Ben Thomases
@benthomases.bsky.social
Settlement House Executive Director
Former NYC Food Policy Coordinator
New York Jew
Posts are my own.
Former NYC Food Policy Coordinator
New York Jew
Posts are my own.
Pinned
Ben Thomases
@benthomases.bsky.social
· Dec 12
Meet Daniel | Queens Community House
YouTube video by Queens Community House
www.youtube.com
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfLI...
New QCH participant profile video. Take 5 minutes to see the kind of life changing work we do!
New QCH participant profile video. Take 5 minutes to see the kind of life changing work we do!
Reposted by Ben Thomases
NEW: Rachel Maddow drops unseen bodycam footage of feds coordinating the arrest of Newark Mayor Baraka.
I REPEAT: the feds ordered his arrest even though he wasn’t breaking any laws.
Federal agent: “We are arresting the mayor right now per the Deputy Attorney General of the United States.”
I REPEAT: the feds ordered his arrest even though he wasn’t breaking any laws.
Federal agent: “We are arresting the mayor right now per the Deputy Attorney General of the United States.”
September 30, 2025 at 2:05 AM
NEW: Rachel Maddow drops unseen bodycam footage of feds coordinating the arrest of Newark Mayor Baraka.
I REPEAT: the feds ordered his arrest even though he wasn’t breaking any laws.
Federal agent: “We are arresting the mayor right now per the Deputy Attorney General of the United States.”
I REPEAT: the feds ordered his arrest even though he wasn’t breaking any laws.
Federal agent: “We are arresting the mayor right now per the Deputy Attorney General of the United States.”
The Current MLB playoff format is absurd. Neither the Mets nor the Reds deserved to make the playoffs the way they played. If the league went back to an 8 team playoff format, almost every playoff team would be a 90-win team. This 12 team format is just BS that is bad for the game but makes money.
September 30, 2025 at 4:20 AM
The Current MLB playoff format is absurd. Neither the Mets nor the Reds deserved to make the playoffs the way they played. If the league went back to an 8 team playoff format, almost every playoff team would be a 90-win team. This 12 team format is just BS that is bad for the game but makes money.
Reposted by Ben Thomases
These stories are honestly heartbreaking.
But everyone needs to see them because due process is out the window in this country.
🎥 👀
But everyone needs to see them because due process is out the window in this country.
🎥 👀
VIRAL VIDEO: Trump Supporter DETAINED by Border Patrol
YouTube video by The Dangerous Ones
youtu.be
August 13, 2025 at 1:02 AM
These stories are honestly heartbreaking.
But everyone needs to see them because due process is out the window in this country.
🎥 👀
But everyone needs to see them because due process is out the window in this country.
🎥 👀
Seems like this should be more widely reported.
April 26, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Seems like this should be more widely reported.
Reposted by Ben Thomases
Despite a court order, a reporter and photographer from The Associated Press were barred from an Oval Office news conference on Monday apnews.com/article/trum...
Despite a court order, White House bars AP from Oval Office event
The Trump administration has turned a reporter and photographer from The Associated Press away from covering an Oval Office news conference involving President Donald Trump and El Salvador President N...
apnews.com
April 14, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Despite a court order, a reporter and photographer from The Associated Press were barred from an Oval Office news conference on Monday apnews.com/article/trum...
Reposted by Ben Thomases
This whole campaign is disgraceful. This administration which is riddled with actual antisemites is using antisemitism as a stalking horse for its campaign against all universities. A kind of elaborate and hideous gaslighting.
March 18, 2025 at 4:07 AM
This whole campaign is disgraceful. This administration which is riddled with actual antisemites is using antisemitism as a stalking horse for its campaign against all universities. A kind of elaborate and hideous gaslighting.
Reposted by Ben Thomases
Donald Trump is lying to you.
March 5, 2025 at 4:37 AM
Donald Trump is lying to you.
The whole Wurman/Barnett thing reads like an @nytpitchbot.bsky.social joke. Just one example….
They go on and on about allegiance without mentioning once that many people who are here undocumented pay taxes?
They go on and on about allegiance without mentioning once that many people who are here undocumented pay taxes?
Professor Mike Ramsey, a conservative originalist who has forgotten more about birthright citizenship than maybe a handful of people will ever know, absolutely devastates Wurman and Barnett’s misreading of primary sources.
originalismblog.typepad.com/the-original...
originalismblog.typepad.com/the-original...
February 18, 2025 at 10:27 PM
The whole Wurman/Barnett thing reads like an @nytpitchbot.bsky.social joke. Just one example….
They go on and on about allegiance without mentioning once that many people who are here undocumented pay taxes?
They go on and on about allegiance without mentioning once that many people who are here undocumented pay taxes?
So what if Trump does try to cancel the midterms by executive order? Who is organizing and preparing for a general strike and massive civil disobedience? @nickknudsenus.bsky.social
@bdlimm.bsky.social maybe one of you knows?
@bdlimm.bsky.social maybe one of you knows?
Trump and Musk are messing up a lot of things the government does well and they are going to make things bad for a lot of people and be very unpopular.
When Trump sees the polling that results from this, there is a real risk he will try to cancel the midterms by executive order.
When Trump sees the polling that results from this, there is a real risk he will try to cancel the midterms by executive order.
February 11, 2025 at 1:40 PM
So what if Trump does try to cancel the midterms by executive order? Who is organizing and preparing for a general strike and massive civil disobedience? @nickknudsenus.bsky.social
@bdlimm.bsky.social maybe one of you knows?
@bdlimm.bsky.social maybe one of you knows?
Trump and Musk are messing up a lot of things the government does well and they are going to make things bad for a lot of people and be very unpopular.
When Trump sees the polling that results from this, there is a real risk he will try to cancel the midterms by executive order.
When Trump sees the polling that results from this, there is a real risk he will try to cancel the midterms by executive order.
February 11, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Trump and Musk are messing up a lot of things the government does well and they are going to make things bad for a lot of people and be very unpopular.
When Trump sees the polling that results from this, there is a real risk he will try to cancel the midterms by executive order.
When Trump sees the polling that results from this, there is a real risk he will try to cancel the midterms by executive order.
Reposted by Ben Thomases
"I just want to be clear about what's going on here."
- @warren.senate.gov
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIHN...
- @warren.senate.gov
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIHN...
February 4, 2025 at 8:20 PM
"I just want to be clear about what's going on here."
- @warren.senate.gov
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIHN...
- @warren.senate.gov
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIHN...
OMG it’s just a shakedown by the president and Redstone is basically just wiling to pay so she can get her deal done.
www.nytimes.com/2025/01/30/b...
www.nytimes.com/2025/01/30/b...
Paramount in Settlement Talks With Trump Over ‘60 Minutes’ Lawsuit
A settlement, if reached, would be an extraordinary concession by a major U.S. media company to a sitting president.
www.nytimes.com
January 31, 2025 at 3:54 PM
OMG it’s just a shakedown by the president and Redstone is basically just wiling to pay so she can get her deal done.
www.nytimes.com/2025/01/30/b...
www.nytimes.com/2025/01/30/b...
Reposted by Ben Thomases
As a student of history, I'm not being hyperbolic. The federal government built the Black middle class in DC, and in many parts of the U.S., largely because it was one of the first organizations to hire Black professionals and prohibit discrimination. It is amongst the most diverse US workforce.
January 22, 2025 at 9:11 PM
As a student of history, I'm not being hyperbolic. The federal government built the Black middle class in DC, and in many parts of the U.S., largely because it was one of the first organizations to hire Black professionals and prohibit discrimination. It is amongst the most diverse US workforce.
It’s going to be non-stop game of thrones style competition to be the person with the most influence. Because they are pretty much all in it for their own power and enrichment.
January 13, 2025 at 3:47 AM
It’s going to be non-stop game of thrones style competition to be the person with the most influence. Because they are pretty much all in it for their own power and enrichment.
And what could we do if we wanted to change this?
We could expand support for settlement houses like Queens Community House ( www.qchnyc.org )and other organizations that run community centers.
We could expand support for settlement houses like Queens Community House ( www.qchnyc.org )and other organizations that run community centers.
January 8, 2025 at 5:23 PM
And what could we do if we wanted to change this?
We could expand support for settlement houses like Queens Community House ( www.qchnyc.org )and other organizations that run community centers.
We could expand support for settlement houses like Queens Community House ( www.qchnyc.org )and other organizations that run community centers.
Reposted by Ben Thomases
So pleasantly surprised to find a fan club for one of my favorite books here! Going to reread it in 2025.
This book broke my brain. I think about it all the time, 30 years later.
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.
14/20
14/20
January 8, 2025 at 5:17 PM
So pleasantly surprised to find a fan club for one of my favorite books here! Going to reread it in 2025.
Apocalyptic
Holy cow. Just woke up to this view from mid-Wilshire looking downtown
January 8, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Apocalyptic
Wow. This is wild. And also I’d like to see this for the last 20 presidential elections.
The people who didn't vote outnumbered both Trump and Kamala voters
A visualization of the razor thin margin of this election.
Of the 244+ million voting-eligible population:
31.5% voted for Trump
30.6% voted for Harris
37.7% did not vote
Popular is not a word that would accurately describe Trump or the MAGA movement.
Of the 244+ million voting-eligible population:
31.5% voted for Trump
30.6% voted for Harris
37.7% did not vote
Popular is not a word that would accurately describe Trump or the MAGA movement.
January 7, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Wow. This is wild. And also I’d like to see this for the last 20 presidential elections.
This is a tragic illustration of a larger problem with our social services system. It is designed to meet the needs of funders and to the detriment of people who need services.
Important article by @gwynnefitz.bsky.social
“Another persistent issue ….is that supportive housing units have so many different funding streams, each with specific requirements. One provider might have several units open, but the people referred to them don’t meet the specific requirements…. “
“Another persistent issue ….is that supportive housing units have so many different funding streams, each with specific requirements. One provider might have several units open, but the people referred to them don’t meet the specific requirements…. “
I feel like a silly news fanboy every time I post something like this, but clear, explanatory journalism that reveals the depths of a societal problem is such a gift. To us as readers, but undoubtedly to legislators who have the ability to fix the system.
January 6, 2025 at 7:18 PM
This is a tragic illustration of a larger problem with our social services system. It is designed to meet the needs of funders and to the detriment of people who need services.
Important article by @gwynnefitz.bsky.social
“Another persistent issue ….is that supportive housing units have so many different funding streams, each with specific requirements. One provider might have several units open, but the people referred to them don’t meet the specific requirements…. “
“Another persistent issue ….is that supportive housing units have so many different funding streams, each with specific requirements. One provider might have several units open, but the people referred to them don’t meet the specific requirements…. “
I feel like a silly news fanboy every time I post something like this, but clear, explanatory journalism that reveals the depths of a societal problem is such a gift. To us as readers, but undoubtedly to legislators who have the ability to fix the system.
Most Street-Homeless Housing Applicants Never Get a Shot, Inside Stats Show
City agencies tracked nearly 1,000 homeless people as they waited for supportive housing. Just 18% obtained a spot, despite thousands of vacant units.
www.thecity.nyc
January 6, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Important article by @gwynnefitz.bsky.social
“Another persistent issue ….is that supportive housing units have so many different funding streams, each with specific requirements. One provider might have several units open, but the people referred to them don’t meet the specific requirements…. “
“Another persistent issue ….is that supportive housing units have so many different funding streams, each with specific requirements. One provider might have several units open, but the people referred to them don’t meet the specific requirements…. “
Read this article. This is what people of good conscience do when they realize their employer is destroying people’s lives for profit. They quit. www.nytimes.com/2024/12/18/o...
Opinion | I Was a Health Insurance Executive. What I Saw Made Me Quit.
Shareholders, not patient outcomes, tend to drive decisions at health insurance companies.
www.nytimes.com
December 18, 2024 at 6:20 PM
Read this article. This is what people of good conscience do when they realize their employer is destroying people’s lives for profit. They quit. www.nytimes.com/2024/12/18/o...
As someone who spent a lot of time in City Hall trying to solve the food desert problem, this is not the answer.
Just one example of a key challenge. How do you build essential knowledge of purchasing and inventory management into a civil service staff at a city agency?
Just one example of a key challenge. How do you build essential knowledge of purchasing and inventory management into a civil service staff at a city agency?
The city already has a pretty expansive food distribution system via cafeterias. How is getting in the grocery store business a better solution than expanding meal services at the DOE?
December 12, 2024 at 5:27 PM
As someone who spent a lot of time in City Hall trying to solve the food desert problem, this is not the answer.
Just one example of a key challenge. How do you build essential knowledge of purchasing and inventory management into a civil service staff at a city agency?
Just one example of a key challenge. How do you build essential knowledge of purchasing and inventory management into a civil service staff at a city agency?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfLI...
New QCH participant profile video. Take 5 minutes to see the kind of life changing work we do!
New QCH participant profile video. Take 5 minutes to see the kind of life changing work we do!
Meet Daniel | Queens Community House
YouTube video by Queens Community House
www.youtube.com
December 12, 2024 at 4:26 PM
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfLI...
New QCH participant profile video. Take 5 minutes to see the kind of life changing work we do!
New QCH participant profile video. Take 5 minutes to see the kind of life changing work we do!
I am floored by homeowners who are willing to look tenant organizations in the eye and claim financial hardship. If you own real estate in NYC you should just acknowledge that you are privileged and let the government protect renters. So many renters are on the brink of homelessness!
Rival rallies over proposed relief of restrictions on Airbnb and other short-term rental platforms faced off at City Hall Park Monday.
https://buff.ly/4g63rjA
https://buff.ly/4g63rjA
Should the Council Revisit Airbnb Restrictions? Rival City Hall Rallies Fight it Out.
Homeowners demanding a fresh chance to host visitors confronted tenants and hotel workers in a heated confrontation over who wins and loses in the short-term rental economy.
buff.ly
December 10, 2024 at 3:43 AM
I am floored by homeowners who are willing to look tenant organizations in the eye and claim financial hardship. If you own real estate in NYC you should just acknowledge that you are privileged and let the government protect renters. So many renters are on the brink of homelessness!