Robert Richards
LightNews LightNews
rrichard09.bsky.social
Robert Richards
@rrichard09.bsky.social
2.9K followers 8.3K following 470 posts

I study how people talk about politics and law and participate in governing their communities. Opinions expressed here are mine alone, not those of my employers or institutions.
https://rcrjr.wordpress.com

Videos
Political science 19%
Environmental science 17%
Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Robert C. Richards

brianlfrye.bsky.social
Brian L. Frye @brianlfrye.bsky.social · 8h
I couldn’t be more delighted to announce that I’ve accepted an offer to join the faculty of Tulane Law School. law.tulane.edu/news/tulane-...
Tulane Law Welcomes Professor Brian Frye to the Faculty
Tulane University Law School News
law.tulane.edu

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Will Jennings, Steven S. Smith , and 8 more

benjaminpenn.bsky.social
Ben Penn @benjaminpenn.bsky.social · 8h
Buried inside the deal to reopen government is a provision that would give Senators private right of action to sue for millions in damages over their phone records being analyzed by Jack Smith's team.
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Shutdown Deal Would Let Senators Sue Over Jack Smith Searches
Senators whose phone records were sought by Special Counsel Jack Smith would gain authority to sue for millions in damages under a provision buried in the Senate-advanced deal to reopen the government...
news.bloomberglaw.com

Reposted by Laurent Pech, Robert C. Richards, Daxton R. Stewart

qjurecic.bsky.social
Quinta Jurecic @qjurecic.bsky.social · 13h
Over the last 10 months, the federal government has cracked down on political expression with a persistence and viciousness reminiscent of some of the darkest periods of U.S. history. Welcome to the Third Red Scare.
The First Amendment Won’t Go Quietly
Welcome to the third Red Scare.
www.theatlantic.com

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Robert C. Richards, Andrew Jacobs , and 5 more

mjsdc.bsky.social
Mark Joseph Stern @mjsdc.bsky.social · 14h
New: The Supreme Court DENIES Kim Davis' request to overturn Obergefell, the marriage equality decision. No noted dissents. www.supremecourt.gov/orders/court...
DAVIS, KIM V. ERMOLD, DAVID, ET AL. The motion of Foundation for Moral Law for leave to file a brief as amicus curiae out of time is denied. The petition for a writ of certiorari is denied.

Reposted by Will Jennings, Brendan Nyhan, Cathy N. Davidson , and 9 more

bgrueskin.bsky.social
Bill Grueskin @bgrueskin.bsky.social · 1d
Kyle Kingsbury is not a journalist. He is not an op-ed writer.

He is a computer safety researcher.

And he has written one of the most compelling, comprehensive accounts of the ongoing hell in Chicago that you could possibly imagine.

In under 1600 words.

aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
I Want You to Understand Chicago Politics Chicago 2025-11-08 I want you to understand what it is like to live in Chicago during this time. Every day my phone buzzes. It is a neighborhood group: four people were kidnapped at the corner drugstore. A friend a mile away sends a Slack message: she was at the scene when masked men assaulted and abducted two people on the street. A plumber working on my pipes is distraught, and I find out that two of his employees were kidnapped that morning. A week later it happens again. An email arrives. Agents with guns have chased a teacher into the school where she works. They did not have a warrant. They dragged her away, ignoring her and her colleagues’ pleas to show proof of her documentation. That evening I stand a few feet from the parents of Rayito de Sol and listen to them describe, with anguish, how good Ms. Diana was to their children. What it is like to have strangers with guns traumatize your kids. For a teacher to hide a three-year-old child for fear they might be killed. How their relatives will no longer leave the house. I hear the pain and fury in their voices, and I wonder who will be next. Understand what it is to pray in Chicago. On September 19th, Reverend David Black, lead pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Chicago, was praying outside the ICE detention center in Broadview when a DHS agent shot him in the head with pepper balls. Pepper balls are never supposed to be fired at the head because they can seriously injure, or even kill. “We could hear them laughing as they were shooting us from the roof,” Black recalled. He is not the only member of the clergy ICE has assaulted. Methodist pastor Hannah Kardon was violently arrested on October 17th, and Baptist pastor Michael Woolf was shot with pepper balls on November 1st. Understand what it is to sleep in Chicago. On the night of September 30th, federal agents rappelled from a Black Hawk helicopter to execute a raid on an apartment building on the South Sho…

Reposted by Robert C. Richards

annabower.bsky.social
Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 1d
ICYMI: I reviewed hundreds of internal FBI emails and documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.

The records appear to undermine a core premise underlying the charges against James Comey.

My latest for @lawfaremedia.org:

www.lawfaremedia.org/article/more...
More Trouble for the Comey Indictment?
Public documents may undermine a core premise underlying the charges against James Comey.
www.lawfaremedia.org

Reposted by Robert C. Richards

klonick.bsky.social
Kate Klonick @klonick.bsky.social · 1d
Judge Mark Wolf resigns from the District Court of Massachusetts and writes why in a powerful piece in the Atlantic.

One thing he doesn’t mention in his list of reasons but I’m sure is a factor:

Erez Reuveni was one of his law clerks.

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Why I Am Resigning
A federal judge explains his reasoning for leaving the bench.
www.theatlantic.com

Reposted by Joanna Bryson, Anna O. Law, Jennifer A. Richeson , and 3 more

sifill.bsky.social
Sherrilyn Ifill @sifill.bsky.social · 1d
And now, if you read the devastating piece about what Venezuelan deportees endured at the El Salvador torture prison, read what incarcerated U.S. citizens endure in Alabama prisons.

State prisons in the U.S. that are massive systems of human rights violations.
www.theguardian.com/film/2025/oc...
‘How is this possible?’: a new film looks inside the appalling abuses of the Alabama prison system
In the year’s most shocking documentary, The Alabama Solution, prisoners share astonishing footage in a plea for help
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Robert C. Richards, Henry Farrell

mcbridetd.bsky.social
Timothy McBride @mcbridetd.bsky.social · 1d
Israeli Academics Find Themselves Isolated Despite Gaza Cease-Fire www.nytimes.com/2025/11/09/w...
Israeli Academics Find Themselves Isolated Despite Gaza Cease-Fire
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Robert C. Richards

davidcole-gtown.bsky.social
David Cole @davidcole-gtown.bsky.social · 1d
I look forward to defending free speech from its progressive critics — and conservative assailants == as the Tanner Letures Nov. 12 and 13 @princeton.edu

A timely topic, sadly

lectures.princeton.edu/lectures/202...
Tanner Lecture on Human Values: David D. Cole
Progressives have increasingly lost faith in the First Amendment—at least as it has been interpreted and applied by the Supreme Court.  They argue that free speech has been “weaponized” by big busines...
lectures.princeton.edu

Reposted by Robert C. Richards

sifill.bsky.social
Sherrilyn Ifill @sifill.bsky.social · 1d
And….scene.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/28/u...
After Law Firm Deals With Trump, D.C. Bar Warns of Ethical Jeopardy
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Robert C. Richards

design-law.bsky.social
Sarah Fackrell @design-law.bsky.social · 1d
This may be a long shot but: Is anyone on here an expert the laws relating to Illinois non-profit corporations? I'm particularly interested in what information on such groups the public is entitled to.

I searched here and the results are pretty threadbare (no officers list, no documents, etc.):
apps.ilsos.gov

Reposted by Robert C. Richards

hlatim.bsky.social
Timothy Hla @hlatim.bsky.social · 1d
A non biologic PCSK9 inhibitor could be a game changer! www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/h...
New Pill From Merck Could Slash Cholesterol Levels, Trials Show
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Robert C. Richards, Manisha Sinha

unlawfulentries.bsky.social
Anna O. Law @unlawfulentries.bsky.social · 1d
March 10 is the release date of the book that took me 16 years to research and write. Here's the PRE-ORDER page: global.oup.com/academic/pro...
Oxford University Press webpage of Migration and the Origins of American Citizenship--African Americans, Native Americans, and Immigrants by Anna O. Law. paperback is $29.99

Reposted by Robert C. Richards, Nathan P. Kalmoe

royalpratt.bsky.social
Gregory Pratt @royalpratt.bsky.social · 2d
Video on social media shows an immigration agent pulling a gun in Little Village and holding it to the side — which is not an appropriate or safe way to hold a gun. (Among other issues.)

Reposted by Steve Peers, Robert C. Richards

lyndab08.bsky.social
Lynda Lopez @lyndab08.bsky.social · 2d
“Next to the car, a man screamed and stripped off his shirt. Another woman spoke to him in Spanish, telling him to let her put water on his head. The man and the baby had both been hit by pepper spray.”
Shots fired at immigration agents in Little Village as residents confront Bovino, Border Patrol, authorities say
Community members once again confronted a convoy of Border Patrol agents led by Cmdr. Gregory Bovino as it moved through Chicago’s South Side neighborhoods.
www.chicagotribune.com

Reposted by Steve Peers, Robert C. Richards

lorak.bsky.social
Lora Kolodny @lorak.bsky.social · 2d
in Feb. 2025, I worked on this story about why & how Elon Musk suddenly put an end to USAID… www.nbcnews.com/politics/dog...
How Elon Musk boosted false USAID conspiracy theories to shut down global aid
Musk drove fringe viewpoints on USAID into the mainstream on X as the Trump administration halted the humanitarian relief agency’s work.
www.nbcnews.com

Reposted by Robert C. Richards, Mark Rice, Ann Bartow , and 1 more

lorennacleary.bsky.social
LorennaCleary.bsky.social @lorennacleary.bsky.social · 2d
Chaos erupted in Little Village.

/

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Mark A. Lemley, Steve Peers , and 13 more

jamellebouie.net
jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 2d
“woke” is when you acknowledge that black people have contributed to the united states
gordondarroch.bsky.social Gordon Darroch @gordondarroch.bsky.social · 2d
Two panels commemorating the contribution of Black American soldiers towards the liberation of the Netherlands in World War Two have been quietly removed from a cemetery in Limburg. It follows a complaint by right-wing think tank The Heritage Foundation to the American Battle Monuments Commission.
nrc.nl NRC @nrc.nl · 3d
Op Margraten zijn twee panelen over zwarte Amerikaanse bevrijders van Nederland opeens weg. ‘Past bij beleid van de regering-Trump’

Reposted by Robert C. Richards

lorak.bsky.social
Lora Kolodny @lorak.bsky.social · 2d
A Border Patrol agent boasted about shooting a Chicago resident... www.msnbc.com/top-stories/...
‘Put that in your book boys’: CBP agent boasted about repeatedly shooting Chicago woman
A Border Patrol agent who shot a U.S. citizen five times told her lawyer, “I take pride in my shooting skills.” She’s charged with assaulting him.
www.msnbc.com

Reposted by Robert C. Richards

clancyny.bsky.social
Eileen Clancy 🧿 @clancyny.bsky.social · 2d
1/2 Are there any experts out there who can correctly identify the weapons being pointed directly at these two @chicagotribune.com photojournalists?

What type of gun is this?

cc: @mandophotos.bsky.social
5 of 7 A federal officer points a gun out of a vehicle during an immigration enforcement action in the Little Village neighborhood on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025 in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune

Reposted by Robert C. Richards

governorwalz.mn.gov
Governor Tim Walz @governorwalz.mn.gov · 2d
We will not let Minnesotans go hungry.

Reposted by Robert C. Richards

dwillis.bsky.social
Derek Willis @dwillis.bsky.social · 2d
The @merrillcollege.bsky.social journalism students who have been showing up to immigration court in Hyattsville, Md., and who got asked to leave, then regained access, have another story, this one about the folks who also come to bear witness:

cnsmaryland.org/2025/11/08/l...
Local residents keep an eye on Hyattsville Immigration Court
HYATTSVILLE, Md.--Jim Bell has never felt comfortable entering Hyattsville Immigration Court, but he still shows up every Thursday afternoon, putting his own ease aside out of a sense of duty. He and…
cnsmaryland.org

Reposted by Robert C. Richards

yaelschacher.bsky.social
Yael Schacher @yaelschacher.bsky.social · 2d
Super important reporting about treatment in El Salvador. Since many of the men sent to CECOT and returned to VZ were asylum seekers, reporting on what they are facing in VZ is also really important — needs attention.

www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/w...
‘You Are All Terrorists’: Four Months in a Salvadoran Prison
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Robert C. Richards

maddow.msnbc.com
Rachel Maddow @maddow.msnbc.com · 2d
abc7.com/post/communi...
Rally held to demand release of LAUSD student in ICE custody for nearly 3 months
Community members and educators continue to push for the release of an LAUSD student who has been in ICE custody for nearly three months.
abc7.com

Reposted by Scott L. Greer, Robert C. Richards, Eric M. Patashnik

larrylevitt.bsky.social
Larry Levitt @larrylevitt.bsky.social · 2d
You have to read between the lines here to imagine what President Trump is proposing. But, it sounds like it may be a plan for health accounts that could be used for insurance that doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions, which could create a death spiral in ACA plans that do.

Reposted by Steven Heydemann, Nandita Sharma, Will Jennings , and 9 more

keptsimple.bsky.social
m @keptsimple.bsky.social · 2d
incredible new trump photo

Reposted by Robert C. Richards

erictopol.bsky.social
Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · 2d
My interview with Dr. Susan Monarez, former CDC Director, who was fired for doing her job, standing up for public health and science. Learn about her resilience and optimism.
erictopol.substack.com/p/dr-susan-m...
Dr. Susan Monarez—Former CDC Director, First Live Interview
An American hero for standing up for science and public health
erictopol.substack.com

Reposted by Robert C. Richards

debpearlstein.bsky.social
Deborah Pearlstein @debpearlstein.bsky.social · 2d
Between Mizelle's impeachment demands & Blanche's call for young conservative lawyers to join the "war" against judges who have the temerity to rule against the executive, FedSoc (otherwise losing influence w/Trump) annual meeting sounds like it's turning into a rally against judicial independence.

Reposted by Robert C. Richards

mathowie.xoxo.zone.ap.brid.gy
Matthew Haughey @mathowie.xoxo.zone.ap.brid.gy · 2d
The agency behind the real work is a design coop called Forge and they did an absolutely incredible job https://www.forge.coop/
Forge
Forge is a small design and development cooperative.
www.forge.coop