Victor Silverman
@victorsilverman.bsky.social
Author, Filmmaker, Professor of Contemporary US and International History. Emeritus Professor Pomona College.
Pinned
Trump: impera el caos; ¿de qué lado estás?
Más allá de sus severos límites cognitivos, lo único que el magnate ha dejado claro es que es un presidente transaccional, su único instinto político es su ego y su enriquecimiento personal.
www.jornada.com.mx
Trump: impera el caos; ¿de qué lado estás?
Opinion de Miguel Tinker Salas y yo hoy en @lajornadainter.bsky.social @lajornadanet.bsky.social
www.jornada.com.mx/noticia/2026...
Opinion de Miguel Tinker Salas y yo hoy en @lajornadainter.bsky.social @lajornadanet.bsky.social
www.jornada.com.mx/noticia/2026...
Hegseth is proposing the end of the military-educational complex
New: Military officers could soon find dozens of top colleges and universities across the US (list in replies) abruptly off limits for tuition assistance as part of Hegseth’s campaign against schools he describes as being biased against the US military
www.cnn.com/2026/02/13/p...
www.cnn.com/2026/02/13/p...
Pentagon may bar tuition aid for top universities in Hegseth’s crackdown on ‘biased’ schools | CNN Politics
Military officers could soon find dozens of top colleges and universities across the United States abruptly off limits for tuition assistance as part of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s campaign again...
www.cnn.com
February 14, 2026 at 2:45 AM
Hegseth is proposing the end of the military-educational complex
Next up: they will ban the study of Jewish Science and only allow acceptable science, or Arische Physik in the original German.
New: Military officers could soon find dozens of top colleges and universities across the US (list in replies) abruptly off limits for tuition assistance as part of Hegseth’s campaign against schools he describes as being biased against the US military
www.cnn.com/2026/02/13/p...
www.cnn.com/2026/02/13/p...
Pentagon may bar tuition aid for top universities in Hegseth’s crackdown on ‘biased’ schools | CNN Politics
Military officers could soon find dozens of top colleges and universities across the United States abruptly off limits for tuition assistance as part of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s campaign again...
www.cnn.com
February 14, 2026 at 2:41 AM
Next up: they will ban the study of Jewish Science and only allow acceptable science, or Arische Physik in the original German.
Reposted by Victor Silverman
America 2026. www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/f...
ICE raid at apartment complex causes elementary students to run from their bus stop in NJ Thursday
Students were seen running away from their bus stop on Thursday morning as ICE agents conducted an operation at an apartment in Lindenwold, NJ.
www.nbcphiladelphia.com
February 13, 2026 at 9:06 PM
America 2026. www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/f...
Reposted by Victor Silverman
I'd like at add a few things to this. (1) humanists have not been able to convince any political party that curiosity-driven humanities research is a public good that should be funded using tax dollars. Republicans don't believe this, but neither do Democrats.
It's possible to do a non-reactionary critique of the current landscape of humanities research funding: www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...
Does humanities research matter anymore? (opinion)
The rapid collapse in available research funding is one crisis in the humanities we aren’t talking enough about, Asheesh Kapur Siddique writes.
www.insidehighered.com
February 13, 2026 at 2:57 PM
I'd like at add a few things to this. (1) humanists have not been able to convince any political party that curiosity-driven humanities research is a public good that should be funded using tax dollars. Republicans don't believe this, but neither do Democrats.
Reposted by Victor Silverman
The Trump regime recklessly erases US regulation to limit pollution causing climate change. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/c... The irresponsible decision is a middle finger to global efforts to reduce warming of atmosphere, now increasing faster than ever. www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
Trump Administration Erases the Government’s Power to Fight Climate Change
www.nytimes.com
February 13, 2026 at 12:26 AM
The Trump regime recklessly erases US regulation to limit pollution causing climate change. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/c... The irresponsible decision is a middle finger to global efforts to reduce warming of atmosphere, now increasing faster than ever. www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
Reposted by Victor Silverman
Years ago, a guy who worked for Gallup called me to complain about how a bunch of right-wing Christian fundamentalists ran the place. Guess the news on the Holy Donald is too bad to keep reporting. Because their explanation is bullshit.
So Trump has one of the worst ever Gallup approval ratings, and now Gallup is going to stop tracking approval? thehill.com/homenews/med...
thehill.com
February 11, 2026 at 8:07 PM
Years ago, a guy who worked for Gallup called me to complain about how a bunch of right-wing Christian fundamentalists ran the place. Guess the news on the Holy Donald is too bad to keep reporting. Because their explanation is bullshit.
As many as 130,000 people died from the flu last season--that was with a vaccine widely available. This is a decision that mean will mean disease and death for many, many people.
NEW: The F.D.A. refused to accept an application from Moderna for its mRNA flu vaccine.
Its reason: The agency did not think Moderna compared the new vaccine to one of the best flu shots available. The company spent $750M+ on a 41,000 person study.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/h...
Its reason: The agency did not think Moderna compared the new vaccine to one of the best flu shots available. The company spent $750M+ on a 41,000 person study.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/h...
F.D.A. Refuses to Review Moderna Flu Vaccine
www.nytimes.com
February 11, 2026 at 5:07 AM
As many as 130,000 people died from the flu last season--that was with a vaccine widely available. This is a decision that mean will mean disease and death for many, many people.
They were more innocent than a ham sandwich
I've lost track of how many times now grand juries have rejected Trump admin attempts to secure indictments. Just an amazing-to-behold combination of (1) bad lawyering and (2) weak / transparently political prosecutions. Would be humiliating, if these folks were capable of feeling humiliation.
Trump Justice Department tries to indict six Democratic members of Congress for making a video reminding members of the military that they should not obey illegal orders, only to have the grand jury refuse to go along. @alanfeuer.bsky.social @glennthrush.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/u...
February 11, 2026 at 4:41 AM
They were more innocent than a ham sandwich
Reposted by Victor Silverman
I have to say, I do not love this new trend of large liberal accounts with millions of followers identifying Jews.
February 11, 2026 at 3:29 AM
I have to say, I do not love this new trend of large liberal accounts with millions of followers identifying Jews.
Reposted by Victor Silverman
Data centers use MASSIVE amounts of water
Just one Google data center in Iowa used 1 BILLION gallons of water in 2024 -- enough to supply all of Iowa's residential water use for 5 days. ⬇️
Just one Google data center in Iowa used 1 BILLION gallons of water in 2024 -- enough to supply all of Iowa's residential water use for 5 days. ⬇️
February 10, 2026 at 5:14 PM
Data centers use MASSIVE amounts of water
Just one Google data center in Iowa used 1 BILLION gallons of water in 2024 -- enough to supply all of Iowa's residential water use for 5 days. ⬇️
Just one Google data center in Iowa used 1 BILLION gallons of water in 2024 -- enough to supply all of Iowa's residential water use for 5 days. ⬇️
Reposted by Victor Silverman
An immigration court dropped its case against Turkish graduate student Rumeysa Ozturk, a little less than a year after federal agents arrested her on a street near Tufts University
Immigration Court Drops Case Against Tufts Student Rumeysa Ozturk
The Turkish national had been arrested by plainclothes federal officers outside her apartment.
on.wsj.com
February 9, 2026 at 11:53 PM
An immigration court dropped its case against Turkish graduate student Rumeysa Ozturk, a little less than a year after federal agents arrested her on a street near Tufts University
Reposted by Victor Silverman
She is a hero.
February 10, 2026 at 2:11 AM
She is a hero.
Reposted by Victor Silverman
The lawless killing spree at sea continues.
As usual, the "designated terrorist organization" supposedly operating the vessel is unidentified.
And based on recent history, the likelihood that the USG successfully rescues the survivor seems low.
Real killing in a make believe armed conflict.
As usual, the "designated terrorist organization" supposedly operating the vessel is unidentified.
And based on recent history, the likelihood that the USG successfully rescues the survivor seems low.
Real killing in a make believe armed conflict.
February 10, 2026 at 1:07 AM
The lawless killing spree at sea continues.
As usual, the "designated terrorist organization" supposedly operating the vessel is unidentified.
And based on recent history, the likelihood that the USG successfully rescues the survivor seems low.
Real killing in a make believe armed conflict.
As usual, the "designated terrorist organization" supposedly operating the vessel is unidentified.
And based on recent history, the likelihood that the USG successfully rescues the survivor seems low.
Real killing in a make believe armed conflict.
Reposted by Victor Silverman
They told us their plans from the start.
“Like Prime, but with human beings.”
February 10, 2026 at 1:16 AM
They told us their plans from the start.
Reposted by Victor Silverman
Trump regime’s latest effort to whitewash history and control narrative: all State department posts on X made before Trump took office in 2025 will be removed. That includes accounts for US embassies, missions, ambassadors, department bureaus, programs. www.npr.org/2026/02/07/n...
State Department will delete X posts from before Trump returned to office
The policy change orders the removal of any post made by official State Department accounts on X before President Trump returned to office in 2025.
www.npr.org
February 8, 2026 at 5:32 AM
Trump regime’s latest effort to whitewash history and control narrative: all State department posts on X made before Trump took office in 2025 will be removed. That includes accounts for US embassies, missions, ambassadors, department bureaus, programs. www.npr.org/2026/02/07/n...
Reposted by Victor Silverman
The LAPD sent officers to train in Israel. Officials can’t explain what they learned
www.latimes.com/california/s...
www.latimes.com/california/s...
The LAPD sent officers to train in Israel. Officials can't explain what they learned
The Police Commission’s Office of the Inspector General found that the LAPD lacks a system for tracking employees who train with foreign law enforcement agencies.
www.latimes.com
February 7, 2026 at 10:45 PM
The LAPD sent officers to train in Israel. Officials can’t explain what they learned
www.latimes.com/california/s...
www.latimes.com/california/s...
Reposted by Victor Silverman
Concentration camps: stories of as many as 50 people to a cell — men and women in some cases — with no windows and limited airflow, a single camera-monitored toilet, aluminum blankets, no showers and poor quality food.
ICE detainees from Maine being held under ‘inhumane’ conditions in Mass. facility, attorneys say
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson said the allegations of overcrowding and lack of access to lawyers are false.
www.pressherald.com
February 7, 2026 at 1:10 PM
Concentration camps: stories of as many as 50 people to a cell — men and women in some cases — with no windows and limited airflow, a single camera-monitored toilet, aluminum blankets, no showers and poor quality food.
Reposted by Victor Silverman
Syria: Dozens of displaced families’ tents were flooded in Khirbet al-Jouz, Idlib countryside, after the river overflowed due to recent heavy rainfall.
It feels as though we are condemned to live through an endless tragedy—one that never truly ends.
It feels as though we are condemned to live through an endless tragedy—one that never truly ends.
February 7, 2026 at 8:18 PM
Syria: Dozens of displaced families’ tents were flooded in Khirbet al-Jouz, Idlib countryside, after the river overflowed due to recent heavy rainfall.
It feels as though we are condemned to live through an endless tragedy—one that never truly ends.
It feels as though we are condemned to live through an endless tragedy—one that never truly ends.
Reposted by Victor Silverman
The violence against immigrants, protesters and civilian observers in Minneapolis has sparked renewed calls for oversight of the Border Patrol. It is a pattern abuse with a long history in Mexican American communities on the border, icymi from me and Eileen Sullivan. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/03/u...
Pretti Shooting Thrusts Border Patrol’s History of Aggressive Tactics Into View
www.nytimes.com
February 7, 2026 at 5:27 PM
The violence against immigrants, protesters and civilian observers in Minneapolis has sparked renewed calls for oversight of the Border Patrol. It is a pattern abuse with a long history in Mexican American communities on the border, icymi from me and Eileen Sullivan. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/03/u...
Reposted by Victor Silverman
Some Latin American and Caribbean governments are violating rights of noncitizens at the Trump administration’s behest, while others are using Trump’s policies and rhetoric as cover for abuses. #Rights2026
Read HRW's World Report 2026:
Read HRW's World Report 2026:
Americas: Trump’s Influence Prompts Abuses
Some Latin American and Caribbean governments are violating rights of noncitizens at the Trump administration’s behest, while others are using Trump’s policies and rhetoric as cover for abuses against...
www.hrw.org
February 7, 2026 at 3:39 PM
Some Latin American and Caribbean governments are violating rights of noncitizens at the Trump administration’s behest, while others are using Trump’s policies and rhetoric as cover for abuses. #Rights2026
Read HRW's World Report 2026:
Read HRW's World Report 2026:
The cruelty of this time in the US can not be ignored. It will take many years and much effort to undo.
EXCLUSIVE: Terez Metry was 13 when her family fled to Tennessee from Egypt in 2011. Then, they left her behind. She only recently discovered she had an order of removal from 2011. But she was following the legal path to citizenship. On Monday, at a routine DHS meeting, Metry was detained.
Immigration process turns sour for an Antioch woman - Nashville Banner
Terez Metry, a dental assistant in Middle Tennessee with no criminal history, was detained by ICE during an interview as she followed legal steps toward citizenship.
nashvillebanner.com
February 7, 2026 at 1:50 AM
The cruelty of this time in the US can not be ignored. It will take many years and much effort to undo.
Reposted by Victor Silverman
Metry and her husband of 4 years go to DHS to get their I-130 in motion. "Good news" a DHS employee told them, the form to start her naturalization was approved.
DHS employee asks the husband to follow him through a secure door. When it locks behind him, ICE detains his wife to deport her.
DHS employee asks the husband to follow him through a secure door. When it locks behind him, ICE detains his wife to deport her.
EXCLUSIVE: Terez Metry was 13 when her family fled to Tennessee from Egypt in 2011. Then, they left her behind. She only recently discovered she had an order of removal from 2011. But she was following the legal path to citizenship. On Monday, at a routine DHS meeting, Metry was detained.
Immigration process turns sour for an Antioch woman - Nashville Banner
Terez Metry, a dental assistant in Middle Tennessee with no criminal history, was detained by ICE during an interview as she followed legal steps toward citizenship.
nashvillebanner.com
February 6, 2026 at 10:00 PM
Metry and her husband of 4 years go to DHS to get their I-130 in motion. "Good news" a DHS employee told them, the form to start her naturalization was approved.
DHS employee asks the husband to follow him through a secure door. When it locks behind him, ICE detains his wife to deport her.
DHS employee asks the husband to follow him through a secure door. When it locks behind him, ICE detains his wife to deport her.
Reposted by Victor Silverman
New: Trump's administration tonight told a Boston judge that his proposal that it issue a student visa to a Babson College student it deported to Honduras in violation of a court order is "unfeasible" and said ICE declines to facilitate her return. www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
Trump administration won't let student deported to Honduras return
President Donald Trump's administration on Friday called a judge's proposal that the government issue a student visa to a college student it deported to Honduras in violation of a court order "unfeasi...
www.reuters.com
February 7, 2026 at 1:26 AM
New: Trump's administration tonight told a Boston judge that his proposal that it issue a student visa to a Babson College student it deported to Honduras in violation of a court order is "unfeasible" and said ICE declines to facilitate her return. www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
Reposted by Victor Silverman
Just heard back from DHS on why they abruptly expedited Ramos' asylum hearing:
“These are regular removal proceedings. This is standard procedure and there is nothing retaliatory about enforcing the nation’s immigration laws. He will receive full due process."
(This is not standard procedure.)
“These are regular removal proceedings. This is standard procedure and there is nothing retaliatory about enforcing the nation’s immigration laws. He will receive full due process."
(This is not standard procedure.)
February 6, 2026 at 7:49 PM
Just heard back from DHS on why they abruptly expedited Ramos' asylum hearing:
“These are regular removal proceedings. This is standard procedure and there is nothing retaliatory about enforcing the nation’s immigration laws. He will receive full due process."
(This is not standard procedure.)
“These are regular removal proceedings. This is standard procedure and there is nothing retaliatory about enforcing the nation’s immigration laws. He will receive full due process."
(This is not standard procedure.)
Reposted by Victor Silverman
DHS has been posting Nazi memes for months. None of this is an accident.
POLITICO reporting that the White House has now claimed the ape video was an accident and removed it.
February 6, 2026 at 5:08 PM
DHS has been posting Nazi memes for months. None of this is an accident.