Bhuvanesh Bhatt
@bhuvanesh.bsky.social
Liberal, outdoorsy nerd+geek in Austin. Love music, board games, books, volunteering for animals & refugees, hiking/camping, photography. Ⓥegan. Software engineer at a random software company; hoping to find something more meaningful. Follow ≠ endorsement.
Pinned
Bhuvanesh Bhatt
@bhuvanesh.bsky.social
· Jan 13
The Baloney Detection Kit: Carl Sagan’s Rules for Bullshit-Busting and Critical Thinking
Necessary cognitive fortification against propaganda, pseudoscience, and general falsehood.
www.themarginalian.org
The Baloney Detection Kit: Carl Sagan’s Rules for Bullshit-Busting and Critical Thinking
www.themarginalian.org/2014/01/03/b...
www.themarginalian.org/2014/01/03/b...
Trump's anti-free-speech “Compact” will put the University of Texas at Austin under political control. Please sign this petition before the Board of Regents mtg on Nov 19-20 and tell them to protect UT Austin's independence by rejecting the Compact.
alumni.standforcampusfreedom.org/petitions/un...
alumni.standforcampusfreedom.org/petitions/un...
University of Texas: Reject the federal government’s “Compact”
The federal government’s “Compact” will put the University of Texas at Austin under political control. Join with Longhorns for Liberty before the Board of Regents meeting on November 19-20 and tell Pr...
alumni.standforcampusfreedom.org
November 9, 2025 at 2:42 AM
Trump's anti-free-speech “Compact” will put the University of Texas at Austin under political control. Please sign this petition before the Board of Regents mtg on Nov 19-20 and tell them to protect UT Austin's independence by rejecting the Compact.
alumni.standforcampusfreedom.org/petitions/un...
alumni.standforcampusfreedom.org/petitions/un...
I'm attending No Kings's event, “NO KINGS - Austin TX” - sign up now to join me! www.mobilize.us/nokings/even... #NoKings
NO KINGS - Austin TX · No Kings
**In America, we don’t put up with would-be kings.**
🚫👑 NO KINGS
In America, we don’t put up with wanna-be kings.
The president may think his rule is absolute—
but we won’t back down against chao...
www.mobilize.us
October 17, 2025 at 9:22 PM
I'm attending No Kings's event, “NO KINGS - Austin TX” - sign up now to join me! www.mobilize.us/nokings/even... #NoKings
Reposted by Bhuvanesh Bhatt
After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like.
Let’s be clear about what happened to Jimmy Kimmel
Trump’s most brazen attack on free speech yet.
www.yahoo.com
September 18, 2025 at 2:10 PM
After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like.
Reposted by Bhuvanesh Bhatt
60 Minutes found no criminal record for 75% of the Venezuelan migrants the U.S. sent to a mega-prison in El Salvador. https://cbsn.ws/4lC4Vp5
April 7, 2025 at 1:29 AM
60 Minutes found no criminal record for 75% of the Venezuelan migrants the U.S. sent to a mega-prison in El Salvador. https://cbsn.ws/4lC4Vp5
Reposted by Bhuvanesh Bhatt
NEW: GEO Group, whose stock is valued at $4 billion, says that state minimum wage laws don’t apply to the cleaning services that it’s asked detained migrants to perform at facilities where they’re kept. @mckenziefunk.com
An ICE Contractor Is Worth Billions. It’s Still Fighting to Pay Detainees as Little as $1 a Day to Work.
GEO Group, whose stock is valued at $4 billion, says that state minimum wage laws don’t apply to the cleaning services that it’s asked detained migrants to perform at facilities where they’re kept.
www.propublica.org
March 19, 2025 at 1:43 PM
NEW: GEO Group, whose stock is valued at $4 billion, says that state minimum wage laws don’t apply to the cleaning services that it’s asked detained migrants to perform at facilities where they’re kept. @mckenziefunk.com
Reposted by Bhuvanesh Bhatt
“…you must be aware that it is not a
crime for anyone — whether WIRED journalists, X posters, or otherwise — to identify individuals openly conducting government work that is of the utmost public concern.”
crime for anyone — whether WIRED journalists, X posters, or otherwise — to identify individuals openly conducting government work that is of the utmost public concern.”
![February 4, 2025
Edward R. Martin, Jr.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia
Patrick Henry Building
601 D Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20530
Transmitted via email
Re: Threats to prosecute critics of DOGE
Dear Interim U.S. Attorney for D.C. Edward R. Martin, Jr.:
We write to raise serious concerns about your recent public statements threatening to prosecute those who
"target" or "impede" Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) within the Executive Office of the President. We request that you publicly commit to abide by the First Amendment, which your office is sworn to uphold and Musk himself claims to champion, in any DOGE-related investigations or prosecutions you may pursue.
On Monday, you tweeted a letter to Musk asking him to use the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia to protect DOGE staff and their work and directing him to refer "any questionable conduct or details that [Musk] find[s] or notice[s]" to your office.' In the letter, you assert that "actions in any way that impact [DOGE's] work may break numerous laws," and that you commit to the pursuit of
"all legal action against anyone who impedes [Musk's) work or threatens [Musk's] people." You also state that you will "protect DOGE and other workers no matter what," citing past protests in Washington, D.C., which you refer to as riots.
As you know, DOGE, or the United States DOGE Service as it is formally known, is a government entity established within the Executive Office of the President; by executive order, DOGE is supposed to access only "unclassified agency records." The day before your letter, WIRED reported about and named six young engineers working for DOGE — Akash Bobba, Edward Coristine, Luke Farritor, Gautier Cole Killian, Gavin Kliger, and Ethan Shaotran. The experience and qualifications of public employees is of significant public interest.
Following this news report, a user on X — the social media platform owned by Mr. Musk — made a post also naming th…](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:o4pdps2jkn7uhrdgadni7djk/bafkreibo4srxmqoq44eo4bp5wyc26moq2mvevrpvyul5eibwjeh6l6acia@jpeg)
![X has since suspended the account of the user who posted the names.
As an experienced attorney holding such an important public position, you must be aware that it is not a crime for anyone — whether WIRED journalists, X posters, or otherwise — to identify individuals openly conducting government work that is of the utmost public concern. The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that the First Amendment protects the right to publish newsworthy information that the publisher lawfully obtains, including names far more sensitive than those of government personnel.' Musk himself has publicly touted DOGE's engineers while citing "media reports" regarding them.
Nor is it a crime to harshly criticize government employees and officials, even if transparency and criticism "impede" their work? Moreover, while certain true threats are unprotected and may be criminally punished, they are limited to serious expression[s]' conveying that a speaker means to
'commit an act of unlawful violence."$ Hyperbolic speech, even using threatening language, is entitled to full First Amendment protection.'
You must also surely be aware that the First Amendment protects Americans' right to peaceably assemble, especially to protest government actions.' The First Amendment severely constrains the government's ability to limit protests in public forums, such as the public streets of Washington, D.C." The government also cannot ban or restrict future protests based on unlawful conduct alleged to have occurred at past protests. 2
Threatening to prosecute First Amendment speech and activity is not only at odds with the U.S.
Constitution, it is also entirely inconsistent with Musk's own stated principles and the right of the American people to know what the government is up to. Musk describes himself as a free speech absolutist and has proposed a massive declassification of government records, opining that all government records should be public by default. '3 Just three months ago, Musk publicly posted…](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:o4pdps2jkn7uhrdgadni7djk/bafkreigtzd6v5yrwc6ikbo6jmt77r4yc5oikqeop4g3a6qswpxbhjtzxuq@jpeg)
![government employees with whom he disagrees on X.' If it is Musk's intention for the U.S. Attorney's Office to censor the press and public from identifying and discussing those conducting DOGE's work on his behalf, that would be incredibly hypocritical.
It is also vital that the U.S. Attorney's Office maintain the highest ethical standards and avoid even the appearance of impropriety. Rule 3.1 of the Rules of Professional Conduct for the Washington, D.C. Bar, of which you are a member, states: "A lawyer shall not bring or defend a proceeding, or assert or controvert an issue therein, unless there is a basis in law and fact for doing so that is not frivolous."Is Under Rule 3.8, prosecutors are additionally prohibited from filing in court or maintaining a charge "that the prosecutor knows is not supported by probable cause."l6 The same rule provides that "[i]n exercising discretion to investigate or to prosecute," prosecutors shall not "improperly favor or invidiously discriminate against any person."17
Threatening to file frivolous charges against Americans and vaguely insinuating that wide swaths of constitutionally-protected speech and activity could invite criminal investigations and prosecutions may already violate these and other rules of professional conduct. Actually doing so almost certainly would.
Additionally, publicly offering the Office of the U.S. Attorney's services to Musk in the context of his asserting that protected expression is a criminal act is unbecoming of your public office and your duties as a public servant. Your oath is to the U.S. Constitution - including the First Amendment - not to President Donald Trump, Musk, or DOGE's desire to operate in secrecy and without criticism.
We request that you immediately (a) identify the specific "targeting" of DOGE staff your letter to Musk was referring to and what specific laws you contend it violated, (b) publicly commit to not investigate or prosecute journalists or others for reporting on or publish…](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:o4pdps2jkn7uhrdgadni7djk/bafkreihjaig2236xfdb6rhe5u5644xzvjc5p2lva7fkj6rc3z3sthfswbi@jpeg)
February 6, 2025 at 3:42 AM
“…you must be aware that it is not a
crime for anyone — whether WIRED journalists, X posters, or otherwise — to identify individuals openly conducting government work that is of the utmost public concern.”
crime for anyone — whether WIRED journalists, X posters, or otherwise — to identify individuals openly conducting government work that is of the utmost public concern.”
Reposted by Bhuvanesh Bhatt
My latest: Musk’s South African White Male Fragility
Why does Elon want USAID to ‘die?’ Probably because it helped end Apartheid. www.thealtmedia.com/p/musks-sout...
Why does Elon want USAID to ‘die?’ Probably because it helped end Apartheid. www.thealtmedia.com/p/musks-sout...
Musk’s South African White Male Fragility
Why does Elon want USAID to ‘die?’ Probably because it helped end Apartheid.
www.thealtmedia.com
February 6, 2025 at 2:53 AM
My latest: Musk’s South African White Male Fragility
Why does Elon want USAID to ‘die?’ Probably because it helped end Apartheid. www.thealtmedia.com/p/musks-sout...
Why does Elon want USAID to ‘die?’ Probably because it helped end Apartheid. www.thealtmedia.com/p/musks-sout...
Reposted by Bhuvanesh Bhatt
One man is responsible for getting 100s of books (including mine!) banned in Clay County, FL. One sad dude! Sitting there filling out form after form with false claims about books he hasn't even read!
The loudest voices have an outsize impact. We need to be loud--and persistent--too.
5calls.org
The loudest voices have an outsize impact. We need to be loud--and persistent--too.
5calls.org
5 Calls
Spend 5 minutes. Make 5 calls. Make your voice heard.
5calls.org
January 30, 2025 at 2:47 PM
One man is responsible for getting 100s of books (including mine!) banned in Clay County, FL. One sad dude! Sitting there filling out form after form with false claims about books he hasn't even read!
The loudest voices have an outsize impact. We need to be loud--and persistent--too.
5calls.org
The loudest voices have an outsize impact. We need to be loud--and persistent--too.
5calls.org
Like Glenn Greenwald and RFK Jr, Bree once did something good (taking down a Confederate flag) but has now gone batshit crazy, blaming Democrats for what Republicans are doing and ignoring all of President Biden's achievements. As for opposing colonialism, I'm not sure she even knows what that is.
The horrors of this past week reminded me how batshit insane some of the anti-Dem rhetoric online during the election was, and upon reflection I think this was really a stand out performance from Bree.
January 25, 2025 at 8:33 PM
Like Glenn Greenwald and RFK Jr, Bree once did something good (taking down a Confederate flag) but has now gone batshit crazy, blaming Democrats for what Republicans are doing and ignoring all of President Biden's achievements. As for opposing colonialism, I'm not sure she even knows what that is.
Reposted by Bhuvanesh Bhatt
Instagram and Facebook have reportedly blocked posts from some abortion pill providers.
Reproductive rights are human rights — and they include the right to access legal and safe abortions.
Reproductive rights are human rights — and they include the right to access legal and safe abortions.
Instagram and Facebook Blocked and Hid Abortion Pill Providers’ Posts
Some posts related to obtaining abortion pills were recently hidden on Instagram and Facebook and some accounts were suspended, before being later restored.
www.nytimes.com
January 24, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Instagram and Facebook have reportedly blocked posts from some abortion pill providers.
Reproductive rights are human rights — and they include the right to access legal and safe abortions.
Reproductive rights are human rights — and they include the right to access legal and safe abortions.
Reposted by Bhuvanesh Bhatt
It would be a shame if Americans flooded this email address and rendered it useless.
January 23, 2025 at 1:39 AM
It would be a shame if Americans flooded this email address and rendered it useless.
Reposted by Bhuvanesh Bhatt
Here's one from the scope, with Mars just emerging on the upper right. #Astronomy #Astrophotography
January 14, 2025 at 5:25 AM
Here's one from the scope, with Mars just emerging on the upper right. #Astronomy #Astrophotography
The Baloney Detection Kit: Carl Sagan’s Rules for Bullshit-Busting and Critical Thinking
www.themarginalian.org/2014/01/03/b...
www.themarginalian.org/2014/01/03/b...
The Baloney Detection Kit: Carl Sagan’s Rules for Bullshit-Busting and Critical Thinking
Necessary cognitive fortification against propaganda, pseudoscience, and general falsehood.
www.themarginalian.org
January 13, 2025 at 5:50 AM
The Baloney Detection Kit: Carl Sagan’s Rules for Bullshit-Busting and Critical Thinking
www.themarginalian.org/2014/01/03/b...
www.themarginalian.org/2014/01/03/b...
Reposted by Bhuvanesh Bhatt
The Nick Fuentes situation has to be the fuck around/find out scenario of the year
December 25, 2024 at 7:47 PM
The Nick Fuentes situation has to be the fuck around/find out scenario of the year
Reposted by Bhuvanesh Bhatt
The campaign against Adeel Mangi has been shameful. Grateful to @polgreen.bsky.social for writing such a powerful response. www.nytimes.com/2024/03/19/o...
Opinion | The Islamophobic Smear Campaign Dividing Democrats
Adeel Mangi was a judicial shoo-in for Biden. Will Democrats defend him?
www.nytimes.com
March 19, 2024 at 11:04 AM
The campaign against Adeel Mangi has been shameful. Grateful to @polgreen.bsky.social for writing such a powerful response. www.nytimes.com/2024/03/19/o...
Reposted by Bhuvanesh Bhatt
Yesterday, Tom Homan, former acting director of ICE, visited Chicago, and made comments attacking immigrants.
Here's my statement on it:
Here's my statement on it:
December 11, 2024 at 3:13 AM
Yesterday, Tom Homan, former acting director of ICE, visited Chicago, and made comments attacking immigrants.
Here's my statement on it:
Here's my statement on it:
Reposted by Bhuvanesh Bhatt
To mark "Trump will declare a national emergency for mass deportations" day: here is the initial spreadsheet of our crowd-sourced *local* immigration advocacy/support organizations.
Please share widely, put to good use, and keep letting me know about more organizations folks can connect with.
Please share widely, put to good use, and keep letting me know about more organizations folks can connect with.
November 19, 2024 at 12:01 AM
To mark "Trump will declare a national emergency for mass deportations" day: here is the initial spreadsheet of our crowd-sourced *local* immigration advocacy/support organizations.
Please share widely, put to good use, and keep letting me know about more organizations folks can connect with.
Please share widely, put to good use, and keep letting me know about more organizations folks can connect with.
I agree with Pete Buttigieg: Republicans are starting and stoking culture wars, including targeting LGBTQ+ and racial minorities, in order to distract from their own incompetence. #GOP #Republicans #CultureWars #LGBTQ+ #PeteButtigieg
youtu.be/HQMgeasXjLs
youtu.be/HQMgeasXjLs
Watch Pete Buttigieg PERFECTLY Articulate Why Republicans Behave The Way That They Do
YouTube video by VoteVets
youtu.be
August 13, 2024 at 5:45 PM
I agree with Pete Buttigieg: Republicans are starting and stoking culture wars, including targeting LGBTQ+ and racial minorities, in order to distract from their own incompetence. #GOP #Republicans #CultureWars #LGBTQ+ #PeteButtigieg
youtu.be/HQMgeasXjLs
youtu.be/HQMgeasXjLs
Reposted by Bhuvanesh Bhatt
The anti-worker, pro-oil and corporate tax break Koch Network has already spent $72 million on this year’s election to further their business interests.
Capitalism and Democracy aren’t compatible as long as billionaires are allowed to buy elections.
Capitalism and Democracy aren’t compatible as long as billionaires are allowed to buy elections.
August 9, 2024 at 7:36 PM
The anti-worker, pro-oil and corporate tax break Koch Network has already spent $72 million on this year’s election to further their business interests.
Capitalism and Democracy aren’t compatible as long as billionaires are allowed to buy elections.
Capitalism and Democracy aren’t compatible as long as billionaires are allowed to buy elections.
Reposted by Bhuvanesh Bhatt
In addition to Minneapolis not having "burned to the ground" in 2020, some of the well-known damage was done by a confessed right-wing extremist pretending to be a racial justice protester.
Like the "Fedsurrection" bit, except in real life.
Like the "Fedsurrection" bit, except in real life.
‘Boogaloo Boi’ charged in fire of Minneapolis police precinct during George Floyd protest
Ivan Harrison Hunter, a Texas rightwing extremist, bragged about helping to set the fire then was seen shooting 13 rounds at the building
www.google.com
August 7, 2024 at 11:58 PM
In addition to Minneapolis not having "burned to the ground" in 2020, some of the well-known damage was done by a confessed right-wing extremist pretending to be a racial justice protester.
Like the "Fedsurrection" bit, except in real life.
Like the "Fedsurrection" bit, except in real life.
I support universal basic income. From what I've seen in other parts of the world, it seems to work. #UniversalBasicIncome #GuaranteedIncome #Austin
www.kut.org/austin/2024-...
www.kut.org/austin/2024-...
Amid a legal challenge to a similar policy, Austin restarts program to give cash to poor families
The City of Austin will give $1,000 a month for a year to just over 100 families. Last week, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Harris County over a similar program.
www.kut.org
April 20, 2024 at 3:38 AM
I support universal basic income. From what I've seen in other parts of the world, it seems to work. #UniversalBasicIncome #GuaranteedIncome #Austin
www.kut.org/austin/2024-...
www.kut.org/austin/2024-...
Reposted by Bhuvanesh Bhatt
Some people (mostly of the kind who use "woke" as an insult) criticize Scientific American for covering political issues, but we've been advocating for the teaching of evolution since the Scopes Monkey Trial in 1925 and we're not about to stop
April 3, 2024 at 1:29 PM
Some people (mostly of the kind who use "woke" as an insult) criticize Scientific American for covering political issues, but we've been advocating for the teaching of evolution since the Scopes Monkey Trial in 1925 and we're not about to stop
The U.S. is rebuilding a legal pathway for refugees. The Biden administration is now on target to allow in 125,000 refugees this year, the most in three decades. #Refugees #RefugeesWelcome
www.nytimes.com/2024/04/02/u...
www.nytimes.com/2024/04/02/u...
April 4, 2024 at 12:04 AM
The U.S. is rebuilding a legal pathway for refugees. The Biden administration is now on target to allow in 125,000 refugees this year, the most in three decades. #Refugees #RefugeesWelcome
www.nytimes.com/2024/04/02/u...
www.nytimes.com/2024/04/02/u...
Reposted by Bhuvanesh Bhatt
This might be the best executed supply chain attack we've seen described in the open, and it's a nightmare scenario: malicious, competent, authorized upstream in a widely used library.
Looks like this got caught by chance. Wonder how long it would have taken otherwise.
Looks like this got caught by chance. Wonder how long it would have taken otherwise.
Woah. Backdoor in liblzma targeting ssh servers.
www.openwall.com/lists/oss-se...
It has everything: malicious upstream, masterful obfuscation, detection due to performance degradation, inclusion in OpenSSH via distro patches for systemd support…
Now I’m curious what it does in RSA_public_decrypt
www.openwall.com/lists/oss-se...
It has everything: malicious upstream, masterful obfuscation, detection due to performance degradation, inclusion in OpenSSH via distro patches for systemd support…
Now I’m curious what it does in RSA_public_decrypt
oss-security - backdoor in upstream xz/liblzma leading to ssh server compromise
www.openwall.com
March 29, 2024 at 7:29 PM
This might be the best executed supply chain attack we've seen described in the open, and it's a nightmare scenario: malicious, competent, authorized upstream in a widely used library.
Looks like this got caught by chance. Wonder how long it would have taken otherwise.
Looks like this got caught by chance. Wonder how long it would have taken otherwise.