Jennie Barker
@jennieb7.bsky.social
PhD Candidate in Political Science at UC Berkeley studying support for democracy in international politics.
Reposted by Jennie Barker
Trump's MRI raises new questions about Biden's health.
December 1, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Trump's MRI raises new questions about Biden's health.
Reposted by Jennie Barker
November 25, 2025 at 12:20 AM
Reposted by Jennie Barker
Kind of wild that while food assistance was withheld from millions of families, one Trump-supporting billionaire (Ellison) saw his net worth grow more this year than the entire SNAP budget. And the YTD gains of the other four richest men would’ve fully covered salaries for all 2M federal employees.
November 11, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Kind of wild that while food assistance was withheld from millions of families, one Trump-supporting billionaire (Ellison) saw his net worth grow more this year than the entire SNAP budget. And the YTD gains of the other four richest men would’ve fully covered salaries for all 2M federal employees.
Reposted by Jennie Barker
NEW: President Trump's pardon of his alleged 2020 co-conspirators was less about shielding them from past crimes, his adversaries say, than about signaling to others that he has their back if he needs them again in 2026 or 2028.
w/ @joshgerstein.bsky.social
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
w/ @joshgerstein.bsky.social
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
November 11, 2025 at 12:27 AM
NEW: President Trump's pardon of his alleged 2020 co-conspirators was less about shielding them from past crimes, his adversaries say, than about signaling to others that he has their back if he needs them again in 2026 or 2028.
w/ @joshgerstein.bsky.social
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
w/ @joshgerstein.bsky.social
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
Reposted by Jennie Barker
Senate Democrats voting to dismantle the ACA to avoid any problems with their Thanksgiving travel is tragically on brand.
November 9, 2025 at 11:21 PM
Senate Democrats voting to dismantle the ACA to avoid any problems with their Thanksgiving travel is tragically on brand.
Reposted by Jennie Barker
The US is the world's largest oil and gas producer. Yet, "China is now making more money from exporting green technology than America makes from exporting fossil fuels."
China’s clean-energy revolution will reshape markets and politics
The world’s biggest manufacturer now has an interest in the world decarbonising
www.economist.com
November 7, 2025 at 11:05 AM
The US is the world's largest oil and gas producer. Yet, "China is now making more money from exporting green technology than America makes from exporting fossil fuels."
Reposted by Jennie Barker
this morning, ICE went into a Spanish language immersion daycare and took a teacher from the building in front of screaming and crying kids and parents at dropoff and the daycare had to shut down for the day (near Lane Tech, where they were yesterday). Really hoping today's "theme" is not "daycare."
November 5, 2025 at 2:22 PM
this morning, ICE went into a Spanish language immersion daycare and took a teacher from the building in front of screaming and crying kids and parents at dropoff and the daycare had to shut down for the day (near Lane Tech, where they were yesterday). Really hoping today's "theme" is not "daycare."
Reposted by Jennie Barker
Teen Vogue rising after the 2016 election and dying after the 2024 election doesn't even feel like a metaphor as much as a microcosm of what is happening all over places that were once strong areas of resistance.
November 3, 2025 at 11:56 PM
Teen Vogue rising after the 2016 election and dying after the 2024 election doesn't even feel like a metaphor as much as a microcosm of what is happening all over places that were once strong areas of resistance.
Reposted by Jennie Barker
Former USAID official here.
The current Administration has done zero impact analysis to estimate the effects of its obliteration of USAID on deaths around the world.
It just keeps saying "no one has died" as a mesmeric incantation.
The facts, below. 🧵
The current Administration has done zero impact analysis to estimate the effects of its obliteration of USAID on deaths around the world.
It just keeps saying "no one has died" as a mesmeric incantation.
The facts, below. 🧵
October 8, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Former USAID official here.
The current Administration has done zero impact analysis to estimate the effects of its obliteration of USAID on deaths around the world.
It just keeps saying "no one has died" as a mesmeric incantation.
The facts, below. 🧵
The current Administration has done zero impact analysis to estimate the effects of its obliteration of USAID on deaths around the world.
It just keeps saying "no one has died" as a mesmeric incantation.
The facts, below. 🧵
Reposted by Jennie Barker
What an utter disgrace. Noem's actions to "vacate" Secretary Mayorkas' grant of TPS over the direct command in the statute that no early termination can be done was flagrantly unlawful. And yet the majority offers not a SINGLE word of explanation for why they think she could do that.
Shameless!
Shameless!
BREAKING: SCOTUS (again) allows Sec. Noem to proceed with ending Temporary Protect Status for more than 600,000 Venezuelans, over the objection of the three Democratic appointees.
![SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
No. 25A326
KRISTI NOEM, SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, ET AL. v. NATIONAL TPS ALLIANCE, ET AL.
ON APPLICATION FOR A STAY
[October 3, 2025]
In March of this year, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California entered a preliminary order postponing the effective date of the Secretary of Homeland Security's decision to remove "temporary protected status" (TPS) from Venezuelan nationals living in the United States. See 8 U.S. C. §1254a; 5 U.S. C. §705.
In May, this Court stayed that order while the Government appealed. The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ultimately affirmed the District Court's preliminary order. Last month, the District Court entered final judgment in respondents' favor, holding unlawful and setting aside the Secretary's actions effectuating her decision— namely, her vacatur of a pending extension of TPS for Venezuelan nationals, and her termination of that status itself.
See 5 U. S. C. §706(2). (The District Court also concluded that the Secretary unlawfully vacated a TPS extension for Haitian nationals. The Government now seeks to stay the portions of the District Court's judgment pertaining to Ven-ezuela, but not Haiti. See Application 7, n. 6.)
The application for stay presented to JUSTICE KAGAN and by her referred to the Court is granted. Although the posture of the case has changed, the parties' legal arguments and relative harms generally have not. The same result that we reached in May is appropriate here.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:36eqtmzysqf7wsslczw4uxcd/bafkreifwdli7xxfny6ivyfuusq7lptvsyntu7ypokqdyrgpoxlyw4dmokq@jpeg)
October 3, 2025 at 8:49 PM
What an utter disgrace. Noem's actions to "vacate" Secretary Mayorkas' grant of TPS over the direct command in the statute that no early termination can be done was flagrantly unlawful. And yet the majority offers not a SINGLE word of explanation for why they think she could do that.
Shameless!
Shameless!
Reposted by Jennie Barker
US farmers are saying they "just need temporary help, until things get better."
Here's the thing. US farm exports- which are mostly soy- CANNOT get better.
Other countries expanded their soy industries to fill China's demand.
We've walled ourselves out of the global market, folks. This is it.
Here's the thing. US farm exports- which are mostly soy- CANNOT get better.
Other countries expanded their soy industries to fill China's demand.
We've walled ourselves out of the global market, folks. This is it.
September 30, 2025 at 10:40 PM
US farmers are saying they "just need temporary help, until things get better."
Here's the thing. US farm exports- which are mostly soy- CANNOT get better.
Other countries expanded their soy industries to fill China's demand.
We've walled ourselves out of the global market, folks. This is it.
Here's the thing. US farm exports- which are mostly soy- CANNOT get better.
Other countries expanded their soy industries to fill China's demand.
We've walled ourselves out of the global market, folks. This is it.
We truly have friends everywhere.
"Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that."
Looking forward to seeing Jimmy back on the air.
Looking forward to seeing Jimmy back on the air.
Jimmy Kimmel Returns: ABC Ends Suspension Starting Tuesday
Jimmy Kimmel will return to late night on Tuesday
variety.com
September 22, 2025 at 10:04 PM
We truly have friends everywhere.
Reposted by Jennie Barker
Reposted by Jennie Barker
The media landscape shaping up leading into the midterms is disturbing. Two key platforms (TikTok and X) controlled by regime-friendly oligarchs — not even counting Meta. Many of the most powerful figures voicing opposition will be off the air, by regime demand. CBS, WaPo, LA Times, you name it…
September 18, 2025 at 2:01 PM
The media landscape shaping up leading into the midterms is disturbing. Two key platforms (TikTok and X) controlled by regime-friendly oligarchs — not even counting Meta. Many of the most powerful figures voicing opposition will be off the air, by regime demand. CBS, WaPo, LA Times, you name it…
Just a complete moral and strategic failure by the U.S.--especially as the Baltic states actually already spend a significant portion of their GDP on defense and have been active in pushing other EU/NATO states to do the same!
Breaking news: Pentagon officials last week informed European diplomats that the US would no longer fund programmes that train and equip militaries in eastern European countries that would be on the frontline of any conflict with Russia. on.ft.com/4mNocUo
September 4, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Just a complete moral and strategic failure by the U.S.--especially as the Baltic states actually already spend a significant portion of their GDP on defense and have been active in pushing other EU/NATO states to do the same!
Reposted by Jennie Barker
Pritzker: "I refuse to pretend that any of this is normal ... I refuse to fall into the pundit trap that demands we sacrifice vital constitutional rights if it's being done in the fake guise of fighting crime."
September 2, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Pritzker: "I refuse to pretend that any of this is normal ... I refuse to fall into the pundit trap that demands we sacrifice vital constitutional rights if it's being done in the fake guise of fighting crime."
Reposted by Jennie Barker
Pritzker: "No one in the administration -- the president or anybody under him -- has called anyone in my administration or me. It's clear that in secret they're are planning this invasion with US troops."
August 31, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Pritzker: "No one in the administration -- the president or anybody under him -- has called anyone in my administration or me. It's clear that in secret they're are planning this invasion with US troops."
Reposted by Jennie Barker
NEW figures show that 61,226 people are currently in ICE detention — the highest number ever in US history.
According to ICE data, 70% of these people have no criminal conviction.
According to ICE data, 70% of these people have no criminal conviction.
August 29, 2025 at 8:28 PM
NEW figures show that 61,226 people are currently in ICE detention — the highest number ever in US history.
According to ICE data, 70% of these people have no criminal conviction.
According to ICE data, 70% of these people have no criminal conviction.
Reposted by Jennie Barker
More or less universally a country seeking to limit foreigners studying in that country is a sign of a society, culture, great power in severe decline.
August 29, 2025 at 1:15 PM
More or less universally a country seeking to limit foreigners studying in that country is a sign of a society, culture, great power in severe decline.
Reposted by Jennie Barker
The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a peer-to-peer evaluation of a country's rights record. All 193 UN member states are expected to participate, and even states like Russia and China do.
Today, the US took the unprecedented step of withdrawing from the UPR www.reuters.com/world/europe...
Today, the US took the unprecedented step of withdrawing from the UPR www.reuters.com/world/europe...
US withdraws from key UN human rights report, draws criticism from rights advocates
The United States will not participate in a U.N. review of its human rights record, officials said, a move that rights advocates called a worrying retreat from Washington's global engagement on rights and justice issues.
www.reuters.com
August 28, 2025 at 10:25 PM
The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a peer-to-peer evaluation of a country's rights record. All 193 UN member states are expected to participate, and even states like Russia and China do.
Today, the US took the unprecedented step of withdrawing from the UPR www.reuters.com/world/europe...
Today, the US took the unprecedented step of withdrawing from the UPR www.reuters.com/world/europe...
Reposted by Jennie Barker
According to federal data, 13 of the top 20 cities in homicide rates have Republican governors. None of those cities are Chicago.
8 of the top 10 states in homicide rates are led by Republicans. None of those states are Illinois.
And yet Trump is sending troops here.
8 of the top 10 states in homicide rates are led by Republicans. None of those states are Illinois.
And yet Trump is sending troops here.
August 28, 2025 at 1:01 AM
According to federal data, 13 of the top 20 cities in homicide rates have Republican governors. None of those cities are Chicago.
8 of the top 10 states in homicide rates are led by Republicans. None of those states are Illinois.
And yet Trump is sending troops here.
8 of the top 10 states in homicide rates are led by Republicans. None of those states are Illinois.
And yet Trump is sending troops here.
Reposted by Jennie Barker
I am sounding the alarm on the real crisis we face today.
Donald Trump’s overreach is what our founders warned against – it is unprecedented, unwarranted, and un-American.
There’s no emergency here that calls for military intervention.
Donald Trump’s overreach is what our founders warned against – it is unprecedented, unwarranted, and un-American.
There’s no emergency here that calls for military intervention.
August 25, 2025 at 9:50 PM
I am sounding the alarm on the real crisis we face today.
Donald Trump’s overreach is what our founders warned against – it is unprecedented, unwarranted, and un-American.
There’s no emergency here that calls for military intervention.
Donald Trump’s overreach is what our founders warned against – it is unprecedented, unwarranted, and un-American.
There’s no emergency here that calls for military intervention.
Reposted by Jennie Barker
An excellent summary of one week on the path to dictatorship from Bill Kristol
August 25, 2025 at 3:14 PM
An excellent summary of one week on the path to dictatorship from Bill Kristol