The Duckman)))
@theduckman.bsky.social
Evidence, logic, and reason before partisanship. Also, puns and dirty jokes. You’ll never find the right answers if you don’t ask the right questions. Interests include: ⚖️⚾️🥁🍣🏀✡️🐟🪴
Reposted by The Duckman)))
Leonard Leo is a lawyer, but he's never argued a case in court. He's never held elected office.
But for years he rebuilt the American legal system, resulting in the Supreme Court's right-wing supermajority.
(Published Oct. 2023)
But for years he rebuilt the American legal system, resulting in the Supreme Court's right-wing supermajority.
(Published Oct. 2023)
We Don’t Talk About Leonard: The Man Behind the Right’s Supreme Court Supermajority
The inside story of how Leonard Leo built a machine that remade the American legal system — and what he plans to do next.
www.propublica.org
February 14, 2026 at 4:00 AM
Leonard Leo is a lawyer, but he's never argued a case in court. He's never held elected office.
But for years he rebuilt the American legal system, resulting in the Supreme Court's right-wing supermajority.
(Published Oct. 2023)
But for years he rebuilt the American legal system, resulting in the Supreme Court's right-wing supermajority.
(Published Oct. 2023)
Reposted by The Duckman)))
Calling the requirement for a judicial warrant before entering a person’s home one of the Democrats’ “new restrictions on federal immigration agents” crosses the line into outright falsehood. It’s in the Bill of Rights! A rule as old as the republic.
February 14, 2026 at 4:29 AM
Calling the requirement for a judicial warrant before entering a person’s home one of the Democrats’ “new restrictions on federal immigration agents” crosses the line into outright falsehood. It’s in the Bill of Rights! A rule as old as the republic.
Reposted by The Duckman)))
Gonna start saying "6-7" in every sentence.
if you're an older person who finds words like mogg and maxxing annoying, just starting using them. people over the age of 30 have the superpower to end trends by simply adopting them
February 14, 2026 at 2:21 AM
Gonna start saying "6-7" in every sentence.
Reposted by The Duckman)))
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime."
-- Mark Twain
-- Mark Twain
I saw this on Reddit this morning. A map of passport ownership. Looks pretty familiar, (minus Utah and its missionaries.)
February 13, 2026 at 11:37 PM
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime."
-- Mark Twain
-- Mark Twain
Reposted by The Duckman)))
"It’s hard to recall a regulator who has done as much damage to medical innovation in as little time as Vinay Prasad"
www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2026/02/vina...
www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2026/02/vina...
Vinay Prasad, child murderer - Lawyers, Guns & Money
The editorial board at the World Socialist Review Wall Street Journal centers the RFK Jr. henchman responsible for destroying many potential life-saving innovations for literally no reason whatsoever ...
www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com
February 13, 2026 at 11:41 PM
"It’s hard to recall a regulator who has done as much damage to medical innovation in as little time as Vinay Prasad"
www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2026/02/vina...
www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2026/02/vina...
Reposted by The Duckman)))
Been toying with the same thought. Pointless barriers to voting pitched as a solution to an imaginary problem are a bad idea in principle, but Republicans seem very sure it will help them on net, and that’s not really obvious to me.
The funny thing about the MAGA voter ID crusade is...are they SURE they want to do that? Increase the hurdles to advantage the most motivated? Because I assure you, Democratic voters will jump through any hoop you put in front of them to get a ballot cast. Can MAGA say the same of its voters?
February 13, 2026 at 10:14 PM
Been toying with the same thought. Pointless barriers to voting pitched as a solution to an imaginary problem are a bad idea in principle, but Republicans seem very sure it will help them on net, and that’s not really obvious to me.
Reposted by The Duckman)))
given education polarization and MAGA's reliance on low propensity voters, something like the SAVE Act would almost certainly backfire on republicans (i'm reasonably sure senate republicans understand this too)
i'm against barriers to the fanchise but it would be extremely funny if the republicans enact barriers to voting and nuke their voter base
Been toying with the same thought. Pointless barriers to voting pitched as a solution to an imaginary problem are a bad idea in principle, but Republicans seem very sure it will help them on net, and that’s not really obvious to me.
February 13, 2026 at 10:20 PM
given education polarization and MAGA's reliance on low propensity voters, something like the SAVE Act would almost certainly backfire on republicans (i'm reasonably sure senate republicans understand this too)
Reposted by The Duckman)))
"The cruelty is the point" was an understatement
On Thanksgiving, the immigrant children held at the Dilley detention center gathered in the gym for what they thought was a holiday feast.
The kids salivated over a spread of turkey, sandwiches, pastries and pies, a family told me.
But the food wasn’t for detainees — it was for the staff.
The kids salivated over a spread of turkey, sandwiches, pastries and pies, a family told me.
But the food wasn’t for detainees — it was for the staff.
February 13, 2026 at 10:06 PM
"The cruelty is the point" was an understatement
WiN mY vOtE!!!
OK: one of two parties is going to win the election. It is your moral obligation to vote for the party that will do less harm. It’s really not any more complicated than that no matter how much you want your individual needs taken care of by politicians, my dear special boy/girl.
OK: one of two parties is going to win the election. It is your moral obligation to vote for the party that will do less harm. It’s really not any more complicated than that no matter how much you want your individual needs taken care of by politicians, my dear special boy/girl.
February 13, 2026 at 10:08 PM
WiN mY vOtE!!!
OK: one of two parties is going to win the election. It is your moral obligation to vote for the party that will do less harm. It’s really not any more complicated than that no matter how much you want your individual needs taken care of by politicians, my dear special boy/girl.
OK: one of two parties is going to win the election. It is your moral obligation to vote for the party that will do less harm. It’s really not any more complicated than that no matter how much you want your individual needs taken care of by politicians, my dear special boy/girl.
Reposted by The Duckman)))
All those kids & nurses & mechanics & service workers that we are deporting? It costs us $133,333 a head.
Again: we are spending $133,333 per migrant worker that we deport.
Again: we are spending $133,333 per migrant worker that we deport.
US Spent $133,333 for Each Deportation to Third Party Countries
The figures from Senate Foreign Relations Committee Democrats average out to a cost of roughly $133,333 per person deported. The report outlines the cost of President Donald Trump’s controversial pol...
finance.yahoo.com
February 13, 2026 at 9:58 PM
All those kids & nurses & mechanics & service workers that we are deporting? It costs us $133,333 a head.
Again: we are spending $133,333 per migrant worker that we deport.
Again: we are spending $133,333 per migrant worker that we deport.
Reposted by The Duckman)))
"the source of the problem, as usual, is not anonymous shitposters but the people in charge" www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2026/02/the-...
The Epstein Files and Russiagate - Lawyers, Guns & Money
Great essay by Seva Gunitsky (h/t Philip Koop) about what the Epstein scandal is really about: It should not be surprising that Russian names are all over the files. In many ways Russia pioneered the ...
www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com
February 13, 2026 at 7:41 PM
"the source of the problem, as usual, is not anonymous shitposters but the people in charge" www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2026/02/the-...
"A defining feature of fascism is that top officials tend to be both dangerous and ridiculous."
The appalling and the farcical:
www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2026/02/why-...
www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2026/02/why-...
Why there will be a government shutdown over DHS - Lawyers, Guns & Money
The absolutely appalling: Two federal officers appear to have lied about an incident last month in Minneapolis that ended with one of them shooting a Venezuelan immigrant in the leg, ICE Acting Direct...
www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com
February 13, 2026 at 9:30 PM
"A defining feature of fascism is that top officials tend to be both dangerous and ridiculous."
Reposted by The Duckman)))
Grim news out of Seattle: we passed an ordinance raising the pay of delivery drivers, but the result has been fewer delivery orders, leaving many of them worse off.
It may just be that "instant delivery of your food" is not a practical business & only exploitation can make it "work."
It may just be that "instant delivery of your food" is not a practical business & only exploitation can make it "work."
Seattle's gig worker law was supposed to boost pay. It did at first, until orders dropped
It’s been two years since Seattle’s gig worker minimum wage took effect. It was intended to boost labor standards for app-based drivers who deliver food for companies like DoorDash or Uber Eats.
How h...
www.kuow.org
February 13, 2026 at 8:45 PM
Grim news out of Seattle: we passed an ordinance raising the pay of delivery drivers, but the result has been fewer delivery orders, leaving many of them worse off.
It may just be that "instant delivery of your food" is not a practical business & only exploitation can make it "work."
It may just be that "instant delivery of your food" is not a practical business & only exploitation can make it "work."
If you think she's wrong, tell me: what IS proper in resisting crimes against humanity? Are we gonna tell her to vote about it? Call her representatives?
If this were a 1933 film of a German woman doing this to Dachau, we'd all be cheering her, no?
If this were a 1933 film of a German woman doing this to Dachau, we'd all be cheering her, no?
KMBC: "A woman tried to set a fire at a South Kansas City warehouse that had been rumored as a possible ICE detention center. Earlier today, the company that owns the property confirmed it is no longer moving forward with a sale to the U.S. government."
February 13, 2026 at 6:51 PM
If you think she's wrong, tell me: what IS proper in resisting crimes against humanity? Are we gonna tell her to vote about it? Call her representatives?
If this were a 1933 film of a German woman doing this to Dachau, we'd all be cheering her, no?
If this were a 1933 film of a German woman doing this to Dachau, we'd all be cheering her, no?
Reposted by The Duckman)))
The Many Faces of Jeffrey Epstein
The Many Faces of Jeffrey Epstein - Lawyers, Guns & Money
Ezra Klein interviews Anand Giridharadas and covers all the things I’ve been thinking I want to put into a post (gift link). If I have time, I’ll work through some of the points in detail in future posts. (But I won’t have time, most likely.) The breadth of Epstein’s influence is breathtaking. Scandals in the […]
www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com
February 13, 2026 at 5:43 PM
The Many Faces of Jeffrey Epstein
Reposted by The Duckman)))
This is a factually inaccurate claim. Polls indeed show voters say they trust the Republicans more than Democrats to "handle the issue of immigration", but (a) the GOP lead is within the margin of error & (b) this is not "firmly behind Trump's handling of the issue" www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/u...
February 13, 2026 at 5:54 PM
This is a factually inaccurate claim. Polls indeed show voters say they trust the Republicans more than Democrats to "handle the issue of immigration", but (a) the GOP lead is within the margin of error & (b) this is not "firmly behind Trump's handling of the issue" www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/u...
Reposted by The Duckman)))
Congrats again to the 99 Senators who unanimously confirmed this guy, who won't meet with Zelenskyy but is on his way to meet with Orban.
Truly, well done. It's a Big Club, & apparently neither democracy nor 🇺🇸 national security is in it.
Truly, well done. It's a Big Club, & apparently neither democracy nor 🇺🇸 national security is in it.
Rubio skips Ukraine meeting with European leaders in Munich ft.trib.al/MMNIZqu
Rubio skips Ukraine meeting with European leaders in Munich
US Secretary of State cancels attendance at last minute in move that EU official called ‘insane’
ft.trib.al
February 13, 2026 at 6:08 PM
Congrats again to the 99 Senators who unanimously confirmed this guy, who won't meet with Zelenskyy but is on his way to meet with Orban.
Truly, well done. It's a Big Club, & apparently neither democracy nor 🇺🇸 national security is in it.
Truly, well done. It's a Big Club, & apparently neither democracy nor 🇺🇸 national security is in it.
Reposted by The Duckman)))
THREAD. Every day new evidence emerges of ICE agents committing the *most serious violent crimes* in our criminal code and then *lying about it.* It's important to draw correct lessons from this, but anyone with sense is excluded from mainstream news.
February 13, 2026 at 6:02 PM
THREAD. Every day new evidence emerges of ICE agents committing the *most serious violent crimes* in our criminal code and then *lying about it.* It's important to draw correct lessons from this, but anyone with sense is excluded from mainstream news.
Reposted by The Duckman)))
PLEASE do an election interference we are BEGGING
what this should actually tell countries that want a good relationship with a stable and prosperous US is that they should collude to help democrats
there's a lot of talk about how the US has permanently destroyed its position in the world and while I do think it's done some real damage I also think we underestimate how readily a lot of former allies will be willing to rekindle a relationship if we replace this regime
February 13, 2026 at 6:34 PM
PLEASE do an election interference we are BEGGING
Reposted by The Duckman)))
Without looking (chart below in next post), what did you hear about the US economy in 2021 to 2024, when Joe Biden was president, amidst the incredibly strong job growth & unprecedentedly rapid economic recovery from the 2020 Covid shock?
"Previous estimates showed the US economy generated 584,000 jobs in 2025, the first year of Trump’s second term, which was deeply discouraging.
Now, the picture is far worse: The newly revised, final data shows that the U.S. economy actually added only 181,000 jobs..."
www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...
Now, the picture is far worse: The newly revised, final data shows that the U.S. economy actually added only 181,000 jobs..."
www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...
February 13, 2026 at 6:37 PM
Without looking (chart below in next post), what did you hear about the US economy in 2021 to 2024, when Joe Biden was president, amidst the incredibly strong job growth & unprecedentedly rapid economic recovery from the 2020 Covid shock?
Reposted by The Duckman)))
I bet if you just did a simple survey, not one American in 10K would be able to accurately tell you the current level of immigration to the US, whether that level is up or down from the previous decade, what countries are most represented among immigrants, or what current US immigration policy is.
February 13, 2026 at 5:33 PM
I bet if you just did a simple survey, not one American in 10K would be able to accurately tell you the current level of immigration to the US, whether that level is up or down from the previous decade, what countries are most represented among immigrants, or what current US immigration policy is.
Reposted by The Duckman)))
People are fed the fuck up with nazis and their corporate enablers
February 13, 2026 at 5:58 PM
People are fed the fuck up with nazis and their corporate enablers
The news is so unfathomably insane every single day.
February 13, 2026 at 4:53 PM
The news is so unfathomably insane every single day.