Athul K. Acharya
@athul.acharya.cc
Civil-rights lawyer
Executive Director of @pubaccountability.org
https://pubaccountability.org/athul-k-acharya
Executive Director of @pubaccountability.org
https://pubaccountability.org/athul-k-acharya
Pinned
Athul K. Acharya
@athul.acharya.cc
· Mar 6
“Journalism is not a crime ... it’s the only profession that’s explicitly mentioned in the Bill of Rights,” an attorney told the City Council Wednesday. The city will pay $938K to journalists and legal observers targeted and attacked by police while covering the 2020 racial justice protests.
Portland Settles Lawsuit With Journalists, Legal Observers Targeted By Police During Protests
The city of Portland will pay out $938,330 to settle a lawsuit from journalists and legal observers who were attacked and threatened with arrest for covering the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests in Po...
www.portlandmercury.com
Oh hey, that attorney was me, and the journalists and legal observers were my clients
47 fighters actually fighting—refusing unanimous consent, throwing up every roadblock available—would be infinitely more valuable (under a R president) than 53 Schumers
and that doesn’t even **begin** to get into the dynamic value
and that doesn’t even **begin** to get into the dynamic value
Would you rather have a senate caucus that was 47 fighters or 53 chuck schumers
because your 47 fighters ain't doing shit in the minority
because your 47 fighters ain't doing shit in the minority
November 11, 2025 at 7:10 AM
47 fighters actually fighting—refusing unanimous consent, throwing up every roadblock available—would be infinitely more valuable (under a R president) than 53 Schumers
and that doesn’t even **begin** to get into the dynamic value
and that doesn’t even **begin** to get into the dynamic value
Reposted by Athul K. Acharya
When I said Bivens for someone not named Bivens, this is not what I had in mind.
Look at this new outrage. To open govt, we're retroactively letting 8 Senators sue for $500K each over having had their J6 phone toll records looked at. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/u...
Spending Bill Would Pave Way for Senators to Sue Over Phone Searches
www.nytimes.com
November 11, 2025 at 3:31 AM
When I said Bivens for someone not named Bivens, this is not what I had in mind.
I’ve filed a variation on this brief 4-5 times now, and these two grafs have never changed. Some day I may do better for beat and punch, but I think it’ll be a long while
![When Roman law introduced appellate review, it allowed appeals from interlocutory as well as final orders. Carleton M. Crick, The Final Judgment as a Basis for Appeal, 41 Yale L.J. 539, 540-41 (1932). The Romans soon found this liberality "burdensome" and scrapped it. Id. By the time of Justinian, "practically all" interlocutory appeals were forbid-den. Id. at 541 n.7 (quoting William W. Buckland, A Text-Book of Roman Law from Augustus to Justinian 665 (1921)).
At common law, the same rule prevailed: "[N]o writ of error could be brought except on a final judgment." McLish v. Roff, 141 U.S. 661,
665 (1891). Across the Atlantic, the First Congress enacted this "well settled and ancient rule" into American law with the Judiciary Act of
1789. Id.; Cunningham v. Hamilton Cnty., 527 U.S. 198, 203 (1999).
Today, the final-judgment rule can be found at 28 U.S.C. S 1291, which vests the courts of appeals with jurisdiction to review "final decisions" of
the district courts.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:xfuubhrks6x4tzuhcqohqmzs/bafkreifwq6dacexneyfpzzidjomgvvfjdmdfsdwkdzucjodzzkmhcfj2t4@jpeg)
November 11, 2025 at 4:43 AM
I’ve filed a variation on this brief 4-5 times now, and these two grafs have never changed. Some day I may do better for beat and punch, but I think it’ll be a long while
Sheldon remind me when did Chuck Schumer fight united with the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York
The sooner we get past internal recriminations and back to fighting united, the better off we all are — the likelier our victory next November.
November 11, 2025 at 4:18 AM
Sheldon remind me when did Chuck Schumer fight united with the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York
That’s different it was a Democrat’s fed and the refugee child was Republican-coded (Cuban)
Remember 25 years ago when a photo was taken of a fed pointing a gun at a crying refugee child and the image was so shameful it dominated the news cycle for a year
November 11, 2025 at 4:14 AM
That’s different it was a Democrat’s fed and the refugee child was Republican-coded (Cuban)
So why didn’t you deny unanimous consent Bernie
@sanders.senate.gov: "We have already had 15 Republicans in the Senate defy Trump and say, 'Release the SNAP funds.' So I think that if we had held firm, it would be the Republicans who would yield. That was not the position of these 8 Democrats."
November 11, 2025 at 4:12 AM
So why didn’t you deny unanimous consent Bernie
Jon Kabat-Zinn: wherever you go, there you are
Elon Musk: ah fuck
Elon Musk: ah fuck
![Joyce Carol Oates quoting a tweet that says “wherever he [Elon Musk] goes, he wants to leave”:
"wherever he goes, he wants to leave"-- that's because when he gets there, he has brought his own self along; & whatever club he's invited to join has been devalued by the invitation.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:buy3qvqcj3o76leo6ap7pn2p/bafkreifilfbsxemfsambf4kqwolr24ld2ekqcrz4ybgv3bv7kzi5e6kppm@jpeg)
November 11, 2025 at 3:27 AM
Jon Kabat-Zinn: wherever you go, there you are
Elon Musk: ah fuck
Elon Musk: ah fuck
Bill Kristol is my brother and Chuck Schumer is my enemy. I didn’t choose this world but I state what I see plainly
this is why both online communists and people like @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social are better allies right now than someone like angus king. it's painful to confront that reality but it is the reality and the sooner everyone accepts, the sooner we can build a better one and better future
i’m ready to look past differences and align with anyone who actually believes we are in an existential fight. unfortunately that doesn’t include significant number of elected democrats!!
November 11, 2025 at 3:25 AM
Bill Kristol is my brother and Chuck Schumer is my enemy. I didn’t choose this world but I state what I see plainly
Reposted by Athul K. Acharya
the congestion pricing thing was kinda a massive red flag here. even the median progressive believes that improving overall outcomes is bad if a single hypothetical poor person might be negatively effected
November 11, 2025 at 3:07 AM
the congestion pricing thing was kinda a massive red flag here. even the median progressive believes that improving overall outcomes is bad if a single hypothetical poor person might be negatively effected
oh good he's whipping votes for the minority caucus to oppose something the entire majority will vote for. stand strong brother hakeem
Jeffries is whipping NO votes in the House on the shutdown deal. From Jake Sherman at Punchbowl:
November 11, 2025 at 2:54 AM
oh good he's whipping votes for the minority caucus to oppose something the entire majority will vote for. stand strong brother hakeem
Reposted by Athul K. Acharya
This is further evidence for “Fetterman is like this because of the stroke, not because of preexisting disposition to being an asshole” to me
November 11, 2025 at 2:45 AM
This is further evidence for “Fetterman is like this because of the stroke, not because of preexisting disposition to being an asshole” to me
Reposted by Athul K. Acharya
April Fonseca tried to report on the eviction of a homeless camp. Medford officers arrested her—and strip-searched her. Clear-cut? We think so. But when the district court denied qualified immunity, the officers sought an immediate appeal. We told the Ninth Circuit they should pound sand.
November 11, 2025 at 2:46 AM
April Fonseca tried to report on the eviction of a homeless camp. Medford officers arrested her—and strip-searched her. Clear-cut? We think so. But when the district court denied qualified immunity, the officers sought an immediate appeal. We told the Ninth Circuit they should pound sand.
One of Donald Trump’s great innovations is that he does things. Democrats to the 85th percentile do not do things—they ask for permission to do things. Trump does things and dares anyone to tell him he can’t. We should learn from this
November 11, 2025 at 2:09 AM
One of Donald Trump’s great innovations is that he does things. Democrats to the 85th percentile do not do things—they ask for permission to do things. Trump does things and dares anyone to tell him he can’t. We should learn from this
Again: Democrats are not the party of reining in ICE. They’re the party of pausing mass deportation for administrative review—at best.
“if we talk a lot about ICE and then win, we will be expected to do something about ICE. can’t have that!” this is setting up 2 years of dicking around with bipartisan healthcare legislation that goes nowhere. that’s the plan afaict
November 11, 2025 at 2:02 AM
Again: Democrats are not the party of reining in ICE. They’re the party of pausing mass deportation for administrative review—at best.
Reposted by Athul K. Acharya
Let me tell you something very relevant to know: @chiosse.bsky.social is one of a very few members of the council to move a big, truly important bill to passage in decades.
He banned broker fees for renters, which were an outrageous rip off that cost millions of NYers big money.
He banned broker fees for renters, which were an outrageous rip off that cost millions of NYers big money.
Hakeem Jeffries is about to get a primary challenger.
@chiosse.bsky.social will reportedly make an announcement about this in the coming weeks.
@chiosse.bsky.social will reportedly make an announcement about this in the coming weeks.
Against Mamdani’s Wishes, Gen Z Councilman Plans to Challenge Jeffries
www.nytimes.com
November 11, 2025 at 12:13 AM
Let me tell you something very relevant to know: @chiosse.bsky.social is one of a very few members of the council to move a big, truly important bill to passage in decades.
He banned broker fees for renters, which were an outrageous rip off that cost millions of NYers big money.
He banned broker fees for renters, which were an outrageous rip off that cost millions of NYers big money.
sheldon who exactly is fighting that bigger fight. is it john fetterman. is it angus king. if not: why shouldn't we be fighting those fucking fifth columnists
But there are real dangers out there that must be fought; and energy spent fighting each other is energy lost to that bigger fight.
November 11, 2025 at 1:45 AM
sheldon who exactly is fighting that bigger fight. is it john fetterman. is it angus king. if not: why shouldn't we be fighting those fucking fifth columnists
oh so NOW you want to roll back qualified immunity
November 11, 2025 at 1:36 AM
oh so NOW you want to roll back qualified immunity
Paging @bill-of-lefts.bsky.social
In the most predictable development ever, Mike Johnson is not committing to hold a House vote on ACA subsidies
November 11, 2025 at 12:35 AM
Paging @bill-of-lefts.bsky.social
Reposted by Athul K. Acharya
Not even Ezra Klein thinks that Schumer did politics the right way on this one.
November 10, 2025 at 11:31 PM
Not even Ezra Klein thinks that Schumer did politics the right way on this one.
Hahahaha yes yes YES
November 11, 2025 at 12:34 AM
Hahahaha yes yes YES
Reposted by Athul K. Acharya
Today the Supreme Court heard a very, very technical case about whether a government contractors (in this case, private prison company GEO Group) should get essentially qualified immunity for contractors (I'm oversimplifying). The answer, it seems, will be no.
news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-...
news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-...
Justices Doubt Timing of Immunity Appeal in GEO Wage Case (1)
Several US Supreme Court justices appeared skeptical of GEO Group Inc.’s argument that it can immediately appeal a lower court’s rejection of its immunity defense to escape forced labor claims from im...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 11, 2025 at 12:08 AM
Today the Supreme Court heard a very, very technical case about whether a government contractors (in this case, private prison company GEO Group) should get essentially qualified immunity for contractors (I'm oversimplifying). The answer, it seems, will be no.
news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-...
news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-...
Reposted by Athul K. Acharya
There are more than a few "Democrats" in Portland & Oregon to the right of the Republicans who held office when I was growing up here.
November 10, 2025 at 10:51 PM
There are more than a few "Democrats" in Portland & Oregon to the right of the Republicans who held office when I was growing up here.
A Democrat in Marin is a Republican in Denver.
a lot of "moderates" are just people in cities or progressive circles who don't like being part of a low status right, imo
there are real moderates, but they tend to be much weirder than this
there are real moderates, but they tend to be much weirder than this
Self-described “moderates” and mainlining right-wing bullshit and lies. Name a more iconic duo.
November 10, 2025 at 10:39 PM
A Democrat in Marin is a Republican in Denver.