Sam Brunson
@smbrnsn.bsky.social
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Georgia Reithal Professor Law, Loyola University Chicago. Lots of taxes, jazz, cooking, and cats. Author "God and the IRS: Accommodating Religious Practice in United States Tax Law"
Pinned
Sam Brunson
@smbrnsn.bsky.social
· Dec 11
Okay, it's not the Black Friday 50% off, but if you wanted my book, think its sticker price is too expensive, but missed the Black Friday sale, you can still get it for 40% off! www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=p0...
Reposted by Sam Brunson
Or sometimes the argument is "lol they'll just find a way to get rid of the cameras before the REAL bad stuff" and that's sometimes true too! In that case you have one MORE serious crime to go after them and their bosses for. It's a numbers game! It's about cumulative effect.
February 4, 2026 at 5:51 PM
Or sometimes the argument is "lol they'll just find a way to get rid of the cameras before the REAL bad stuff" and that's sometimes true too! In that case you have one MORE serious crime to go after them and their bosses for. It's a numbers game! It's about cumulative effect.
Reposted by Sam Brunson
To pick a concrete example, video of the incident did not prevent the Feds from murdering Renee Good and Alex Pretti. What those videos did is immediately disprove the government's lies about them. Millions more people believe the truth than would believe it without the video.
February 4, 2026 at 5:42 PM
To pick a concrete example, video of the incident did not prevent the Feds from murdering Renee Good and Alex Pretti. What those videos did is immediately disprove the government's lies about them. Millions more people believe the truth than would believe it without the video.
Reposted by Sam Brunson
I don't want to quote dunk but I saw another "body cams don't do anything" post and I just want to say that I, a criminal defense attorney, very much like having body cams.
February 4, 2026 at 5:40 PM
I don't want to quote dunk but I saw another "body cams don't do anything" post and I just want to say that I, a criminal defense attorney, very much like having body cams.
Reposted by Sam Brunson
people on here get very mad about b) because it isn't immediately stopping the goons in their tracks, but yes there is a value to enacting big red bright flashing DO NOT DO THIS IT IS DOUBLE SECRET PROBATION ILLEGAL laws now that they will inevitably break to make prosecution easy in a few years
February 4, 2026 at 6:03 PM
people on here get very mad about b) because it isn't immediately stopping the goons in their tracks, but yes there is a value to enacting big red bright flashing DO NOT DO THIS IT IS DOUBLE SECRET PROBATION ILLEGAL laws now that they will inevitably break to make prosecution easy in a few years
Reposted by Sam Brunson
It’s snowing today, and we all know what that means! Mute me because I will complain, as @smbrnsn.bsky.social once told me is my sacred right as a Chicago dweller.
February 4, 2026 at 6:08 PM
It’s snowing today, and we all know what that means! Mute me because I will complain, as @smbrnsn.bsky.social once told me is my sacred right as a Chicago dweller.
Reposted by Sam Brunson
always bears repeating that this is NOT a financial decision. jeff bezos is worth over 250 billion dollars. he can afford to lose many millions and never even notice it. this is, at its core, a political and personal decision by bezos to destroy the post
WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Post says one-third of its staff across all departments, not just the newsroom, is being laid off.
February 4, 2026 at 3:04 PM
always bears repeating that this is NOT a financial decision. jeff bezos is worth over 250 billion dollars. he can afford to lose many millions and never even notice it. this is, at its core, a political and personal decision by bezos to destroy the post
The thing about Bezos is, he has a very limited skill set. His big success? Launching an online bookstore that succeeded because in its first decade+, it didn’t collect sales tax, allowing it to undercut bookstores. 1/
... "He had the chance to be the steward of a national treasure, a storied news company with a staff as talented as any in the nation," writes @sulliview.bsky.social. "Now, what matters more is turning the Post around financially while staying in Trump’s good graces."
That approach has failed.
That approach has failed.
Is Jeff Bezos going to destroy the Washington Post? It sure looks like it | Margaret Sullivan
He has the chance to be the steward of a national treasure, but he’s blowing it
www.theguardian.com
February 4, 2026 at 5:29 PM
The thing about Bezos is, he has a very limited skill set. His big success? Launching an online bookstore that succeeded because in its first decade+, it didn’t collect sales tax, allowing it to undercut bookstores. 1/
Reposted by Sam Brunson
Journalism has a lot of challenges right now, but this? This is Jeff Bezos’ fault. He bought The Washington Post and he broke it. For shame. www.theguardian.com/media/2026/f...
‘It’s an absolute bloodbath’: Washington Post lays off hundreds of workers
Former Post executive editor blasts owner Jeff Bezos’s ‘sickening efforts to curry favor’ with Trump
www.theguardian.com
February 4, 2026 at 5:21 PM
Journalism has a lot of challenges right now, but this? This is Jeff Bezos’ fault. He bought The Washington Post and he broke it. For shame. www.theguardian.com/media/2026/f...
Reposted by Sam Brunson
INBOX: Washington Post Ukraine Correspondent Lizzie Johnson announces that she has been laid off in the middle of a below-freezing war zone without power, heat, or running water.
February 4, 2026 at 5:11 PM
INBOX: Washington Post Ukraine Correspondent Lizzie Johnson announces that she has been laid off in the middle of a below-freezing war zone without power, heat, or running water.
Reposted by Sam Brunson
Judge Reyes: "Kristi Noem has a First Amendment right to call immigrants killers, leeches, entitlement junkies, and any other inapt name she wants. Secretary Noem, however, is constrained by both our Constitution and the APA to apply faithfully the facts to the law in implementing the TPS program."
Memorandum & Opinion – #124 in LESLY MIOT v. TRUMP (D.D.C., 1:25-cv-02471) – CourtListener.com
MEMORANDUM OPINION regarding Plaintiffs' 81 Renewed Motion for a Stay. See document for details. Signed by Judge Ana C. Reyes on 2/2/2026. (lcacr2) (Entered: 02/02/2026)
storage.courtlistener.com
February 4, 2026 at 3:17 PM
Judge Reyes: "Kristi Noem has a First Amendment right to call immigrants killers, leeches, entitlement junkies, and any other inapt name she wants. Secretary Noem, however, is constrained by both our Constitution and the APA to apply faithfully the facts to the law in implementing the TPS program."
Some quick thoughts on Wynton Marsalis's retirement from Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center
On the train to work this morning, packed shoulder to shoulder with other commuters, I found Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers's "Live at Montreux and
www.nonprofitlawprofblog.com
February 4, 2026 at 3:18 PM
Some quick thoughts on Wynton Marsalis's retirement from Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Reposted by Sam Brunson
more
Breaking News: Tom Homan, President Trump’s border czar, said he would pull 700 immigration agents out of Minneapolis.
Trump Live Updates: Homan Plans to Pull 700 Immigration Agents From Minneapolis
nyti.ms
February 4, 2026 at 2:47 PM
more
Reposted by Sam Brunson
I’m looking forward to the “with ads” subscription tier where your loved one will reminisce about the cool refreshing flavor of Mountain Dew Baja Blast.
February 4, 2026 at 1:57 PM
I’m looking forward to the “with ads” subscription tier where your loved one will reminisce about the cool refreshing flavor of Mountain Dew Baja Blast.
Reposted by Sam Brunson
Sadly, this is the ICE M.O.: Assault innocent people and then tell elaborate lies to blame the victim. No judge should give any credence to anything a DHS lawyer says to them. They have proven themselves to be liars too often.
February 3, 2026 at 6:13 AM
Sadly, this is the ICE M.O.: Assault innocent people and then tell elaborate lies to blame the victim. No judge should give any credence to anything a DHS lawyer says to them. They have proven themselves to be liars too often.
Reposted by Sam Brunson
“The Pope says that Jesus said love thy neighbor, but the antichrist in the White House has a different view of theology”
February 4, 2026 at 1:56 PM
“The Pope says that Jesus said love thy neighbor, but the antichrist in the White House has a different view of theology”
I’m not quite exactly sure who Speaker Johnson thinks government is, but apparently he doesn’t believe that it of individuals or that it has any obligation to abide by biblical principles.
Speaking on behalf of a religion that actively sought to spread itself to every country in the world whether invited or not, Speaker Johnson would like to share with you the Biblical case for strong borders.
February 4, 2026 at 1:49 PM
I’m not quite exactly sure who Speaker Johnson thinks government is, but apparently he doesn’t believe that it of individuals or that it has any obligation to abide by biblical principles.
Reposted by Sam Brunson
The passage in question is from the so-called Holiness Code within Leviticus, in which God enjoins the people of Israel to aspire as a community to an ideal of purity in their daily lives, as an enactment and embodiment that God’s holiness was present in them *as a community.*
Speaking on behalf of a religion that actively sought to spread itself to every country in the world whether invited or not, Speaker Johnson would like to share with you the Biblical case for strong borders.
February 4, 2026 at 1:28 PM
The passage in question is from the so-called Holiness Code within Leviticus, in which God enjoins the people of Israel to aspire as a community to an ideal of purity in their daily lives, as an enactment and embodiment that God’s holiness was present in them *as a community.*
Hey look, tech bros are trying to invent seances!!!
AI “deadbots” aim to replace the dead—and raise plenty of ethical issues, Charley Burlock argues. “Perhaps the biggest question is how such a product might shift our experience of personal grief and collective memory.”
The AI Companies Trying to Make Grief Obsolete
You can buy an AI version of your lost loved one. But should you?
bit.ly
February 4, 2026 at 1:37 PM
Hey look, tech bros are trying to invent seances!!!
Reposted by Sam Brunson
Following on, she’s only not leaving because she can free some folks while there. Tough ethical quandary: leave, honorably, or stay, and get some amount of good through.
Unrelated: some good people are enablers because they don’t let things fall to chaos.
Unrelated: some good people are enablers because they don’t let things fall to chaos.
February 4, 2026 at 1:20 PM
Following on, she’s only not leaving because she can free some folks while there. Tough ethical quandary: leave, honorably, or stay, and get some amount of good through.
Unrelated: some good people are enablers because they don’t let things fall to chaos.
Unrelated: some good people are enablers because they don’t let things fall to chaos.
Reposted by Sam Brunson
The US immigrant population generated more in taxes than they received in benefits from all levels of government every year from 1994 to 2023.
The Cato study provides the first-ever 30-year analysis of the fiscal effects of immigration on government budgets.
https://ow.ly/jy8a50Y8kM3
The Cato study provides the first-ever 30-year analysis of the fiscal effects of immigration on government budgets.
https://ow.ly/jy8a50Y8kM3
February 3, 2026 at 5:27 PM
The US immigrant population generated more in taxes than they received in benefits from all levels of government every year from 1994 to 2023.
The Cato study provides the first-ever 30-year analysis of the fiscal effects of immigration on government budgets.
https://ow.ly/jy8a50Y8kM3
The Cato study provides the first-ever 30-year analysis of the fiscal effects of immigration on government budgets.
https://ow.ly/jy8a50Y8kM3
Reposted by Sam Brunson
your dead wife wants you to take her on a date to STARBUCKS followed by a walk to TOYOTA DEALERSHIP
AI “deadbots” aim to replace the dead—and raise plenty of ethical issues, Charley Burlock argues. “Perhaps the biggest question is how such a product might shift our experience of personal grief and collective memory.”
The AI Companies Trying to Make Grief Obsolete
You can buy an AI version of your lost loved one. But should you?
bit.ly
February 4, 2026 at 1:23 PM
your dead wife wants you to take her on a date to STARBUCKS followed by a walk to TOYOTA DEALERSHIP
Reposted by Sam Brunson
The key here is that DHS spent annual appropriations money (with the rider), not OBBA money (without):
“Plaintiffs have made a strong showing that the January 8, 2026, notice requirement was also promulgated, implemented, and is presently being enforced with the use of Section 527 funds.”
“Plaintiffs have made a strong showing that the January 8, 2026, notice requirement was also promulgated, implemented, and is presently being enforced with the use of Section 527 funds.”
Judge rules members of Congress can inspect all ICE detention centers without appointment. "...DHS Sec. Kristi Noem re-implemented a notice requirement…..[which] required 7-days’ warning for visits to [ICE] facilities... funded exclusively by the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’..." thehill.com/regulation/c...
thehill.com
February 4, 2026 at 1:26 PM
The key here is that DHS spent annual appropriations money (with the rider), not OBBA money (without):
“Plaintiffs have made a strong showing that the January 8, 2026, notice requirement was also promulgated, implemented, and is presently being enforced with the use of Section 527 funds.”
“Plaintiffs have made a strong showing that the January 8, 2026, notice requirement was also promulgated, implemented, and is presently being enforced with the use of Section 527 funds.”
Reposted by Sam Brunson
Judge rules members of Congress can inspect all ICE detention centers without appointment. "...DHS Sec. Kristi Noem re-implemented a notice requirement…..[which] required 7-days’ warning for visits to [ICE] facilities... funded exclusively by the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’..." thehill.com/regulation/c...
thehill.com
February 4, 2026 at 1:19 AM
Judge rules members of Congress can inspect all ICE detention centers without appointment. "...DHS Sec. Kristi Noem re-implemented a notice requirement…..[which] required 7-days’ warning for visits to [ICE] facilities... funded exclusively by the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’..." thehill.com/regulation/c...
Reposted by Sam Brunson
The best part of the country is the lies we told ourselves about who we are, and that some of us still try to live up to that. The worst part of the country are the people who know they are lies and act accordingly.
February 4, 2026 at 4:18 AM
The best part of the country is the lies we told ourselves about who we are, and that some of us still try to live up to that. The worst part of the country are the people who know they are lies and act accordingly.
Reposted by Sam Brunson
the ideals are good, actually
even if we’ve never lived up to them it doesn’t mean we can’t start
even if we’ve never lived up to them it doesn’t mean we can’t start
February 4, 2026 at 4:15 AM
the ideals are good, actually
even if we’ve never lived up to them it doesn’t mean we can’t start
even if we’ve never lived up to them it doesn’t mean we can’t start