Robert Richards
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rrichard09.bsky.social
Robert Richards
@rrichard09.bsky.social
3K followers 8.4K following 490 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, David Darmofal

bachynski.bsky.social
Kathleen Bachynski @bachynski.bsky.social · 4h
"I don't have an additional $900 lying around…”

Millions of middle-class Americans who have ACA health plans are facing soaring premiums in 2026 — and tough coverage choices after the new rates kick in Jan. 1. And it often falls to women to figure out a family's insurance puzzle.”
As insurance prices rise, women puzzle through coverage options for their families
Figuring out the insurance options for families often falls to women. Some say they're delaying marriage, taking side jobs, and putting their kids on Medicaid as premium prices shoot up in 2026.
www.npr.org

Reposted by Lisa W. Fazio, Gordon Pennycook, Brendan Nyhan , and 1 more

katestarbird.bsky.social
Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · 6h
Good article, but I think we could add that many of the current government officials & influencers spreading political point-scoring falsehoods during crisis events HAVE BECOME gov officials & influencers BECAUSE of their bullshit-spreading talents. System effects of rotten attention dynamics.
Government Officials Once Stopped False Accusations After Violence. Now, Some Join In.
www.nytimes.com

rrichard09.bsky.social
Robert Richards @rrichard09.bsky.social · 8h
This is what I see now on frontpage of Web version in the U.S.:
Front page of FT

Reposted by Robert C. Richards

replamonica.bsky.social
Rep. LaMonica McIver @replamonica.bsky.social · 9h
In 2025, my team and I held more than 50 mobile office hours across our district to bring the services you need most directly to you.

Reposted by Robert C. Richards, Bessma Momani

busbyj2.bsky.social
Josh Busby @busbyj2.bsky.social · 10h
Delighted to have consulted on this story. The Trump administration recognizes importance of batteries for drones & AI but is biased against EVs which is biggest source of demand for batteries. Can the US have a vibrant battery sector w/o robust production of EVs? www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/c...
The Pentagon and A.I. Giants Have a Weakness. Both Need China’s Batteries, Badly.
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Robert C. Richards

areidross.bsky.social
Chiliagon Imaginer @areidross.bsky.social · 12h
truly harrowing stuff
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
The US military said in its initial assessment that "multiple" Isis members had been killed in the strikes on extremist "camps". However, residents of Jabo professed surprise at the strikes, saying the bombs had landed in empty fields, causing no casualties, and that Jabo had been relatively shielded from violence. The last attack by militants had occurred two years ago, they said. Video footage on Nigerian television showed pieces of burnt metal in what looked like farmland. One man told Arise News, a local television station: "Glory be to God, there was no loss of life."

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Robert C. Richards

reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 13h
This appears to be part of a broader effort to import arguments about who was draftable into questions of citizenship, loyalty, and allegiance, such as this piece a few weeks ago from Amy Swearer at Heritage. jlcgtamu.com/wp-content/u...
jlcgtamu.com

Reposted by Robert C. Richards

maris.bsky.social
Maris Kreizman @maris.bsky.social · 13h
This is the apotheosis of masculinity, actually.
Josh walking our 17 year-old pug Bizzy (RIP) in a stroller.

Reposted by Trevon D. Logan, Robert C. Richards

weedenkim.bsky.social
Kim Weeden @weedenkim.bsky.social · 14h
More generally, the right favors competition, but only if (a) the pool of competitors is restricted to the favored group; and (b) the favored group gets to define the criteria for "merit."

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Rosemary A. Joyce, Robert C. Richards , and 2 more

donmoyn.bsky.social
Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 14h
I see this on the right - the idea that the existence of foreign academic staff and faculty are evidence of discrimination against natives. It's not discrimination, its selection: academia is a global marketplace, the US is the biggest center of that market. So yes, some foreign talent will win.
mclem.org Michael Clemens @mclem.org · 15h
Striking nativist editorializing by the federal judge who just upheld the $100,000 tax on high-skill immigrants.

She opines that it’s “troubling” that universities hire talent from abroad at all, instead of only native grads.

Then admits (!) that opinion is irrelevant (So why write it? Venting?)
“For instance, nine of AAU’s members submitted declarations on behalf of their universities disclosing that they employed, in total, approximately 4,500 H-1B employees, including as faculty and in research positions, see ECF Nos. 18-8 to 18-16—raising puzzling questions about why these same academic institutions are not producing sufficient numbers of adequately skilled American faculty and researchers—or whether other factors are at play—but those questions range far beyond the purview of the current case to answer.”

Reposted by Robert C. Richards

mclem.org
Michael Clemens @mclem.org · 15h
Striking nativist editorializing by the federal judge who just upheld the $100,000 tax on high-skill immigrants.

She opines that it’s “troubling” that universities hire talent from abroad at all, instead of only native grads.

Then admits (!) that opinion is irrelevant (So why write it? Venting?)
“For instance, nine of AAU’s members submitted declarations on behalf of their universities disclosing that they employed, in total, approximately 4,500 H-1B employees, including as faculty and in research positions, see ECF Nos. 18-8 to 18-16—raising puzzling questions about why these same academic institutions are not producing sufficient numbers of adequately skilled American faculty and researchers—or whether other factors are at play—but those questions range far beyond the purview of the current case to answer.”

Reposted by Robert C. Richards

erictopol.bsky.social
Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · 15h
On Super Agers
gift link
wapo.st/4q1nsNk
5 tips from ‘super agers’ on how to live a healthy life
This year, we learned a lot from people in their 80s, 90s and 100s (and the scientists who study them).
wapo.st

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Robert C. Richards, Eric M. Patashnik , and 2 more

philiprocco.bsky.social
Phil Rocco @philiprocco.bsky.social · 15h
It has been a bracing moment for American federalism, with both unprecedented efforts to extend executive control over state and local govts, novel forms of subnational resistance. Where is federalism going? Paul Nolette and I have edited a new issue of Publius on that question. Short thread:
Table of Contents for Publius: The Journal of Federalism 56 (1, 2026): The Future of Federalism in the United States Articles Introduction: The Future of Federalism in the United States Paul Nolette and Philip Rocco Can Federalism Protect Subnational Liberal Democracy from Central Authoritarianism? James A. Gardner Tools of Subnational Democratic Subversion: A Taxonomy and Research Agenda Andrea Louise Campbell and Andrew Karch Money Is Not Enough: The Temporary Impact of Pandemic-Era Aid on American Fiscal Federalism Amanda Kass Federalism and the Future of US Minimum Wage Policy Shanna Rose Climate Federalism at a Crossroads: From Compensatory to Coercive and Mitigation to Adaptation Scott Moore Who Benefits From Federalism Claims in Federal Court? Lisa L. Miller US Federalism and the Political Economy of Territorial Status: Evidence from Puerto Rico Mariely Lopez-Santana Federalism and Polarization: How Can Research Be More Relevant? Carol S. Weissert Is the Picket Fence Still Standing? Tracing Administrative Federalism in the States Matthew J. Uttermark From Variables to Mechanisms in Federalism Research Scott L. Greer

Reposted by Cathy N. Davidson, Robert C. Richards

sonjadrimmer.bsky.social
Sonja Drimmer @sonjadrimmer.bsky.social · 16h
Hi, hello! My book _Impressive Politics: Print before the Press in Late Medieval England_ is forthcoming from University of Pennsylvania Press.

I think about print all the time but in ways you might not expect.

sonjadrimmer.com/blog-1/2025/...
"The Printing Press Democratized Knowledge": When Slogans Masquerade as History — Sonja Drimmer
The phrase is said so frequently it seems, like the mechanism it celebrates, to mechanically replicate itself.  It's become a favorite catchphrase among tech boosters of any sort (see my post on...
sonjadrimmer.com

Reposted by Robert C. Richards

trevondlogan.bsky.social
Trevon Logan @trevondlogan.bsky.social · 17h
From threats of violence to racially segregated restaurants to sundown towns, holiday travel required careful, deliberate planning from Black people. The Green Book project documents this history, and you can add your story as well: greenbookproject.osu.edu #GreenBookProject #CommunityMap #EconSky

Reposted by Jonathan H. Adler, Robert C. Richards, Tom Griffin

archive.org
Internet Archive @archive.org · 17h
When the clock strikes midnight on January 1, creative works from 1930 & sound recordings from 1925 will enter the public domain in the US, like:

💄 Dizzy Dishes, first Betty Boop cartoon
🕵️♀️ First 4 Nancy Drew novels
🚂 The Little Engine That Could
🎩 Morocco
🍑 Georgia on My Mind
and many more!

🧵👇
Montage of creative works entering the public domain in the US in 2026.

Reposted by Robert C. Richards

mattyglesias.bsky.social
Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias.bsky.social · 20h
How I’m working with AI

www.slowboring.com/p/cyborg-sow...

Reposted by Tom Clark, John Horgan, Steve Peers , and 8 more

donmoyn.bsky.social
Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 1d
I did not understand this: one of the five Europeans the US has barred from traveling to the United States...is a permanent resident who lives with his family in the US.

Now he is worried about being arrested and deported for the crime of monitoring online hate.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/25/u...
Judge Blocks Detention of British Researcher Who Scrutinizes Online Hate
www.nytimes.com

rrichard09.bsky.social
Robert Richards @rrichard09.bsky.social · 1d
Judge Blocks Detention of British Researcher Who Scrutinizes Online Hate, reports Aishvarya Kavi in @nytimes.com :

www.nytimes.com/2025/12/25/u...
Judge Blocks Detention of British Researcher Who Scrutinizes Online Hate
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Rosemary A. Joyce, Robert C. Richards, David Darmofal

lorak.bsky.social
Lora Kolodny @lorak.bsky.social · 1d
“This year, renewables surpassed coal as a source of electricity worldwide, and solar and wind energy grew fast enough to cover the entire increase in global electricity use from January to June, according to energy think tank Ember” www.science.org/content/arti...
Science’s 2025 Breakthrough of the Year: The unstoppable rise of renewable energy
Clean energy infrastructure is being deployed with unmatched scale and speed—and China is leading the way
www.science.org

rrichard09.bsky.social
Robert Richards @rrichard09.bsky.social · 1d
U.S. Strikes ISIS in Nigeria After Trump Warned of Attacks on Christians, report Helene CooperSaikou Jammeh and Eric Schmitt of @nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/25/u...
U.S. Strikes ISIS in Nigeria After Trump Warned of Attacks on Christians
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Robert C. Richards

olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social
Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 1d
"President Donald Trump said Thursday he’d ordered a deadly strike on Islamic State terrorists in Nigeria..."

www.cnn.com/2025/12/25/p...
Trump says US military struck ISIS terrorists in Nigeria | CNN Politics
President Donald Trump said Thursday he’d ordered a deadly strike on Islamic State terrorists in Nigeria, who he has accused of persecuting Christians in the country.
www.cnn.com

Reposted by Eric Goldman, Robert C. Richards, Alan Richardson , and 4 more

atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d
Trump on Christmas: “Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria.”
Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries! I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was. The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing. Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper. May God Bless our Military, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues.   DONALD J. TRUMP PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Reposted by Robert C. Richards

lorak.bsky.social
Lora Kolodny @lorak.bsky.social · 1d
waymo paused its robotaxi service as national weather service issued flash flood warnings in SF on christmas - @cnbc.com

www.cnbc.com/2025/12/25/w...
Waymo pauses robotaxis in SF again due to flash flood warnings on Christmas Day
Waymo again paused it robotaxi service, citing a flash flood warning on Christmas Day.
www.cnbc.com

Reposted by Robert C. Richards, W. Andy Knight

nytimes.com
The New York Times @nytimes.com · 1d
As hurricane-force winds showered fire embers down on Altadena in January, it seemed almost impossible that much would survive. But while some of the towering deodar cedars lining Santa Rosa Avenue were singed by fire and damaged by wind, they survived. www.nytimes.com/card/2025/12...

Reposted by Roger Keil, Robert C. Richards

theonion.com
The Onion @theonion.com · 1d
Home Depot Introduces New 12-Foot-Tall Baby Jesus Skeleton https://theonion.com/home-depot-introduces-new-12-foot-tall-baby-jesus-skele-1851069460/
Home Depot Introduces New 12-Foot-Tall Baby Jesus Skeleton

Reposted by Robert C. Richards

amydiehl.bsky.social
Amy Diehl, Ph.D. @amydiehl.bsky.social · 1d
The 2017 Women’s March prompted a surge in women candidates, which scholars attribute to feeling empowered to draw attention to issues that have historically been dismissed. During the 2018 midterms, >500 women ran in congressional races, 2x from 2016.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
How effective is protesting? According to historians and political scientists: very
From emancipation to women’s suffrage, civil rights and BLM, mass movement has shaped the arc of US history
www.theguardian.com

rrichard09.bsky.social
Robert Richards @rrichard09.bsky.social · 1d
"are there plans to appeal?"

Reposted by Rosemary A. Joyce, Robert C. Richards

cwnewser.bsky.social
Christopher Wiggins @cwnewser.bsky.social · 1d
Call me a nerd, but yesterday, a federal judge in Pennsylvania cited my reporting in a ruling against the DOJ in a case challenging Trump-era actions targeting transgender people.

A reminder that this work really does matter.

Reposted by Robert C. Richards

johnsmillie42.bsky.social
John Smillie @johnsmillie42.bsky.social · 1d
Bonus:

If we are going to talk about affordability, we need to talk about lot more about how climate change is making life less affordable (though this is a drum I've been beating for 4.5 years), and energy isn't the only cost in life.