Steve Middlebrook
@stmdc.bsky.social
FinTech attorney. Principal at Middlebrook LLC. Interests: prepaid cards, payments, earned wage access, civil rights, Native American and Inuit art, old photographs, chipmunks.
Reposted by Steve Middlebrook
AI has finally resulted in an excellent short film.
Joke of the day from Moscow: Russia tried to unveil its first humanoid AI robot, Aidol. Key word: tried. The robot collapsed during its debut, forcing organizers to cut the presentation short. Their rushed attempt to lift the prop only made things worse.
November 11, 2025 at 7:41 PM
AI has finally resulted in an excellent short film.
Now we know where Melania went.
A woman stole a minivan on Monday and led police on a chase for hours across Southern California, swerving around spike strips before escaping across the Mexico border. The dramatic pursuit spanned four counties and reached speeds of 90 miles per hour.
Police Chase Driver Across Southern California Until She Escapes Into Mexico
The woman stole a minivan, police said, beginning a dramatic pursuit that spanned four counties and reached speeds of 90 miles per hour.
nyti.ms
November 11, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Now we know where Melania went.
Happy Veterans Day.
We believe that everyone deserves the right to serve their country.
To all the veterans who are LGBTQ+ and/or living with HIV: we see you, we support you, and we thank you for your service. 🇺🇸
Go "Beyond the Uniform" with trans service members and veterans: lambdalegal.org/beyond-the-u...
To all the veterans who are LGBTQ+ and/or living with HIV: we see you, we support you, and we thank you for your service. 🇺🇸
Go "Beyond the Uniform" with trans service members and veterans: lambdalegal.org/beyond-the-u...
November 11, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Happy Veterans Day.
I need a ruling from @darthbluesky.bsky.social
Put 3 onions and a russet potato in your microwavable bowl, nuke them about 15 minutes, grab the onions with tongs snipping both ends with scissors, the rest of the peals will fall off, cut the little spuds off the potato (they are poisonous) chop them all up with scissors add margarine and voila!
November 11, 2025 at 6:35 AM
I need a ruling from @darthbluesky.bsky.social
Reposted by Steve Middlebrook
Nov. 10, 1775: Privateer William Coit and his ship, the Harrison, return to Plymouth, Mass., after seizing two British ships. A "humorous genius," Coit "made the prisoners land upon the same rock our ancestors first trode when they landed in America." 1/2
November 10, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Nov. 10, 1775: Privateer William Coit and his ship, the Harrison, return to Plymouth, Mass., after seizing two British ships. A "humorous genius," Coit "made the prisoners land upon the same rock our ancestors first trode when they landed in America." 1/2
Lambda Legal @lambdalegal.org, advocates for LGBTQ+ people, praised the high court for rejecting the case. CEO Kevin Jennings said the decision not to hear the “frivolous case” was a victory “for everyone who believes in our constitution and the rule of law.”
Gift link to WaPo
wapo.st/3Lxldlp
Gift link to WaPo
wapo.st/3Lxldlp
Supreme Court won’t hear challenge to landmark gay marriage ruling
The announcement indicates there is not an appetite among the high court’s conservative majority to revisit one of the court’s most significant decisions in recent years.
wapo.st
November 10, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Lambda Legal @lambdalegal.org, advocates for LGBTQ+ people, praised the high court for rejecting the case. CEO Kevin Jennings said the decision not to hear the “frivolous case” was a victory “for everyone who believes in our constitution and the rule of law.”
Gift link to WaPo
wapo.st/3Lxldlp
Gift link to WaPo
wapo.st/3Lxldlp
Supreme Court declines to take case challenging marriage equality rights. Gift link to NYT story. Note the threats from losing counsel: “It is not a matter of if, but when the Supreme Court will overturn Obergefell.” We must stay vigilant.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/u...
Supreme Court Denies Request to Revisit Same-Sex Marriage Decision
www.nytimes.com
November 10, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Supreme Court declines to take case challenging marriage equality rights. Gift link to NYT story. Note the threats from losing counsel: “It is not a matter of if, but when the Supreme Court will overturn Obergefell.” We must stay vigilant.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/u...
Reposted by Steve Middlebrook
In a victory for the LGBTQ+ community––and everyone who believes in our Constitution and the rule of law––the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that marriage equality is the law of the land.
Moments like this demand action from all of us. Help us protect equality today: lambdalegal.org/protectmarri...
Moments like this demand action from all of us. Help us protect equality today: lambdalegal.org/protectmarri...
November 10, 2025 at 3:30 PM
In a victory for the LGBTQ+ community––and everyone who believes in our Constitution and the rule of law––the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that marriage equality is the law of the land.
Moments like this demand action from all of us. Help us protect equality today: lambdalegal.org/protectmarri...
Moments like this demand action from all of us. Help us protect equality today: lambdalegal.org/protectmarri...
Reposted by Steve Middlebrook
40 years ago we’d have congressional hearings falsely accusing metal bands of putting backwards messages in their songs that told kids to kill themselves & now we have a planet-killing chatbot that’s all like “bet you won’t commit suicide chickenshit bitch” & the government is like here’s $5 billion
November 8, 2025 at 4:23 AM
40 years ago we’d have congressional hearings falsely accusing metal bands of putting backwards messages in their songs that told kids to kill themselves & now we have a planet-killing chatbot that’s all like “bet you won’t commit suicide chickenshit bitch” & the government is like here’s $5 billion
NYT quotes the Tampa police chief saying a “careless, reckless driver takes everybody’s lives there in his hands” but don’t point out the careless drivers in this case were Tampa police who engaged in a needless high speed chase in a dense urban area killing 4 people and injuring 9.
At least four people were killed and 11 others injured in Tampa, Florida, after a speeding driver crashed into a group of people outside a bar early on Saturday morning, the police said.
At Least 4 Dead After Driver Slams Into Crowd Outside a Tampa Bar, Police Say
The crash left 11 people injured. The police said they chased the vehicle after trying to pull over a reckless driver, who sped off and then lost control.
nyti.ms
November 8, 2025 at 6:14 PM
NYT quotes the Tampa police chief saying a “careless, reckless driver takes everybody’s lives there in his hands” but don’t point out the careless drivers in this case were Tampa police who engaged in a needless high speed chase in a dense urban area killing 4 people and injuring 9.
Anyone else get something like this in their DMs? I’ve not seen anything like this on Bsky before. Maybe I’m just lucky. Yes, I did report it.
@joshuajfriedman.com
@joshuajfriedman.com
November 7, 2025 at 10:04 PM
Anyone else get something like this in their DMs? I’ve not seen anything like this on Bsky before. Maybe I’m just lucky. Yes, I did report it.
@joshuajfriedman.com
@joshuajfriedman.com
Massively stupid idea. FAA is going to cancel several,thousand flights at the busiest airports.
The Trump administration announced it will reduce flight traffic by 10 percent in 40 markets across the U.S.
Details about which markets would be affected will be announced Thursday, administration officials said. https://wapo.st/3JkZxs9
Details about which markets would be affected will be announced Thursday, administration officials said. https://wapo.st/3JkZxs9
November 6, 2025 at 1:30 AM
Massively stupid idea. FAA is going to cancel several,thousand flights at the busiest airports.
Reposted by Steve Middlebrook
new: federal agents have targeted rideshare drivers at o'hare on at least ten separate days since october 10.
in some cases, agents returned to abduct drivers multiple times in a single day, taking as many as ten to 20 people each time.
via @dmbrown-tboy.bsky.social:
in some cases, agents returned to abduct drivers multiple times in a single day, taking as many as ten to 20 people each time.
via @dmbrown-tboy.bsky.social:
‘Like shooting fish in a barrel’ - Chicago Reader
Federal agents have repeatedly terrorize rideshare drivers at O’Hare International Airport.
chicagoreader.com
November 5, 2025 at 6:20 PM
new: federal agents have targeted rideshare drivers at o'hare on at least ten separate days since october 10.
in some cases, agents returned to abduct drivers multiple times in a single day, taking as many as ten to 20 people each time.
via @dmbrown-tboy.bsky.social:
in some cases, agents returned to abduct drivers multiple times in a single day, taking as many as ten to 20 people each time.
via @dmbrown-tboy.bsky.social:
Learn about the current state of Trans Rights from the people on the front line. Lambda Legal is hosting a free webinar Nov. 18th. Get updates on current cases from the lawyers involved.
Join us 11/18 at 1 p.m. ET for our 3rd annual webinar on the state of trans rights. 🏳️⚧️
We continue to face a wave of anti-trans & anti-LGBTQ+ attacks from both state & federal levels. Tune in as we break down recent developments, & share ways you can challenge them.
RSVP now: tinyurl.com/45tmvz56
We continue to face a wave of anti-trans & anti-LGBTQ+ attacks from both state & federal levels. Tune in as we break down recent developments, & share ways you can challenge them.
RSVP now: tinyurl.com/45tmvz56
November 5, 2025 at 6:49 PM
Learn about the current state of Trans Rights from the people on the front line. Lambda Legal is hosting a free webinar Nov. 18th. Get updates on current cases from the lawyers involved.
Reposted by Steve Middlebrook
Mamdani: "We believe in standing up for those we love. Whether you are an immigrant, a member of the trans community, one of the many Black women that Donald Trump has fired from a federal job ... your struggle is ours too."
November 5, 2025 at 4:35 AM
Mamdani: "We believe in standing up for those we love. Whether you are an immigrant, a member of the trans community, one of the many Black women that Donald Trump has fired from a federal job ... your struggle is ours too."
Reposted by Steve Middlebrook
Pennsylvania voters have elected to preserve the 5-2 Democratic majority on the state Supreme Court.
November 5, 2025 at 2:13 AM
Pennsylvania voters have elected to preserve the 5-2 Democratic majority on the state Supreme Court.
Administration hints furloughed workers may not be paid after shutdown. Since no one in the House of Representatives is working either, I think their pay should also be withheld.
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
Administration hints furloughed workers may not be paid after shutdown
Agencies are sending messages indicating that workers who are on the job will be paid when the government reopens — with no mention of those on furlough, despite a 2019 law protecting their wages.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 4, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Administration hints furloughed workers may not be paid after shutdown. Since no one in the House of Representatives is working either, I think their pay should also be withheld.
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
Reposted by Steve Middlebrook
Hey you know else made jokes about getting shot in the face by Dick Cheney?
November 4, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Hey you know else made jokes about getting shot in the face by Dick Cheney?
Public Citizen report found donors to Trump’s White House ballroom received $279B in federal contracts and spent $1.6 billion in political contributions and lobbying fees over past 5 years. Many face federal enforcement actions with a number dismissed by Trump officials. Gift link
wapo.st/4hD7dm0
wapo.st/4hD7dm0
Report: Donors to Trump’s White House ballroom have $279B in federal contracts
The White House ballroom’s donor list contains heavyweights in the tech, financial and defense sectors, including Google, Comcast and Lockheed Martin.
wapo.st
November 3, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Public Citizen report found donors to Trump’s White House ballroom received $279B in federal contracts and spent $1.6 billion in political contributions and lobbying fees over past 5 years. Many face federal enforcement actions with a number dismissed by Trump officials. Gift link
wapo.st/4hD7dm0
wapo.st/4hD7dm0
Reposted by Steve Middlebrook
NYC is going to have the world's biggest media-manufactured crime panic in history the second Mamdani is elected. They aren't even going to wait until he is inaugurated. Whether or not you like the guy, you need to start preparing now for the fire hose of disinformation that is about to activate.
November 2, 2025 at 11:19 PM
NYC is going to have the world's biggest media-manufactured crime panic in history the second Mamdani is elected. They aren't even going to wait until he is inaugurated. Whether or not you like the guy, you need to start preparing now for the fire hose of disinformation that is about to activate.
Reposted by Steve Middlebrook
The Oregon Department of Justice submitted multiple video exhibits showing federal officers using extreme force against nonviolent protesters outside the U.S. Immigration & Customs Building. This is part of its effort to block the federal deployment of National Guard troops to Portland.
November 2, 2025 at 4:51 PM
The Oregon Department of Justice submitted multiple video exhibits showing federal officers using extreme force against nonviolent protesters outside the U.S. Immigration & Customs Building. This is part of its effort to block the federal deployment of National Guard troops to Portland.
Tonight’s South Park is right on the money, so to speak:
“Crypto is just a giant money laundering scheme for the rich to get richer.”
“Crypto is just a giant money laundering scheme for the rich to get richer.”
November 1, 2025 at 3:40 AM
Tonight’s South Park is right on the money, so to speak:
“Crypto is just a giant money laundering scheme for the rich to get richer.”
“Crypto is just a giant money laundering scheme for the rich to get richer.”
South Park tonight was just fucking incredible.
November 1, 2025 at 2:37 AM
South Park tonight was just fucking incredible.
What’s the best costume you ever wore for Halloween? I’ll start.
It’s 1988. My boyfriend and I went as Michael Dukakis’ eyebrows. We made them out of cardboard and covered them with fake fur and Dukakis ‘88 stickers. In my defense, I was in law school in DC at the time. Wish I had a photo.
It’s 1988. My boyfriend and I went as Michael Dukakis’ eyebrows. We made them out of cardboard and covered them with fake fur and Dukakis ‘88 stickers. In my defense, I was in law school in DC at the time. Wish I had a photo.
October 31, 2025 at 1:52 PM
What’s the best costume you ever wore for Halloween? I’ll start.
It’s 1988. My boyfriend and I went as Michael Dukakis’ eyebrows. We made them out of cardboard and covered them with fake fur and Dukakis ‘88 stickers. In my defense, I was in law school in DC at the time. Wish I had a photo.
It’s 1988. My boyfriend and I went as Michael Dukakis’ eyebrows. We made them out of cardboard and covered them with fake fur and Dukakis ‘88 stickers. In my defense, I was in law school in DC at the time. Wish I had a photo.
Reposted by Steve Middlebrook
More than 1,000 objects, including jewelry, daguerreotypes, laptops, antique Native American woven goods and other artifacts, were stolen recently from the Oakland Museum of California.
Thieves Steal More Than 1,000 Items From Oakland Museum of California
A robbery this month targeted Indigenous baskets, jewelry and other artifacts from a storage facility of the Oakland Museum of California.
nyti.ms
October 30, 2025 at 9:30 PM
More than 1,000 objects, including jewelry, daguerreotypes, laptops, antique Native American woven goods and other artifacts, were stolen recently from the Oakland Museum of California.