026 at 5:28 AM
Understand that 370 days ago even bringing a motion like this would probably have been treated as sanctionably frivolous
Today it was granted ex parte
Today it was granted ex parte
Reposted by Rodger Payne
Imagine this in a trial.
Devastating first-hand witness to Alex Pretti's killing
Declaration filed in federal court:
"I don't know why they shot him. He was only helping. I was five feet from him and they just shot him."
Devastating first-hand witness to Alex Pretti's killing
Declaration filed in federal court:
"I don't know why they shot him. He was only helping. I was five feet from him and they just shot him."
January 25, 2026 at 1:20 AM
Imagine this in a trial.
Devastating first-hand witness to Alex Pretti's killing
Declaration filed in federal court:
"I don't know why they shot him. He was only helping. I was five feet from him and they just shot him."
Devastating first-hand witness to Alex Pretti's killing
Declaration filed in federal court:
"I don't know why they shot him. He was only helping. I was five feet from him and they just shot him."
Reposted by Rodger Payne
Also, may I say that I don’t agree with people saying ICE and CBP need “more training.” They’re doing exactly what this administration has trained them to—impose a reign of fear in blue cities. They don’t need more training. They need to be ripped up root and branch.
January 24, 2026 at 11:01 PM
Also, may I say that I don’t agree with people saying ICE and CBP need “more training.” They’re doing exactly what this administration has trained them to—impose a reign of fear in blue cities. They don’t need more training. They need to be ripped up root and branch.
Reposted by Rodger Payne
Even the NRA is not having it. Bill Essayli is the makebelieve US Attorney for LA, who was already DQed by a judge.
January 25, 2026 at 8:57 AM
Even the NRA is not having it. Bill Essayli is the makebelieve US Attorney for LA, who was already DQed by a judge.
Today the coin came up tails.
The announcement is a reversal for Trump, who initially praised the agreement with China as something Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney "should be doing."
Trump threatens Canada with 100% tariffs over its new trade deal with China
The announcement is a reversal for Trump, who initially initially praised the agreement with China as something Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney "should be doing."
n.pr
January 24, 2026 at 5:27 PM
Today the coin came up tails.
Reposted by Rodger Payne
ICE just shot another one of my neighbors. They had the person on the ground, being beaten by several agents, and then fired multiple shots. In front of the donut shop where we like to get donuts for our kids.
January 24, 2026 at 3:46 PM
ICE just shot another one of my neighbors. They had the person on the ground, being beaten by several agents, and then fired multiple shots. In front of the donut shop where we like to get donuts for our kids.
Reposted by Rodger Payne
We’ve covered lots of losing local teams on the back page of this paper.
But none with a record as bad as the Chicago DOJ during Operation Midway Blitz:
0 convictions
11 charges dropped
3 no-billed cases
1 jury acquittal
But none with a record as bad as the Chicago DOJ during Operation Midway Blitz:
0 convictions
11 charges dropped
3 no-billed cases
1 jury acquittal
January 23, 2026 at 8:23 PM
We’ve covered lots of losing local teams on the back page of this paper.
But none with a record as bad as the Chicago DOJ during Operation Midway Blitz:
0 convictions
11 charges dropped
3 no-billed cases
1 jury acquittal
But none with a record as bad as the Chicago DOJ during Operation Midway Blitz:
0 convictions
11 charges dropped
3 no-billed cases
1 jury acquittal
Reposted by Rodger Payne
Another friend put it to me like this: "ICE has made the classic Nazi mistake. They've invaded a winter people in the winter."
January 22, 2026 at 3:58 AM
Another friend put it to me like this: "ICE has made the classic Nazi mistake. They've invaded a winter people in the winter."
Reposted by Rodger Payne
NEW | Wind and solar generated more power than fossil fuels in the EU for the FIRST time ever.
🌪️ and ☀️ made up a RECORD 30% of 🇪🇺 electricity, up from 20% just five years ago.
https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/european-electricity-review-2026/
🌪️ and ☀️ made up a RECORD 30% of 🇪🇺 electricity, up from 20% just five years ago.
https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/european-electricity-review-2026/
January 22, 2026 at 7:01 AM
NEW | Wind and solar generated more power than fossil fuels in the EU for the FIRST time ever.
🌪️ and ☀️ made up a RECORD 30% of 🇪🇺 electricity, up from 20% just five years ago.
https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/european-electricity-review-2026/
🌪️ and ☀️ made up a RECORD 30% of 🇪🇺 electricity, up from 20% just five years ago.
https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/european-electricity-review-2026/
Reposted by Rodger Payne
‘Terrible things are happening outside… Families are torn apart; men, women and children are separated. Children come home from school to find that their parents have disappeared. Women return… to find their families gone.’
Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
ICE detains five-year-old Minnesota boy arriving home, say school officials
Superintendent says Liam Ramos and his father were taken into custody while in their driveway and sent to Texas
www.theguardian.com
January 22, 2026 at 7:43 AM
‘Terrible things are happening outside… Families are torn apart; men, women and children are separated. Children come home from school to find that their parents have disappeared. Women return… to find their families gone.’
Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Reposted by Rodger Payne
Texas power buildout in one picture: wind (green) laid the foundation, solar (yellow) is the new wave, and energy storage (purple) is clustering around load. This is the grid transition, mapped.
January 21, 2026 at 4:30 PM
Texas power buildout in one picture: wind (green) laid the foundation, solar (yellow) is the new wave, and energy storage (purple) is clustering around load. This is the grid transition, mapped.
It's a deep cut rarely discussed since 2016, but it remains true.
In @nytopinion.nytimes.com
President Trump “is now basically running our country the way he ran his companies — as a one-man show free to make terrible deals. That management style led to six bankruptcy filings by his companies,” our columnist Thomas Friedman writes.
President Trump “is now basically running our country the way he ran his companies — as a one-man show free to make terrible deals. That management style led to six bankruptcy filings by his companies,” our columnist Thomas Friedman writes.
Opinion | Trump’s Politics Are Not America First. They’re Me First.
Donald Trump is the most un-American president in our history. And in his second term, there is no one to constrain his un-American impulses.
nyti.ms
January 21, 2026 at 5:03 PM
It's a deep cut rarely discussed since 2016, but it remains true.
Reposted by Rodger Payne
In authoritarian regimes, the government uses its powers to threaten, harass, and silence its opponents.
Mischief Toy Store in St. Paul has until Wednesday to turn over employment records to the Department of Homeland Security as part of a surprise audit launched Friday, just hours after one of the shop's owners criticized ICE agents during a television interview. bit.ly/4r5AFol
January 21, 2026 at 4:33 PM
In authoritarian regimes, the government uses its powers to threaten, harass, and silence its opponents.
Reposted by Rodger Payne
In February, a Texas Observer investigation revealed the identity of James Rodden, an ICE attorney who operates an openly white supremacist account on X. Last week, @stevanzetti.bsky.social proved he's back in court trying immigration cases:
ICE Prosecutor Who Runs Racist X Account Returns to Dallas Immigration Court
James Rodden, identified by the Observer last year as the operator of an account that routinely posted hateful statements, appeared to be back at work Tuesday.
www.texasobserver.org
January 20, 2026 at 4:42 PM
In February, a Texas Observer investigation revealed the identity of James Rodden, an ICE attorney who operates an openly white supremacist account on X. Last week, @stevanzetti.bsky.social proved he's back in court trying immigration cases: