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John Palfrey
@palfrey.org
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President, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

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John Gorham Palfrey VII is an American educator, scholar, and law professor. His areas of focus include emerging media, Internet freedom, online transparency and accountability, and child safety. In March 2019, he was named the president of the MacArthur Foundation effective September 1, 2019. Palfrey was the 15th Head of School at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, from 2012 to 2019. He was executive director of Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet & Society from 2002 to 2008. .. more

Political science 28%
Business 16%
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palfrey.org
John Palfrey @palfrey.org · 11h
Prayers for our friends and neighbors in Delhi today.
pbsnews.org PBS News @pbsnews.org · 11h
A car exploded near the historic Red Fort in India’s capital Monday, killing at least eight people, injuring several others and triggering a fire that damaged several vehicles parked nearby, New Delhi police said. https://to.pbs.org/43jCG6X
Car explodes near historic fort in India's capital, killing at least 8 people, police say
Several fire engines rushed to the scene in New Delhi after the blast was reported near one of the gates of the Red Fort metro station.
www.pbs.org

Reposted by John Palfrey

pbsnews.org
PBS News @pbsnews.org · 11h
A car exploded near the historic Red Fort in India’s capital Monday, killing at least eight people, injuring several others and triggering a fire that damaged several vehicles parked nearby, New Delhi police said. https://to.pbs.org/43jCG6X
Car explodes near historic fort in India's capital, killing at least 8 people, police say
Several fire engines rushed to the scene in New Delhi after the blast was reported near one of the gates of the Red Fort metro station.
www.pbs.org

palfrey.org
John Palfrey @palfrey.org · 1d
We all owe Judge Wolf a major debt of gratitude for his willingness to resign his lifetime tenure as a federal judge in order to stand up for the Rule of Law with his full voice.

Judge Wolf was appointed by President Reagan.

#RuleofLaw
#CourageIsContagious

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

palfrey.org
John Palfrey @palfrey.org · 1d
“Liberty once lost is lost forever.”

- John Adams

www.ifyoucankeepit.org/p/is-the-aut...
We’re starting to see how this ends
Trump is running out of options
www.ifyoucankeepit.org

Reposted by John Palfrey

jbf1755.bsky.social
Joanne Freeman @jbf1755.bsky.social · 1d
Yesterday at the farmer’s market I saw a vendor quietly give food to someone whose EBT (SNAP) card didn’t have enough money on it.

People helping people because the president and his administration refuse to.

Even when court-ordered.

palfrey.org
John Palfrey @palfrey.org · 1d
In the category of "things that will not age well" when this cruelty chapter comes to a close.

www.nytimes.com/live/2025/11...
Trump Administration Live Updates: Officials Demand States ‘Undo’ Work to Send Full Food Stamps
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Sanford F. Schram, John Palfrey , and 2 more

crampell.bsky.social
Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 1d
I asked Georgetown law prof David Super wtf is going on with this latest demand for states to claw back benefits already sent out.
He says the law doesn't allow for this, and if the USDA is mad that states already sent out SNAP money, too bad—they were following USDA's own guidance. Full comments:

palfrey.org
John Palfrey @palfrey.org · 1d
How To Find Food — Or Help Neighbors In Need — While SNAP Is Paused

blockclubchicago.org/2025/11/05/h...
How To Find Food — Or Help Neighbors In Need — While SNAP Is Paused
Block Club put together a list of resources for anyone who needs assistance or for people looking for ways to help amid the pause in food assistance benefits.
blockclubchicago.org

palfrey.org
John Palfrey @palfrey.org · 2d
I should have added volunteering at the same food banks!

palfrey.org
John Palfrey @palfrey.org · 2d
An idea: what if Members of Congress who are being paid taxpayer dollars *not to show up to work* were to give their pay -- or a chunk of it -- to food banks to help feed people being denied federal benefits during their shutdown? Could be a nice non-partisan way for Members to come together.

palfrey.org
John Palfrey @palfrey.org · 3d
No, it is not.

palfrey.org
John Palfrey @palfrey.org · 3d
Asking the Supreme Court for permission not to give people the chance to eat. As Thanksgiving approaches.
stevevladeck.bsky.social Steve Vladeck @stevevladeck.bsky.social · 3d
#BREAKING: The Trump administration is asking #SCOTUS for an immediate “administrative” stay of a Rhode Island district judge’s order that is otherwise requiring it to resume the distribution of SNAP benefits from other funding sources no later than the end of today.

palfrey.org
John Palfrey @palfrey.org · 3d
Chicago business, civic and faith leaders join together to call for end to immigration raids

abc7chicago.com/post/united-...
Chicago business, civic and faith leaders join together to call for end to immigration raids
For the first time since Operation Midway Blitz began, a large group of Chicago's business, civic and faith leaders jointed together to call for an end to the ICE raids. They say it's having a big imp...
abc7chicago.com

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Joshua S. Weitz, John Palfrey , and 1 more

stevevladeck.bsky.social
Steve Vladeck @stevevladeck.bsky.social · 3d
#BREAKING: The Trump administration is asking #SCOTUS for an immediate “administrative” stay of a Rhode Island district judge’s order that is otherwise requiring it to resume the distribution of SNAP benefits from other funding sources no later than the end of today.

Reposted by Robert C. Richards, Michael Zimmer, David Darmofal

palfrey.org
John Palfrey @palfrey.org · 4d
"The use of force shocks the conscience."

Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription.

www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/u...
Judge Criticizes Immigration Agents in Chicago: ‘Use of Force Shocks the Conscience’
www.nytimes.com

palfrey.org
John Palfrey @palfrey.org · 5d
💯.

And on top of that, courts saying it needs to get done.

People should not be going hungry *as a choice* in America.

Food benefits should run out just in time for Thanksgiving?
acyn.bsky.social Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 5d
Beshear: Let me be clear. The president has both the funding and the authority to fund snap during a shutdown. In fact, every other president in every other shutdown has done so. People going hungry in this instance is a choice that this president has made.

palfrey.org
John Palfrey @palfrey.org · 5d
(These are two important articles but I don't think this lead in matches the article to which you have linked.)

palfrey.org
John Palfrey @palfrey.org · 5d
"There is yet life kicking in this broken democracy."

- Sherrilyn Ifill

@sifill.bsky.social

open.substack.com/pub/sherrily...
Takeaways From Election 2025
Keep Fighting
open.substack.com

Reposted by Joe R. Feagin, Stacie B. Dusetzina, Steve Peers , and 8 more

acyn.bsky.social
Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 5d
Beshear: Let me be clear. The president has both the funding and the authority to fund snap during a shutdown. In fact, every other president in every other shutdown has done so. People going hungry in this instance is a choice that this president has made.

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Marc Lynch, Joe R. Feagin , and 25 more

royalpratt.bsky.social
Gregory Pratt @royalpratt.bsky.social · 5d
Federal agents pulling a woman out of Rayito Del Sol, a daycare by Lane Tech high school

Reposted by John Palfrey

bilbow.bsky.social
Cindy 📎🇨🇦⚢🏳️‍🌈 @bilbow.bsky.social · 5d
Leo underlined that scripture emphasizes the question that will be posed at the end of the world: “How did you receive the foreigner, did you receive him and welcome him, or not? I think there is a deep reflection that needs to be made about what is happening.”

#Pinks
apnews.com/article/vati...
Pope Leo calls for 'deep reflection' about treatment of detained migrants in the United States
Pope Leo XIV has called for deep reflection in the United States regarding the treatment of detained migrants.
apnews.com

Reposted by John Palfrey

rickhasen.bsky.social
Rick Hasen @rickhasen.bsky.social · 6d
Elections (still) matter.

We need to keep it that way, with free and fair elections, in 2026.

SafeguardingDemocracyProject.org.
Safeguarding Democracy Project
The Safeguarding Democracy Project at UCLA Law promotes research, collaboration, and advocacy aimed at ensuring continued free and fair elections in the United States, conducted in accordance with dem...
SafeguardingDemocracyProject.org

palfrey.org
John Palfrey @palfrey.org · 6d
Happy Election Day, America!
fairvote.bsky.social FairVote @fairvote.bsky.social · 6d
Happy #ElectionDay!

Voters in 14 cities & counties in 7 states are using #RankedChoiceVoting, including to elect mayors in:

➡️ Minneapolis & St. Paul, MN
➡️ Santa Fe, NM
➡️ Fort Collins, CO

Learn more⬇️
Fact Sheet: Ranked Choice Voting in 2025 Elections - FairVote
Voters in 18 cities and counties are using ranked choice voting to elect their leaders in 2025. That includes the largest cities 3 states.
fairvote.org

Reposted by John Palfrey

fairvote.bsky.social
FairVote @fairvote.bsky.social · 6d
Happy #ElectionDay!

Voters in 14 cities & counties in 7 states are using #RankedChoiceVoting, including to elect mayors in:

➡️ Minneapolis & St. Paul, MN
➡️ Santa Fe, NM
➡️ Fort Collins, CO

Learn more⬇️
Fact Sheet: Ranked Choice Voting in 2025 Elections - FairVote
Voters in 18 cities and counties are using ranked choice voting to elect their leaders in 2025. That includes the largest cities 3 states.
fairvote.org

Reposted by John Palfrey

rebuildlocalnews.bsky.social
Rebuild Local News @rebuildlocalnews.bsky.social · 7d
The closer the source, the stronger the trust. 70 percent of Americans say they trust local news compared to just 56 percent for national news.

via @pewresearch.org

Learn more: www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...
How Americans’ trust in information from news organizations and social media sites has changed over time
Overall, 56% of U.S. adults now say they have a lot of or some trust in the information they get from national news organizations – down 11 percentage points since March 2025.
www.pewresearch.org

Reposted by John Palfrey

pbsnews.org
PBS News @pbsnews.org · 7d
Setti Warren, the director of Harvard University's Institute of Politics and former mayor of Newton, Massachusetts, has died. He was 55.

Warren’s death was announced on Sunday by Harvard. He was also an adjunct lecturer in public policy at the university's Kennedy School.

palfrey.org
John Palfrey @palfrey.org · 8d
The cruelty is astonishing. Setting aside everything else, I refuse to believe straight up cruelty to other humans is good politics in the long run.
crampell.bsky.social Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 8d
The USDA sent an email to grocery stores telling them they are prohibited from offering special discounts to customers affected by the SNAP funding lapse.
I'm aware of at least 2 stores that had offered struggling customers a discount, then withdrew it after receiving this email

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Kim L. Scheppele, Nandita Sharma , and 29 more

crampell.bsky.social
Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 8d
The USDA sent an email to grocery stores telling them they are prohibited from offering special discounts to customers affected by the SNAP funding lapse.
I'm aware of at least 2 stores that had offered struggling customers a discount, then withdrew it after receiving this email

palfrey.org
John Palfrey @palfrey.org · 9d
Thank you to @economist.com for the chance to write this week about philanthropic freedoms -- the freedom of expression, the freedom to give, the freedom to invest.

These rights are enshrined in the First Amendment. They have been bedrock for more than 2 centuries. And they are now under attack.
economist.com The Economist @economist.com · 10d
The American government’s attacks on non-profits are “a bad idea”, writes John Palfrey in a guest essay. “Taken together, they constitute a fundamental attack on freedom of expression”
Attacks on America’s non-profits threaten basic rights and social cohesion, writes John Palfrey
The foundation head says it’s not too late to fight back—just as free-thinkers did against McCarthyism
econ.st

Reposted by John Palfrey

economist.com
The Economist @economist.com · 10d
The American government’s attacks on non-profits are “a bad idea”, writes John Palfrey in a guest essay. “Taken together, they constitute a fundamental attack on freedom of expression”
Attacks on America’s non-profits threaten basic rights and social cohesion, writes John Palfrey
The foundation head says it’s not too late to fight back—just as free-thinkers did against McCarthyism
econ.st