Akela Lacy
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Akela Lacy
@akelalacy.bsky.social
8.4K followers 350 following 370 posts
human @theintercept.com | co-host 🎙️ The Intercept Briefing podcast
Brooklyn, NY | https://theintercept.com/staff/akelalacy/
https://akelalacy.substack.com/
https://www.instagram.com/akela_lacy/
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akelalacy.bsky.social
It’s all made possible by the Domain Awareness System, largely the brainchild of Jessica Tisch
October 28, 2025 at 1:09 PM
akelalacy.bsky.social
I pitched a story last month looking at how both his supporters and critics have put Mamdani in an almost impossible position on Israel and Gaza. I’ve seen a surge in comments like this in the last few weeks and I decided to write about it theintercept.com/2025/10/16/z...
October 17, 2025 at 1:31 PM
akelalacy.bsky.social
The notion that “both sides” are working to “maintain the viability of the American experiment” is the part of this column that felt the most divorced from reality for me
American politics has sides. There is no use pretending it doesn’t. But both sides are meant to be on the same side of a larger project — we are all, or most of us, anyway, trying to maintain the viability of the American experiment.
September 12, 2025 at 1:06 AM
akelalacy.bsky.social
MSF survey on Gaza: almost half of those killed were children
PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Contact: brienne.prusak@newyork.msf.org MSF survey of staff and their families in Gaza shows almost half of those killed in the war were children Israel’s disregard for children’s lives clearly indicates that this war is being waged against all Palestinians. A recent retrospective mortality survey of Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) staff and their families found an appalling death rate during Israel’s all-out war on Gaza, especially among children, which is consistent with data provided by Gaza’s Ministry of Health. The survey was conducted by MSF’s research arm Epicentre and covered 2,523 people—MSF workers and their family members—between October 2023 and March 2025. Compared to Ministry of Health estimates prior to the escalation of war on October 7, 2023, the mortality rate was approximately five times higher among the population surveyed (0.41 deaths per 10,000 people per day). For children under 5, the mortality rate increased approximately tenfold (0.70 deaths per 10,000 people). For babies less than 1 month, the mortality rate was six times higher (42.3 deaths per 1,000 live births). “The children of Gaza are being decimated,” said Amande Bazerolle, deputy manager of MSF’s emergency department. “This disregard for children’s lives clearly indicates that this war run by Israel in Gaza is against all Palestinians. Israel’s allies must put all their efforts behind ending the genocide that’s taking place before our very eyes.” Among MSF staff and households surveyed, 2 percent of people died and 7 percent were injured during the period from October 2023 to March 2025. Three-quarters of the deaths were due to war injuries, the vast majority of those from blasts. Forty-eight percent of the people who died from blast injuries among our colleagues' households were children (19 children under 18 years old) and 40 percent were under 10 years old (16 children under 10 years old). In total, more than 56,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 132,000 have been injured since October 7, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza. While the results of MSF’s survey—conducted among staff and their families—cannot be extrapolated as representative of the entire population of Gaza, it provides a chilling snapshot of the terrible toll of this war on civilians. This data demonstrates that no one is immune to the effects of this conflict. Medical staff and their families, including MSF colleagues, could be considered to have better access to health care than the rest of Gaza's population. However, in addition to the high rates of mortality and injury, MSF’s survey also found that two-thirds of people with chronic diseases experienced one or more treatment interruptions. This lack of access to health care is the result of the Israeli campaign to systematically destroy the health system and the means of survival of the whole population. Only 18 out of 36 hospitals remain even partially functional, even as medical needs have exploded. Hospitals are also running dangerously short of essential supplies. Meanwhile, Israel continues to block most medical evacuations despite the fact that, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 10,000 people are in urgent need of medical and surgical treatment that cannot be provided inside Gaza. The quantitative data from MSF’s study helps illustrate part of the reality in Gaza and supports other available data, a point emphasized by the study coordinator Dr. Wendelin Moser, an epidemiologist working with MSF Epicentre. “When we compared the names of deceased individuals due to violence from our survey with the list of war-related deaths from the Ministry of Health in Gaza, we matched nearly 90 percent,” Dr. Moser said. “This indicates the validity of the Ministry of Health statistics on the number of deaths in Gaza since October 7.” MSF calls on Israeli authorities to stop the genocidal campaign against the Palestinians in Gaza and to lift the siege on food, fuel, medical, and humanitarian supplies immediately. MSF is also calling on Israel’s allies to help facilitate the urgent medical evacuations of people whose lives are in danger, particularly children. This press release can be found online here.
July 10, 2025 at 2:50 PM
akelalacy.bsky.social
Sanders: Trump welcomes war criminal to White House
NEWS: Sanders: Trump Welcomes War Criminal to White House July 8, 2025 Contact: press@berniesanders.com WASHINGTON — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) released the following statement after President Donald Trump welcomed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House: "As President Trump and Members of Congress roll out the red carpet for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, let’s remember that Netanyahu has been indicted as a war criminal by the International Criminal Court for overseeing the systematic killing and starvation of civilians in Gaza. These war crimes continue to this day. His extremist government has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians and wounded almost 135,000, sixty percent of whom are women, children, or elderly people. The United Nations reports that at least 17,000 children have been killed and more than 25,000 wounded. More than 3,000 children in Gaza have had one or more limbs amputated. At this moment, hundreds of thousands of people are starving after Israel prevented any aid from entering Gaza for nearly three months. In the last six weeks, Israel has allowed a trickle of aid to get in, but has tried to replace the established United Nations distribution system with a private foundation backed by security contractors. This has been a catastrophe, with near-daily massacres at the new aid distribution sites. In its first five weeks in operation, 640 people have been killed and at least 4,488 injured while trying to access food through this mechanism. A coalition of more than 200 NGOs said last week that: “Palestinians in Gaza face an impossible choice: starve or risk being shot while trying desperately to reach food to feed their families.” The Red Cross reports that Gaza’s hospitals are overwhelmed by a “relentless surge in critical cases” from these daily massacres, and that medical facilities are running out of body bags. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz interviewed Israeli soldiers posted to these distribution points, who say they are ordered to shoot into crowds of civilians who pose no risk. One soldier said: “It's a killing field. Where I was stationed, between one and five people were The Israeli newspaper Haaretz interviewed Israeli soldiers posted to these distribution points, who say they are ordered to shoot into crowds of civilians who pose no risk. One soldier said: “It's a killing field. Where I was stationed, between one and five people were killed every day…just live fire with everything imaginable: heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, mortars…I'm not aware of a single instance of return fire. There's no enemy, no weapons.” Meanwhile, Israel continues to prevent any fuel from entering Gaza. That means hospital generators will soon be unable to support lifesaving equipment or keep the lights on. That means ambulances cannot run. And that means water cannot be drawn from wells or distributed. Netanyahu’s extremist government is also preventing baby formula from reaching hospitals, meaning mothers who have been starved for months and cannot breastfeed their infants have no alternative but to watch their children slowly starve. This is the man Trump and Congress are welcoming this week: a war criminal who will be remembered as one of modern history’s monsters." ###
July 8, 2025 at 8:50 PM
akelalacy.bsky.social
Jeffries to Trump: stop lying about Mamdani
screenshot of tweet from Hakeem Jeffries @RepJeffries: "Stop lying about Assemblyman Mamdani. He is neither a communist nor a lunatic. And New York City doesn’t need to be saved by a wannabe King. Besides, you are too busy destroying America with your One Big Ugly Bill to do anything else." screenshot of President Donald Trump @realDonaldTrump post on Truth Social: "As President of the United States, I'm not going to let this Communist Lunatic destroy New York. Rest assured, I hold all the levers, and have all the cards. I'll save New York City, and make it "Hot" and "Great" again, just like I did with the Good Ol' USA!"
July 2, 2025 at 4:58 PM
akelalacy.bsky.social
Sen. Fetterman called to bomb Iran today. this was him in 2022
jewishinsider.com/2022/04/john...
tweet from @ChadPergram: Fetterman on Kaine resolution to set parameters on if the US were to get involved in Iran: I'm going to vote it down.. I really hope the president finally does bomb and destroy the Iranians quote from 2022 Jewish Insider interview with Fetterman: On the other hand, Fetterman criticized former President Donald Trump’s decision to abandon the Iran nuclear deal as a “mistake.” The lieutenant governor said he is aligned with the Biden administration as it seeks to negotiate a new agreement with Iran. “If I’m ever in a position to vote in that area,” Fetterman told JI, “a non-nuclear Iran is a priority for the region and, of course, for Israel’s security.”
June 17, 2025 at 8:06 PM
akelalacy.bsky.social
Video of Lander's arrest:
June 17, 2025 at 5:34 PM
akelalacy.bsky.social
timeline cleanse
June 13, 2025 at 9:31 PM
akelalacy.bsky.social
This is the statement from CPC chair Greg Casar yesterday
June 11, 2025 at 8:26 PM
akelalacy.bsky.social
(4) expresses gratitude to law enforcement officers, including the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, California Highway Patrol, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, other local, State, and Federal law enforcement agencies for keeping our communities safe in the face of danger.
June 11, 2025 at 8:06 PM
akelalacy.bsky.social
H.Res.496 - Condemning the violent June 2025 riots in Los Angeles, California. 119th Congress (2025-2026) | Get alerts RESOLUTION Sponsor: Rep. Kim, Young [R-CA-40] (Introduced 06/10/2025) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/10/2025 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. (All Actions) This bill has the status Introduced Status of Legislation: Introduced, Agreed to in House RESOLUTION Condemning the violent June 2025 riots in Los Angeles, California. Whereas, on June 6, 2025, protests began in response to lawful Federal immigration enforcement actions by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel in Los Angeles, California; Whereas these protests quickly escalated into violent riots across Los Angeles, where acts of arson and vandalism were committed, blocking streets and highways, lighting streets on fire, throwing rocks at law enforcement vehicles, and assaulting Federal and local peace officers; Whereas rioters have shot commercial grade fireworks and thrown Molotov cocktails at Los Angeles Police Department officers and assaulted Federal agents; Whereas rioters have shot commercial grade fireworks and thrown Molotov cocktails at Los Angeles Police Department officers and assaulted Federal agents; Whereas rioters burned American flags, an act that disrespects the nation that protects their freedom; Whereas California Governor Gavin Newsom asserted that “local law enforcement didn’t need any help,” despite the Los Angeles Police Department declaring that the violence had worsened and spiraled out of control; Whereas more than 40 rioters have been arrested, and 5 brave officers with the Los Angeles Police Department have been injured in efforts to contain the chaos; Whereas local and State leadership failed to contain the rapidly escalating disorder, failing to support overwhelmed law enforcement personnel; and Whereas the actions of law enforcement have been crucial in preventing further violence and protecting law-abiding citizens from harm: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— (1) recognizes the right to assemble and protest peacefully; (2) condemns unequivocally the violence perpetrated against Federal, State, and local law enforcement; (3) calls on local and State elected leadership to work with the Federal Government to end the violent riots and restore peace; and
June 11, 2025 at 8:06 PM
akelalacy.bsky.social
🫠
Akela Lacy replied to Documenting Jew Hatred on Campus at Columbia on Twitter: "are you aware that you posted screenshots with two different instagram handles?"
May 29, 2025 at 5:00 PM
akelalacy.bsky.social
A group run by a Columbia alum who has worked to deport student protesters and tried to compile lists of pro-Palestine students, including those in JVP, is continuing to attack Mohsen Mahdawi after he was released from ICE detention. They tagged a House committee
Documenting Jew Hatred on Campus at Columbia U posted on Twitter: Hi @akela_lacy , You may want to go back to Mohsen Mahdawi’s lawyer and let her know that this is his social media account. Mohsen posted to it yesterday for the first time since he was released from the ICE detention center in Vermont. You may also consider publishing an article about his terrorist family for the @theintercept . It may make for a good read. @ClaireShipman @EdWorkforceCmte Akela Lacy quote tweeted "Mahdawi's attorney said to her knowledge this is not his account" i n response to a post from Columbia Jewish & Israeli students: "STUDENT TIES TO TERRORISM AT COLUMBIA: Last week @Columbia student and @ColumbiaBDS leader Mohsen Mahdawi praised his “martyred” cousin and his high-ranking Hamas friends on Instagram: “I received the news of the martyrdom of my cousin,...Masra Masharqa, after a clash with a traitor Zionist force, who tried to assassinate him along with his companions, the resistance team, Wussam Khazem and Arafat Al-Amer, but it didn't work until the planes entered and bombarded them.” Masra, Wussam, and Arafat were Hamas terrorists eliminated by the IDF. (1/4)"
May 29, 2025 at 4:56 PM
akelalacy.bsky.social
Eqbal Ahmad, 1971
Legitimacy as viewed here is not just a matter of beliefs and sentiments. It can be produced or snatched away neither by conspiracy, political conditioning nor by bargaining, neither by feats of organization nor by symbolic manipulation. It refers to that crucial and ubiquitous factor in politics which invests power with authority. Its erosion generally marks the increasing shift of citizens from obeying authority to rebelling against it. Its breakdown always heralds the arrival of revolution, for unlike rebels— who normally protest only the failures and excesses of existing authority rather than question its right to existence and who seek to redress specific wrongs rather than remodel society after a new pattern-revolutionaries challenge the existing system's very title to rule. They question the legitimacy of the entire system and seek new bases of authority in new values as well as in new political and economic arrangements. When a ruling class resists fundamental reforms (which entail reduc-tion, if not liquidation, of its power and privileges), its confrontation with the new political forces becomes increasingly violent. A regime unwilling to satisfy popular aspirations begins to lose legitimacy. Coercion increasingly becomes its primary instrument of assuring obedience; "law and order" becomes the favorite phrase of governing groups. The revolutionary forces deliberately activate this process. By forcing the issues which augment the contradictions within the system and the divisions within the ruling class, they weaken the latter's efficacy and cohesion. By promoting activities which bring into sharp relief the parochial interests of the regime, they widen the perceptible gap between those in authority and the expectations of the collective. By their examples of de- -fiance and challenge of the established authority, revolutionaries break the inhibitions of habitual or reflexive obedience and help transform private doubts into public actions; examples of overt resistance establish new standards of defiance and produce new alternatives and skills.
May 27, 2025 at 8:30 PM
akelalacy.bsky.social
Civil rights and criminal justice reform groups wrote a letter to AG Pam Bondi this week saying their investigation into Hennepin County prosecutor Mary Moriarty risks "chilling the work of prosecutors’ offices across the country," criticizes DOJ for launching investigation on "social media"
May 20, 2025 Dear Attorney General Bondi: We the undersigned groups, representing a broad coalition working to advance civil rights, racial justice, and criminal justice reform, write to express our deep concern over the United States Department of Justice’s investigation into the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office (HCAO). Effective April 28, 2025, HCAO issued policy guidance to its prosecutors for negotiating plea offers “to achieve safe, equitable, and just outcomes that center the healing of victims while improving community safety through individual and system accountability.” The Department of Justice’s investigation claims this policy violates civil rights, despite language clearly stating that “racial identity and age are not appropriate grounds for departures” from Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines. Chief County Attorney Mary Moriarty’s public statements about the policy indicate that the HCAO’s intent is to address unconscious racial bias in decision-making. The Department of Justice should work cooperatively and in good faith with state and county officials to address its concerns about the policy, not launch a civil rights investigation over social media and without prior notice to or discussion with the HCAO. Defending and maintaining these norms is of particular importance when engaging with local officials in a place like Hennepin County, which continues to grapple with significant and persistent disparities that harm public safety. Racial disparities are found at every measurable decision point in our justice system. Study after study shows that Black and Latino people are more likely to have bail set, and at higher amounts, and are more likely to receive a jail or prison sentence than white people. Minneapolis is no different. In 2022, Black people were about 9.8 times as likely as white people to be incarcerated in a Hennepin County jail. Indeed, the Department of Justice’s own investigation of the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) following the murder of George Floyd found that MPD unlawfully discriminated against Black and Indigenous people when enforcing the law, and that MPD failed to sufficiently address known racial disparities, allegations of bias, and allegations that officers deliberately failed to record race data. Public servants in Minnesota are obligated to address these systemic problems which hurt community safety and government credibility. The Department of Justice’s civil rights investigation into HCAO is not just about one prosecutor—it also risks chilling the work of prosecutors’ offices across the country that make critical decisions every day to either advance or hinder safety and justice in their communities. It is also dismaying to see the tool of pattern or practice investigations used in this cynical way. Historically, Department of Justice pattern or practice investigations have sought not only to identify and rectify systemic violations of constitutional rights, particularly concerning race and equal protection, but also to build transparency, accountability, and trust between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve. This investigation stands to destabilize institutions, erode community trust, and divert attention and resources from the real work of protecting the public. The Department of Justice’s priority should be to encourage and enforce good policy and practice that advances safety and justice in partnership with local officials—not to jump to adversarial tactics before more meaningful study and engagement.
May 22, 2025 at 2:54 PM
akelalacy.bsky.social
Students in the California State system launched a hunger strike today for Gaza. They're calling on the CSU system to divest, cut ties with Israeli institutions, forbid ICE and DHS from entering classrooms and notify students if they're on campus
May 7, 2025 at 1:27 AM
akelalacy.bsky.social
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Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) BREAKING: A judge has ordered the immediate release of Mohsen Mahdawi, a Columbia student detained amid Trump administration crackdown on pro-Palestinian activists. @liz_crampton was in the Vermont courthouse where the decision just came down. Details TK
April 30, 2025 at 3:05 PM
akelalacy.bsky.social
Politico is reporting that a judge just ordered Mohsen Mahdawi’s immediate release
April 30, 2025 at 2:47 PM
akelalacy.bsky.social
Boston people: I’m speaking today with journalists at The Tufts Daily and Brian Reed from Question Everything @kcrw.com about the criminalization of speech on campuses. Come hang!
April 29, 2025 at 7:43 PM
akelalacy.bsky.social
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“The federal government reaching out to our personal cellphones to identify who is Jewish is incredibly sinister,” said Barnard associate professor Debbie Becher, who is Jewish and received the text. “They are clearly targeting what most of the United States, I hope and I think, defines as freedom of speech, but only in the case of anti-Israeli speech.” Debbie Becher, a Barnard sociology professor who is Jewish, said that the survey disturbed her in several ways. As a Jew, she said she found it “a bit terrifying” that the federal government “wants to know who the Jews are through some text message and Microsoft Office form.”
April 24, 2025 at 1:35 PM
akelalacy.bsky.social
Yale just stripped SJP of its status as an official student org after students protested the appearance of Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on campus. Ben-Gvir has been convicted in Israel on charges of supporting a terrorist organization
April 23, 2025 at 8:12 PM
akelalacy.bsky.social
Thank you, adding here!
April 16, 2025 The Honorable Kristi Noem Secretary U.S. Department of Homeland Security 2707 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE Washington, DC 20528 The Honorable Marco Rubio Secretary U.S. Department of State 2201 C Street NW Washington, DC 20520 Dear Secretary Noem and Secretary Rubio: On April 14, 2025, Mohsen K. Mahdawi, a U.S. permanent resident, entered a local U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office for what was supposed to be his final citizenship interview and then was instead arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents upon arrival. Masked, hooded men in plain clothes removed Mr. Mahdawi, he was then handcuffed and taken into an unmarked van from the USCIS office in Colchester, Vermont.1 All Americans should be chilled by this action, taken straight out of dystopian fiction. Americans may disagree on immigration policy, but we have always agreed that the Constitution guarantees people within our borders the most basic of rights including due process and free speech. This administration has ignored those fundamental rights in its horrific imprisonment of Mohsen K. Mahdawi. If Mr. Mahdawi can be tricked into coming to a government office and then arrested for simply making statements that the Trump Administration does not agree with, every American is at risk. We write to express our profound outrage with this Administration’s continued disappearance of lawful residents of the United States and to demand questions about Mr. Mahdawi’s case. According to his lawyers, Mr. Mahdawi, who was one of the organizers of pro-Palestinian demonstrations last year at Columbia University, was detained by immigration officials on Monday after arriving for an appointment in Vermont that he thought was a step toward becoming a U.S. citizen.2 Mr. Mahdawi has had a green card for 10 years. Americans were horrified last month when Mahmoud Khalil was removed from his apartment building for speech that the President disagreed with. And now, Mr. Mahdawi is the latest Palestinian student the Trump administration has targeted involved in pro-Palestinian organizing on U.S. college campuses. Mr. Mahdawi has not been accused of a crime. According to his lawyers, the Trump administration appears to be seeking his removal from the country under the same legal provision that it is using to detain Mr. Khalil. The First Amendment protects the right of all people in the United States, including lawful permanent residents, to speak freely on political matters without fear of government retribution.' The Immigration and Nationality Act prohibits the Secretary of State from excluding entry to noncitizens based on past or current lawful speech. * In similar cases, the administration has relied on a dubious determination that a person's protected speech compromises U.S. foreign policy interests and is grounds for preventing admission into the country.' The law requires that the Secretary provide certification of that determination to Congress.' We write to request that you respond to the following questions no later than April 22, 2025: 1. Has Secretary Rubio made the personal determination that Mr. Mahdawi's speech compromises a compelling U.S. foreign policy interest? 2. Do you intend to provide certification to the relevant Congressional committees of the determination of whether and how Mr. Mahdawi's speech compromises a compelling U.S. foreign policy interest? 3. What reasonable grounds, including specific evidence, did DHS or the State Department have to conclude that Mr. Mahdawi's presence or activities in the United State have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States? 4. Is it the policy of DHS to engage in immigration enforcement activity under the pretense of citizenship interviews or other routine immigration processing related matters? It is Mr. Mahdawi's right as a legal resident of the United States to argue for what he believes in. This most fundamental of American rights is crucial to the fabric of our country, and one that America was built upon. In fact, President Trump stated at his joint address to Congress in March, "I've stopped all government censorship and brought back free speech in America." If the President was serious about protecting free speech in the United States, he would protect it for everyone, including those with whom he disagrees. Mr. Mahdawi's arrest is immoral, inhumane, and illegal. With Mr. Mahdawi's abduction, the Trump Administration continues to degrade America's image on the global stage and descend the country further and further into authoritarianism. We profoundly oppose unlawful abductions and expect a prompt response to our questions. Sincerely,
April 17, 2025 at 12:33 PM
akelalacy.bsky.social
The Pitt SJP statement on harassment & admin’s double standard is striking. A pro-Israel student group worked w Betar to get them banned & student pro-Israel leader posted this on a former SJP leader’s car: Pitt took no disciplinary action but has since suspended SJP theintercept.com/2025/04/15/p...
April 17, 2025 at 1:21 AM
akelalacy.bsky.social
NEWS: 67 House Dems -- led by Rep. Becca Ballint of VT -- signed a letter today to DHS & Dept. of State calling for answers on the ICE "abduction" of Mohsen Mahdawi balint.house.gov/uploadedfile...
April 16, 2025 at 9:01 PM