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biasedstats.bsky.social
Biased Statistics
@biasedstats.bsky.social
550 followers 430 following 1.2K posts
Reluctant economist, statistician by trade. Cheese-eating surrender monkey. Géologue de la politique. Tweets in 🇫🇷/🇬🇧.

Currently resides in Washington D.C. 🌸
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biasedstats.bsky.social
mood
Screenshot of iPhone lock screen showing I’m listening to Mozart’s Lacrimosa sung by the Viennese State Opera Choir
January 24, 2026 at 8:17 PM
biasedstats.bsky.social
I understand there are more pressing matters but can we talk about Macron’s sunglasses?
Emmanuel Macron speaking in at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos earlier today
January 20, 2026 at 7:59 PM
biasedstats.bsky.social
www.lemonde.fr/idees/articl...
L’extension de la pression américaine aux échanges commerciaux était prévisible. Imposer des droits de douane supplémentaires à tout pays soutenant le Danemark, c’est, au fond, un peu tout ce qui reste dans le jeu de Donald Trump avant de passer à des mesures véritablement coûteuses pour son pays. Elle trahit sinon un manque de préparation, au moins un aveu de faiblesse opérationnelle et d’excès de confiance. Tout cela rappelle une réalité fondamentale : le Groenland n’est pas une périphérie. C’est un verrou. Et, en cinq petits jours, les Européens n’ont pas fait les malins ; ils ont fait un premier tour de clé qui pourrait s’avérer décisif.
January 20, 2026 at 12:41 PM
biasedstats.bsky.social
Let’s see
Editor’s Pick 27 minutes ago FT reporters Dollar falls sharply and Wall Street stocks set for heavy losses over Greenland crisis The dollar fell sharply and Wall Street stocks were set for heavy losses on Tuesday even as Donald Trump said he would hold a meeting in Davos with “various” interested parties of the Greenland crisis. Expand post 5 minutes ago Rachel Rees in London
January 20, 2026 at 12:31 PM
biasedstats.bsky.social
David French on the Dual State, very powerful.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/18/o...
Imagine for a moment that you’re a member of Renee Good’s family. You’re mourning her death at the hands of an ICE agent in Minneapolis, and you want justice. So you visit a lawyer to see what can be done. First, you want to help in any criminal investigation of the officer. You’ve got information about Good’s intentions when she protested ICE activities — information you think might be relevant to prosecutors looking into the case. “I’m sorry,” the lawyer replies. “The administration has already declared that the agent did no wrong, and the Justice Department’s civil rights division hasn’t opened an investigation into whether the agent violated Renee’s constitutional rights. “Federal officials are, however, investigating Renee and may investigate her family, so you might need a defense lawyer.” You didn’t have high hopes that the Trump administration would hold anyone accountable, but surely the next administration could? There’s no statute of limitations for murder, right? “I’m sorry,” the lawyer replies. “Given President Trump’s past pardons, I’d say it’s quite possible that he’ll pardon the agent. And once he pardons the agent, he’s beyond the reach of federal law for the shooting.” But there’s state law, right? You’ve seen the mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, speak out. Tim Walz, the governor, is furious. Murder is still against the law in Minnesota. “I’m sorry,” the lawyer replies, “but there is only a small chance that will work. There is a doctrine called supremacy clause immunity that prohibits state officials from prosecuting federal officers when they’re reasonably acting in their official capacity. It’s not absolute immunity like the administration claims, but it’s still a high hurdle for any prosecution to overcome.” We can still sue the officer, can’t we? Even if the government can’t or won’t prosecute, we’ll still want to hold him liable. “I’m sorry,” the lawyer replies, “but there is almost no chance that will work. There’s a federal statute that gives you the ability to sue state and local officials when they violate your constitutional rights, but there’s no equivalent law granting the right to sue federal officials for the same reasons. “In 1971,” the lawyer continues, “the Supreme Court created a path for plaintiffs to sue federal officials for violations of their constitutional rights. Since then, however, the court has limited the reach of that case, and it is now extremely difficult to sue when the federal government violates your civil rights.” And there you have it — that’s the challenge any citizen faces when he or she tries to hold the federal government responsible for violating the Constitution. The government is defended by a phalanx of immunities and privileges, buttressed by the president’s unchecked pardon power — a vestige of royal authority that should no longer have any place in our constitutional republic. Fraenkel had observed the rise of Nazi rule as a working lawyer and committed social democrat and noted that ordinary Germans enjoyed the benefit of what Huq describes as a “capitalist economy governed by stable laws” even as other parts of the German system changed into an engine of genocide and war. The two components of the dual state are the normative state — the seemingly normal world that you and I inhabit, where, as Huq writes, the “ordinary legal system of rules, procedures and precedents” applies — and the prerogative state, which is marked (in Fraenkel’s words) by “unlimited arbitrariness and violence unchecked by any legal guarantees.” “The key here,” Huq writes, “is that this prerogative state does not immediately and completely overrun the normative state. Rather, Fraenkel argued, dictatorships create a lawless zone that runs alongside the normative state.” It’s the continued existence of the normative state that lulls a population to sleep. It makes you discount the warnings of others. “Surely,” you say to yourself, “things aren’t that bad. My life is pretty much what it was.”
January 18, 2026 at 4:30 PM
biasedstats.bsky.social
Kind Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson is going to make your AirPods explode if you try to invade.
Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson
January 10, 2026 at 9:47 PM
biasedstats.bsky.social
J’ai hésité avec
Santana, Supernatural (1999)
January 10, 2026 at 4:02 PM
biasedstats.bsky.social
Le remède en droit international serait juste de renvoyer Maduro et peut-être des réparations pour les dégâts physiques et humains lors de l’attaque. Aux vénézuéliens de décider quoi en faire et comment sélectionner leur président.
Astérix: « Les urnes sont pleines avant les élections ? » Ocatarinetabellatchitchix: « Oui, mais on les jette à la mer sans les ouvrir, et après, c’est le plus fort qui gagne. Une coutume de chez nous. »
January 7, 2026 at 12:33 PM
biasedstats.bsky.social
Post a famous bathroom scene
John Travolta in Pulp Fiction
January 4, 2026 at 8:18 PM
biasedstats.bsky.social
Évitez de reproduire cette pirouette chez vous, laissez cela aux professionnels du « en même temps ».
January 3, 2026 at 7:34 PM
biasedstats.bsky.social
Governor JB Pritzker of Illinois with wife, in Luke and Leia costumes.
January 3, 2026 at 5:53 PM
biasedstats.bsky.social
On the article which covered the publication of the infamous UK Cass report (the report which led the UK to ban puberty blockers).
It referred to an earlier Denmark decision, but again that was not a rejection of gender-affirming care. The references that Azeen used to support this conclusion that this was part of a trend sweeping Europe were old and not even supportive of its main premise. These were places saying 'this needs to be examined, it needs to be done in context with therapy' which had always been the case. The story ignored, both then and later, reports that were emerging in France, Switzerland, Austria and Germany that were directly in opposition to Cass. The science desk covered these things when it served their narrative. But when the France report came out, when the Austrian report came out, when the German report came out the science desk ignored those. The directive from above was that the international desk was to ignore it as well [Note: Sweeney clarified that these directives were pointedly communicated down from the top of the Times’ hierarchy by conversation, not via email or internal announcement].
January 2, 2026 at 2:02 PM
biasedstats.bsky.social
Fuck yeah Washington DC
January 1, 2026 at 6:08 AM
biasedstats.bsky.social
Happy new year everyone
January 1, 2026 at 3:02 AM
biasedstats.bsky.social
Ou alors on paie de moins en moins les profs parce que de plus en plus de profs sont des femmes.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Primary education, teachers (% female) - France Up from 70 percent to 84 percent from 1975 to 2013 Secondary education, teachers (% female) - France. Up from 40 percent to 60 percent from 1971 to 2019.
December 29, 2025 at 2:19 PM
biasedstats.bsky.social
post a perfect album from the 90s that isn’t nirvana, pearl jam, soundgarden, or alice in chains
Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
December 27, 2025 at 11:15 PM
biasedstats.bsky.social
Au moins, dans le nouveau titre, la caricature n’est plus « raciste » mais raciste.
« Charlie Hebdo » : la journaliste Rokhaya Diallo dénonce une caricature raciste publiée dans un hors-série, le journal satirique s’en défend
December 24, 2025 at 5:53 PM
biasedstats.bsky.social
Is this …. Nemik’s manifesto?
There will be times when the struggle seems impossible. I know this already. Alone, unsure, dwarfed by the scale of the enemy. Remember this. Freedom is a pure idea. It occurs spontaneously and without instruction. Random acts of insurrection are occurring constantly throughout the galaxy. There are whole armies, battalions that have no idea that they've already enlisted in the cause. Remember that the frontier of the Rebellion is everywhere. And even the smallest act of insurrection pushes our lines forward. And then remember this. The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that. And know this, the day will come when all these skirmishes and battles, these moments of defiance will have flooded the banks of the Empire's authority and then there will be one too many. One single thing will break the siege. Remember this. Try.
December 23, 2025 at 9:57 PM
biasedstats.bsky.social
🤮🤮🤮🤮
December 19, 2025 at 9:45 AM
biasedstats.bsky.social
This series is so good they should adapt it into a new season of The Wire
When a city council member asked Steiner about the preservation commission’s plea to find an alternative location for the project, he thought for a second and said: “You know, if you just salvaged the front exterior or the whole building and created the world’s biggest liquor store, it would be OK with the HPC.” Tucker told me people gasped — the proliferation of liquor stores in poor Black neighborhoods had long been a sensitive subject in Albany — and her hope for a new kind of leadership at Phoebe evaporated. She lamented that Steiner would take “such a cheap shot,” and added, “At that moment, he reminded me of Joel Wernick.” I’ll admit that I gasped too — not just because it seemed like such a gratuitous comment; it was how it embodied the hospital’s conduct during the entire fight. At every turn, Phoebe sought to beat the preservationists into submission. Ultimately it worked. The City Commission, which includes the mayor, voted unanimously to approve the demolition. “We’ve only got one hospital,” Dorough told me, “and we’re not going to get another one.” The preservationists took their fight to the Dougherty County Superior Court and found Phoebe’s reach extended even there. The chief judge recused himself because his daughter worked for the hospital. The next judge, who acknowledged that she served on a bank board with Steiner and Phoebe’s outside counsel, denied the preservationists’ request that she recuse herself and ruled in favor of the demolition. If that wasn’t enough of a victory, the City Commission voted not to renew two of the four members who had opposed the demolition, prompting two other members to resign in protest. The city commissioners replaced them with four new members. One of them had financial ties to Phoebe, another to Albany Tech. A city commissioner told the Albany Herald that he “certainly wasn’t letting politics get in the way of my vote.” Another said, “We chose who we thought were the best.” Then Albany and Phoebe turned on Tucker. She had come to the end of her first five-year term on the hospital authority and was up for reappointment, which required a vote by the county commission. Reappointment to the authority had previously been a perfunctory affair. All a sitting member needed to do was to tell the county that they were willing to serve again. Tucker was so sure of it that she didn’t attend the vote. Afterward, however, a clerk called to notify her that she hadn’t been renewed.
December 15, 2025 at 1:49 PM
biasedstats.bsky.social
The AI summaries are pretty great
Just this week, the Post ran an editorial headlined “Pam Bondi’s welcome woke rollback.” It was a vile and poorly-argued piece that grossly mischaracterized the doctrine of “disparate impact” that has been so essential to civil rights progress for decades. But listen to what the readers wrote. Here is the AI summary of their comments: The conversation explores strong reactions to the opinion piece, with many participants expressing disappointment and frustration over the perceived shift in the Washington Post’s editorial stance. Several comments criticize the use of the term “woke,” associating it with right-wing rhetoric and expressing concern that the piece aligns with MAGA talking points. There is a sense of betrayal among readers who feel the piece undermines the legacy of the Washington Post as a champion of civil rights and journalistic integrity. The rollback of the disparate impact doctrine is seen by some as a move that could allow discrimination to persist unchecked, with comments highlighting the importance of this legal tool in addressing systemic bias. Overall, the discussion reflects a deep dissatisfaction with the editorial direction and a call for more nuanced and balanced discourse. The Post editorial in November excoriating “Generalissimo Zohran Mamdani” for inciting class warfare elicited a particularly furious response: The conversation explores a strong reaction to the Washington Post’s editorial on Zohran Mamdani, with many participants criticizing the tone and language used in the piece. Several comments express disapproval of the editorial’s portrayal of Mamdani, particularly the use of the term “Generalissimo,” which is seen as crass and inappropriate. Commenters suggest that the editorial reflects more on the Washington Post’s editorial board and its perceived biases than on Mamdani himself. There is a recurring theme of dissatisfaction with the Post’s editorial direction, with some readers questioning the influence of ownership and expressing concern over the paper’s perceived shift in tone. Additionally, some comments highlight Mamdani’s focus on issues like holding landlords accountable and supporting working people, contrasting this with the editorial’s negative framing. Overall, the discussion indicates a disconnect between the editorial board’s perspective and the views of many readers.
December 12, 2025 at 9:37 PM
biasedstats.bsky.social
This is the reality of healthcare in the U.S. (citing a WaPo article from 2014) and a fantastic series by @propublica.org

projects.propublica.org/albany-georg...
“If Lee Mullins lived in Pittsburgh, he could buy mid-level health coverage for his family for $940 a month,” the Post story opened. “If he lived in Beverly Hills, he would pay $1,405. But Mullins, who builds custom swimming pools, lives in southwest Georgia. Here, a similar health plan for his family of four costs $2,654 a month.”
December 9, 2025 at 12:55 PM
biasedstats.bsky.social
Un résumé de l’affaire Libye-Sarkozy que vous ne verrez jamais sur CNews, par la fille d’une des victimes de l’attentat du DC-10.

www.lemonde.fr/societe/arti...
« Ce n’est pas que nous qui sommes moqués, c’est le peuple français, énonce d’une traite Yohanna Brette. L’histoire est celle d’un ministre qui a voulu chercher de l’argent auprès d’un Etat terroriste en faisant des promesses, dont celle de réétudier la situation pénale d’un homme à l’origine du plus gros attentat contre la France. » Active au sein de l’Association française des victimes du terrorisme, Yohanna Brette s’attache, avec d’autres, à « transmettre la vérité des faits ». Le procès Sarkozy lui a coûté une dent à force de serrer les mâchoires d’anxiété, mais, depuis, elle affirme sereinement : « Nous sommes là où il faut être. »
November 28, 2025 at 1:33 PM
biasedstats.bsky.social
Critics-say-ism
Here’s the pitch: Mr. Mamdani graduated in 2014 from Bowdoin College, in Brunswick, Maine, with a bachelor’s degree in Africana studies. And his experience there—readings of critical race theorists in the classroom and activism for left-wing causes on campus—is emblematic of the highly charged debate over what is taught in American universities. Critics say the growth of these programs, which aim to teach about historical events from the perspective of marginalized and oppressed groups, has turned colleges into feckless workshops for leftist political orthodoxy. “Critics say” is the tell, and does it ever go on telling. In contexts not concerning the elite private colleges of New England and their decades-old conflicts and syllabi and on-campus squabbles, this mode of prestige media procedure matters absolutely and enormously, at scales difficult to tabulate. It’s not hard to call them all to mind: “Climate change is increasingly lethal, though critics say… it is not.” Or, “Israel is murdering journalists in Gaza at historically unprecedented rates, though critics say… it is not.” Or, “Trans people claim to be real, though critics say…” Every bit of this is disheartening on its face. But it’s actually worse than any first-blush irritation, that familiar annoyance that comes from encountering still another textbook exercise in witless triangulation. Because what this sort of reporting ultimately means is that if you have enough money to get somebody, anybody, to produce a white paper for you, which you can then put on some think-tank stationery? Then, my friend, you are ready to enter into the rushing current of elite reportage. For no matter how unhinged the position you’ve taken, or paid someone marginally credentialed to sketch out on your behalf—“Can Woman Think?: We Investigate,” “Is the Negro a Man: A Reconsideration”—that opinion will, by virtue of such provenance, possess all needed evidentiary gravity for the Times. And then some. (Only yesterday the Times ran this actual story, which is not parody.)
November 8, 2025 at 10:19 PM
biasedstats.bsky.social
Isn’t it aitah?
November 8, 2025 at 1:15 PM