Alex Bassos
@alexbassos.bsky.social
25 years as a public defender. Now: Notes on Persuasion and Safer Cities.
Reposted by Alex Bassos
This is serious. Very serious.
REVEALED: we identified the operator of an overtly racist X account, "GlomarResponder," as ICE Assistant Chief Counsel James Rodden, based on an overwhelming number of biographical details matched through publicly available documents, other social media activity, and courtroom observation.
ICE Prosecutor in Dallas Runs White Supremacist X Account
The Observer has identified the operator of “GlomarResponder,” an overtly racist social media account, as ICE Assistant Chief Counsel James Rodden, based on an overwhelming number of biographical details matched through publicly available documents, other social media activity, and courtroom observation.
www.texasobserver.org
July 27, 2025 at 12:31 AM
This is serious. Very serious.
Reposted by Alex Bassos
Since April 4, #SCOTUS has issued 15 rulings on 17 emergency applications filed by Trump (three birthright citizenship apps were consolidated).
It has granted relief to Trump ... in all 15 rulings.
It has written majority opinions in only 3.
Today's order is the 7th with no explanation *at all.*
It has granted relief to Trump ... in all 15 rulings.
It has written majority opinions in only 3.
Today's order is the 7th with no explanation *at all.*
Here we go again: Over an acerbic dissenting opinion by Justice Sotomayor (joined in full by Justices Kagan and Jackson), #SCOTUS, with no explanation, grants a stay in the Department of Education RIFs case—effectively clearing the way for the Trump administration to dismantle much of the agency:
www.supremecourt.gov
July 14, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Since April 4, #SCOTUS has issued 15 rulings on 17 emergency applications filed by Trump (three birthright citizenship apps were consolidated).
It has granted relief to Trump ... in all 15 rulings.
It has written majority opinions in only 3.
Today's order is the 7th with no explanation *at all.*
It has granted relief to Trump ... in all 15 rulings.
It has written majority opinions in only 3.
Today's order is the 7th with no explanation *at all.*
Reposted by Alex Bassos
The Supreme Court's disdain for Congress, the statutory design of agencies, and the public services they provide to millions truly astounds.
Destroying a 50-year-old Cabinet-level department may be the biggest violation of the Take Care Clause in U.S. history—and six justices simply ... don't care.
Destroying a 50-year-old Cabinet-level department may be the biggest violation of the Take Care Clause in U.S. history—and six justices simply ... don't care.
BREAKING: The Supreme Court allows the Trump administration to move forward with the abolition of the Department of Education. It gives no explanation for its order. All three liberals dissent. www.documentcloud.org/documents/25...
From Sotomayor's dissent:
From Sotomayor's dissent:
July 14, 2025 at 8:09 PM
The Supreme Court's disdain for Congress, the statutory design of agencies, and the public services they provide to millions truly astounds.
Destroying a 50-year-old Cabinet-level department may be the biggest violation of the Take Care Clause in U.S. history—and six justices simply ... don't care.
Destroying a 50-year-old Cabinet-level department may be the biggest violation of the Take Care Clause in U.S. history—and six justices simply ... don't care.
Reposted by Alex Bassos
simplest explanation is that the court conservatives believe trump is sovereign and thus free of all limits on his authority
BREAKING: The Supreme Court allows the Trump administration to move forward with the abolition of the Department of Education. It gives no explanation for its order. All three liberals dissent. www.documentcloud.org/documents/25...
From Sotomayor's dissent:
From Sotomayor's dissent:
July 14, 2025 at 7:41 PM
simplest explanation is that the court conservatives believe trump is sovereign and thus free of all limits on his authority
Reposted by Alex Bassos
To be clear, this is what actual antisemitism looks like.
Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner says she "100%" questions the faith of Jewish politicians who endorse Zohran Mamdani.
"The same way I would question Chuck Schumer, who works against the interests of his own people at times for the politics."
Emily Compagno then accuses Mamdani of Holocaust denial!
"The same way I would question Chuck Schumer, who works against the interests of his own people at times for the politics."
Emily Compagno then accuses Mamdani of Holocaust denial!
June 30, 2025 at 6:07 PM
To be clear, this is what actual antisemitism looks like.
Reposted by Alex Bassos
Democrats too often create a villain-less politics, and it’s a reason why many people don’t trust them.
My kingdom for a Democrat who runs on “You know how Medicaid stopped covering her nursing home last year and you went bankrupt trying to pay out of pocket? I’m going to punish the people who did that to you.”
The one thing we’ve learned is that cruelty is sexy and we should have promised to rain hell on Trump.
June 30, 2025 at 1:12 AM
Democrats too often create a villain-less politics, and it’s a reason why many people don’t trust them.
Reposted by Alex Bassos
Zohran raised a lot less money than you'd expect given his vote share and educated coalition - he barely outraised Lander!
His prioritization of persuasion over fundraising in his public facing communication was extremely unusual and more Democrats should follow his lead!
His prioritization of persuasion over fundraising in his public facing communication was extremely unusual and more Democrats should follow his lead!
June 25, 2025 at 9:53 PM
Zohran raised a lot less money than you'd expect given his vote share and educated coalition - he barely outraised Lander!
His prioritization of persuasion over fundraising in his public facing communication was extremely unusual and more Democrats should follow his lead!
His prioritization of persuasion over fundraising in his public facing communication was extremely unusual and more Democrats should follow his lead!
Reposted by Alex Bassos
Cuomo spent the whole campaign trashing the Democratic Party while Mamdani never shied away from being a Democrat. For both centrists and leftists it's an important lesson: if you want to win a party primary you should outwardly like the party.
June 25, 2025 at 2:01 AM
Cuomo spent the whole campaign trashing the Democratic Party while Mamdani never shied away from being a Democrat. For both centrists and leftists it's an important lesson: if you want to win a party primary you should outwardly like the party.
Reposted by Alex Bassos
DEMOCRATS LIKE DEMOCRATS WHO LIKE DEMOCRATS
June 25, 2025 at 2:02 AM
DEMOCRATS LIKE DEMOCRATS WHO LIKE DEMOCRATS
Reposted by Alex Bassos
IT'S. NOT. A. BITTER. DISPUTE.
It's a one-sided authoritarian assault on a private institution. What are we doing here, and what is journalism, anyway?
It's a one-sided authoritarian assault on a private institution. What are we doing here, and what is journalism, anyway?
Looks like Harvard could potentially cave to the Trump administration.
And of course, race and diversity would be the first casualty.
www.nytimes.com/2025/06/20/u...
And of course, race and diversity would be the first casualty.
www.nytimes.com/2025/06/20/u...
Harvard and Trump Restart Talks to Potentially End Bitter Dispute
www.nytimes.com
June 21, 2025 at 3:12 PM
IT'S. NOT. A. BITTER. DISPUTE.
It's a one-sided authoritarian assault on a private institution. What are we doing here, and what is journalism, anyway?
It's a one-sided authoritarian assault on a private institution. What are we doing here, and what is journalism, anyway?
Reposted by Alex Bassos
Wild how the Fed chair saying that *entire regions of the United States* won’t be able to get a mortgage in the next decade barely registered as a news event
June 18, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Wild how the Fed chair saying that *entire regions of the United States* won’t be able to get a mortgage in the next decade barely registered as a news event
Reposted by Alex Bassos
Again: Watergate was a crime. WMD was a lie & disastrous policy failure. We still haven’t heard <a single> detail of a single crime or policy/governance failure happening, but yet he keeps conflating “Biden was old & senile” with the crimes & policy/governance failures of past presidents. It’s ugly.
Jake Tapper on C-SPAN: "I feel this way about the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq story. I was a reporter that was skeptical of the WMD claim, but certainly in hindsight I wish I had been more skeptical. When it comes to President Biden's acuity ... I wish I had covered it more aggressively."
June 17, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Again: Watergate was a crime. WMD was a lie & disastrous policy failure. We still haven’t heard <a single> detail of a single crime or policy/governance failure happening, but yet he keeps conflating “Biden was old & senile” with the crimes & policy/governance failures of past presidents. It’s ugly.
Reposted by Alex Bassos
This is an open threat and it is (as it often is) an invitation for rogue wannabe “tuff guys” to do as their cult leader says.
A Minnesotan legislator was assassinated by an Evangelical Trump supporter. The language he is using here is messianic. This rhetoric is reckless. We’re all in danger.
A Minnesotan legislator was assassinated by an Evangelical Trump supporter. The language he is using here is messianic. This rhetoric is reckless. We’re all in danger.
Trump declares war on cities
“We must expand efforts to detain & deport Illegal Aliens in America’s largest Cities, such as LA, Chicago, & NY, where Millions of Illegal Aliens reside. These, & other Cities, are core of the Dem Power Center, where they use Illegal Aliens to expand their Voter Base”
“We must expand efforts to detain & deport Illegal Aliens in America’s largest Cities, such as LA, Chicago, & NY, where Millions of Illegal Aliens reside. These, & other Cities, are core of the Dem Power Center, where they use Illegal Aliens to expand their Voter Base”
June 16, 2025 at 10:37 AM
This is an open threat and it is (as it often is) an invitation for rogue wannabe “tuff guys” to do as their cult leader says.
A Minnesotan legislator was assassinated by an Evangelical Trump supporter. The language he is using here is messianic. This rhetoric is reckless. We’re all in danger.
A Minnesotan legislator was assassinated by an Evangelical Trump supporter. The language he is using here is messianic. This rhetoric is reckless. We’re all in danger.
Reposted by Alex Bassos
Reposted by Alex Bassos
Well past time for big city mayors to call for the arrest of anyone who claims to be law enforcement but wears a mask and/or won’t identify themselves
June 14, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Well past time for big city mayors to call for the arrest of anyone who claims to be law enforcement but wears a mask and/or won’t identify themselves
Reposted by Alex Bassos
The idea we should behave in such a way that the Trumpists will not portray us as dangerous/ lawless/ violent is a silly idea, because they always portray us that way and no amount of curtseys and rolling over and playing dead will change that. So people might as well speak up and stand strong.
June 10, 2025 at 8:22 PM
The idea we should behave in such a way that the Trumpists will not portray us as dangerous/ lawless/ violent is a silly idea, because they always portray us that way and no amount of curtseys and rolling over and playing dead will change that. So people might as well speak up and stand strong.
Reposted by Alex Bassos
There are 2 previous historical cases of countries destroying their science and universities, crippling them for decades: Lysenkoism in the USSR and Nazi Germany. The Trump administration will be the 3rd.
It's not just budgets but research, institutions, expertise, and training the next generation.
It's not just budgets but research, institutions, expertise, and training the next generation.
May 31, 2025 at 4:43 AM
There are 2 previous historical cases of countries destroying their science and universities, crippling them for decades: Lysenkoism in the USSR and Nazi Germany. The Trump administration will be the 3rd.
It's not just budgets but research, institutions, expertise, and training the next generation.
It's not just budgets but research, institutions, expertise, and training the next generation.
Reposted by Alex Bassos
The fundamental flaw of broken authoritarian narcissists (the core of the right-wing coalition) is that they view empathy as a finite resource, such that, if you extend it to one group, you can't extend it to another. They see all of life through a lens of scarcity, competition, & selfishness.
Elon Musk: "The fundamental moral flaw of the left is empathy for the criminals and not empathy for the victims."
May 30, 2025 at 7:27 PM
The fundamental flaw of broken authoritarian narcissists (the core of the right-wing coalition) is that they view empathy as a finite resource, such that, if you extend it to one group, you can't extend it to another. They see all of life through a lens of scarcity, competition, & selfishness.
Reposted by Alex Bassos
do any of these people actually know what medicaid is?
Rep. Dan Crenshaw on Medicaid: "The person we're taking it away from is the able-bodied adult with no children who refuses to work."
May 16, 2025 at 3:17 PM
do any of these people actually know what medicaid is?
Reposted by Alex Bassos
After months of baseless claims about “extreme levels of fraud” within Social Security, Musk's DOGE has found only 2 likely fraudulent claims out of over 110,000—that makes it a rate of .0018%.
So DOGE found virtually no fraud and made an integral American system less efficient.
So DOGE found virtually no fraud and made an integral American system less efficient.
Surprise! DOGE’s Hunt for Social Security Fraud Ends in Total Bust
Elon Musk and his DOGE minions wrecked the Social Security Administration for no reason at all.
newrepublic.com
May 16, 2025 at 7:23 PM
After months of baseless claims about “extreme levels of fraud” within Social Security, Musk's DOGE has found only 2 likely fraudulent claims out of over 110,000—that makes it a rate of .0018%.
So DOGE found virtually no fraud and made an integral American system less efficient.
So DOGE found virtually no fraud and made an integral American system less efficient.
Reposted by Alex Bassos
Younger folks around here might shocked to learn that once upon a time Bill Clinton let a few campaign donors have a sleepover at the White House & the national media spent months treating it as the greatest scandal in the history of the republic
President Trump is quite literally selling seats to a private dinner and White House tours to foreign nationals for $4 million+ a piece.
Much of the money goes into his own pocket.
This is corruption to the highest degree.
Much of the money goes into his own pocket.
This is corruption to the highest degree.
May 16, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Younger folks around here might shocked to learn that once upon a time Bill Clinton let a few campaign donors have a sleepover at the White House & the national media spent months treating it as the greatest scandal in the history of the republic
Reposted by Alex Bassos
President Trump is quite literally selling seats to a private dinner and White House tours to foreign nationals for $4 million+ a piece.
Much of the money goes into his own pocket.
This is corruption to the highest degree.
Much of the money goes into his own pocket.
This is corruption to the highest degree.
May 16, 2025 at 9:02 PM
President Trump is quite literally selling seats to a private dinner and White House tours to foreign nationals for $4 million+ a piece.
Much of the money goes into his own pocket.
This is corruption to the highest degree.
Much of the money goes into his own pocket.
This is corruption to the highest degree.
Reposted by Alex Bassos
“Saudi Arabia was an appropriate destination for Donald Trump’s first foreign trip in his second term as president. He chose to visit not a democracy but a despotism; not a free nation but one of the world’s most unfree; not a land of tolerance but of repression.” @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social
Trump Gushes with Envy Toward the House of Saud
American-style kleptocracy is fine and all. But what Trump really wants is the kind with aggressive repression, no dissent, and a bone saw on hand just in case.
www.thebulwark.com
May 14, 2025 at 1:37 PM
“Saudi Arabia was an appropriate destination for Donald Trump’s first foreign trip in his second term as president. He chose to visit not a democracy but a despotism; not a free nation but one of the world’s most unfree; not a land of tolerance but of repression.” @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social
Reposted by Alex Bassos
It's going to be increasingly important to read foreign news coverage of US politics as the domestic US media gets more afraid of continuing threats & intimidation from the Trump regime
The full Observer article which systematically outlines the scale of Trump’s corruption.
This is the most important story written this year.
This is the most important story written this year.
How the US president and his clan ushered in a new golden age of corruption | The Observer
The presidency and personal gain now go hand in hand – and no one has been able to do anything about it
observer.co.uk
May 11, 2025 at 12:14 PM
It's going to be increasingly important to read foreign news coverage of US politics as the domestic US media gets more afraid of continuing threats & intimidation from the Trump regime
Reposted by Alex Bassos
America’s Constitutional crisis was 2017-2024, starting as soon as the Constitution’s bans on bribery were no longer in effect, and going through the elevation of an anti-Constitution criminal granted permission by the Supreme Court to break laws.
We are now in the post-Constitutional crisis.
We are now in the post-Constitutional crisis.
May 11, 2025 at 1:03 PM
America’s Constitutional crisis was 2017-2024, starting as soon as the Constitution’s bans on bribery were no longer in effect, and going through the elevation of an anti-Constitution criminal granted permission by the Supreme Court to break laws.
We are now in the post-Constitutional crisis.
We are now in the post-Constitutional crisis.