elizabeth nyc
@justverbs.bsky.social
"...Where-ever law ends, tyranny begins if the law be transgressed to another’s harm, and whosoever in authority exceeds the power given him by the law... may be opposed as a thief and a robber."
John Locke
John Locke
Reposted by elizabeth nyc
I’ve unfortunately needed to add more material to my post from yesterday. The re-election of Donald Trump is looking like the biggest act of American self-destruction since the Civil War.
Same link, new title and some updates.
Same link, new title and some updates.
Revised and Extended: What's Happening Inside the NIH and NSF
www.science.org
February 5, 2025 at 5:17 PM
I’ve unfortunately needed to add more material to my post from yesterday. The re-election of Donald Trump is looking like the biggest act of American self-destruction since the Civil War.
Same link, new title and some updates.
Same link, new title and some updates.
Reposted by elizabeth nyc
Incredible to think how hard Merrick Garland worked for four years to avoid even the remotest appearance of partisanship or ideological commitments, and literally on her first day as AG Pam Bondi is like "Diversity is now illegal, we will be putting all the libs in prison"
Breaking from me and @mjsdc.bsky.social : Newly installed AG Pam Bondi sent out more than a dozen memos in a 15 minute period on Wednesday. One of them told staffers to come up with "proposals for criminal investigations" of large companies that have DEIA initiatives. slate.com/news-and-pol...
Pam Bondi Instructs Trump DOJ to Criminally Investigate Companies That Do DEI
Civil rights advocates may well file suit immediately against the Justice Department to secure an injunction.
slate.com
February 6, 2025 at 3:53 AM
Incredible to think how hard Merrick Garland worked for four years to avoid even the remotest appearance of partisanship or ideological commitments, and literally on her first day as AG Pam Bondi is like "Diversity is now illegal, we will be putting all the libs in prison"
Reposted by elizabeth nyc
This is an absolutely remarkable memo — and a betrayal of both the Constitution and the American political tradition. In the US, by *explicit contrast* with interwar fascist governments, the state is not supposed to be an extension of the personality of the chief executive.
![Office of the Attorney General
Washington, D. C. 20530
February 5, 2025
MEMORANDUM FOR ALL DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES
FROM:
SUBJECT:
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
GENERAL POLICY REGARDING ZEALOUS ADVOCACY ON BEHALF OF THE UNITED STATES'
"[E]xecutive Power." More broadly, attorneys are expected to zealously advance, protect, and defend their client's interests. Department of Justice attorneys have signed up for a job that requires zealously advocating for the United States.
The responsibilities of Department of Justice attorneys include not only aggressively enforcing criminal and civil laws enacted by Congress, but also vigorously defending presidential policies and actions against legal challenges on behalf of the United States. The discretion afforded Department attorneys entrusted with those responsibilities does not include latitude to substitute personal political views or judgments for those that prevailed in the election.
When Department of Justice attorneys, for example, refuse to advance good-faith arguments by declining to appear in court or sign briefs, it undermines the constitutional order and deprives the President of the benefit of his lawyers. It is therefore the policy of the Department of Justice that any attorney who because of their personal political views or judgments declines to sign a brief or appear in court, refuses to advance good-faith arguments on behalf of the Administration, or otherwise delays or impedes the Department's mission will be subject to discipline and potentially termination, consistent with applicable law.
' This guidance is not intended to, does not, and may not be relied upon to create, any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:y2tqoxl4zx7iuyh3rhbhdwv3/bafkreic4hwhm45xtfe5w2yb3y27ye4zw72ch2l2jydx3avbn6yxwllwbqi@jpeg)
February 6, 2025 at 1:50 PM
This is an absolutely remarkable memo — and a betrayal of both the Constitution and the American political tradition. In the US, by *explicit contrast* with interwar fascist governments, the state is not supposed to be an extension of the personality of the chief executive.
Reposted by elizabeth nyc
One of these per week until the midterms.
Or get busy and one of these a day
Or get busy and one of these a day
Green: I rise to announce that I will bring articles of impeachment against the president for dastardly deeds proposed and dastardly deeds done.
February 5, 2025 at 4:05 PM
One of these per week until the midterms.
Or get busy and one of these a day
Or get busy and one of these a day
Reposted by elizabeth nyc
Extremism experts say a now-familiar playbook to scapegoat transgender people in the wake of high-profile tragedies is part of a political strategy to sow division and expand authoritarian control.
Trump's anti-trans effort is an agenda cornerstone with echoes in history
Extremism experts say a now-familiar playbook to scapegoat transgender people in the wake of high-profile tragedies is part of a political strategy to sow division and expand authoritarian control.
www.npr.org
February 6, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Extremism experts say a now-familiar playbook to scapegoat transgender people in the wake of high-profile tragedies is part of a political strategy to sow division and expand authoritarian control.
Reposted by elizabeth nyc
BREAKING
Court blocks Elon Musk team from government computer systems: report
The U.S. District Court of Washington, D.C., ruled Thursday morning that Elon Musk and his team of coders have been blocked from further accessing government databases. Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ap...
www.rawstory.com
February 6, 2025 at 3:32 PM
BREAKING
Reposted by elizabeth nyc
I wonder if we should be thinking of Musk's seizing of Treasury as an historic cyber-security breach that endangers the entire US and global financial system.
Every government and financial institution in the world should be demanding that Treasury arrest the hackers, restore integrity of US govt.
Every government and financial institution in the world should be demanding that Treasury arrest the hackers, restore integrity of US govt.
February 5, 2025 at 4:27 PM
I wonder if we should be thinking of Musk's seizing of Treasury as an historic cyber-security breach that endangers the entire US and global financial system.
Every government and financial institution in the world should be demanding that Treasury arrest the hackers, restore integrity of US govt.
Every government and financial institution in the world should be demanding that Treasury arrest the hackers, restore integrity of US govt.
Reposted by elizabeth nyc
The richest man in the world, a billionaire government contractor oligarch who Steve Bannon calls a "truly evil person," wants to control your parents’ Social Security checks, your grandfather’s VA benefits and the flow of cash to federal contractors.
Raskin: ‘I’m with Steve Bannon and Laura Loomer’ and others saying ‘Watch Elon Musk’
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said Monday that the Trump administration needs to keep a close eye on billionaire Elon Musk, a key ally of President Trump — echoing a warning several outspoken far-right…
thehill.com
February 5, 2025 at 9:55 PM
The richest man in the world, a billionaire government contractor oligarch who Steve Bannon calls a "truly evil person," wants to control your parents’ Social Security checks, your grandfather’s VA benefits and the flow of cash to federal contractors.
Reposted by elizabeth nyc
“You guys are arguing over Taylor Swift tickets over here… this guy took $500m out of the market 48 hours before he was sworn in!”
@scaramucci.bsky.social says there is incredibly “no outrage” after President Trump launched a cryptocurrency
#Peston
@scaramucci.bsky.social says there is incredibly “no outrage” after President Trump launched a cryptocurrency
#Peston
February 5, 2025 at 10:05 PM
“You guys are arguing over Taylor Swift tickets over here… this guy took $500m out of the market 48 hours before he was sworn in!”
@scaramucci.bsky.social says there is incredibly “no outrage” after President Trump launched a cryptocurrency
#Peston
@scaramucci.bsky.social says there is incredibly “no outrage” after President Trump launched a cryptocurrency
#Peston
Reposted by elizabeth nyc
New York City bankers learned 50 years ago that a Trump deal was worthless. Five years ago, Canada and Mexico made the mistake of trusting Trump's signature on a trade treaty. Now they are learning too. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
How Trump Lost His Trade War
His on-off caprice has mainly disadvantaged the United States.
www.theatlantic.com
February 5, 2025 at 10:18 PM
New York City bankers learned 50 years ago that a Trump deal was worthless. Five years ago, Canada and Mexico made the mistake of trusting Trump's signature on a trade treaty. Now they are learning too. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
Reposted by elizabeth nyc
Each legal settlement between media companies and Donald Trump “weakens the democratic freedoms on which these media organizations depend,” writes Jameel Jaffer, the executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute. “They also damage the media institutions’ prestige and credibility.”
Opinion | Settlements With Trump Are Weakening Press Freedoms
Media institutions and technology companies are offering obscene sums of money to settle feeble or frivolous lawsuits.
www.nytimes.com
February 4, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Each legal settlement between media companies and Donald Trump “weakens the democratic freedoms on which these media organizations depend,” writes Jameel Jaffer, the executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute. “They also damage the media institutions’ prestige and credibility.”
"Where-ever law ends, tyranny begins if the law be transgressed to another’s harm, and whosoever in authority exceeds the power given him by the law... may be opposed as a thief and a robber..."
John Locke
John Locke
February 5, 2025 at 12:13 PM
"Where-ever law ends, tyranny begins if the law be transgressed to another’s harm, and whosoever in authority exceeds the power given him by the law... may be opposed as a thief and a robber..."
John Locke
John Locke
Reposted by elizabeth nyc
The point about Trump’s deranged comments about Gaza is that we’re wasting precious seconds talking about Trump’s deranged comments about Gaza and not unelected Elon Musk’s coup to dismantle our government.
February 5, 2025 at 11:08 AM
The point about Trump’s deranged comments about Gaza is that we’re wasting precious seconds talking about Trump’s deranged comments about Gaza and not unelected Elon Musk’s coup to dismantle our government.
Reposted by elizabeth nyc
Officers “seized computers, hard drives, files and phones from Begum staff, including Begum female journalists, and took into custody two male employees of the organization who do not hold any senior management position,” the station said in a statement
Taliban raids and suspends Afghanistan’s only women’s radio station | CNN
The Taliban suspended the operation of Afghanistan’s only women’s radio station after raiding its premises on Tuesday, deepening the exclusion of women from public life and society since the group too...
www.cnn.com
February 5, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Officers “seized computers, hard drives, files and phones from Begum staff, including Begum female journalists, and took into custody two male employees of the organization who do not hold any senior management position,” the station said in a statement
Reposted by elizabeth nyc
Lotta people don’t want to be seen driving the Nazimobiles
CALIFORNIA CAR DEALERS ASSO: “Tesla’s dominance in the electric vehicle market continues to falter as the brand reported its fifth consecutive quarterly registration decline. Tesla’s registrations fell 7.8 percent in Q4 .. an overall 11.6 percent decline in 2024.”
www.cncda.org/news/califor...
www.cncda.org/news/califor...
February 5, 2025 at 11:56 AM
Lotta people don’t want to be seen driving the Nazimobiles
Reposted by elizabeth nyc
From @cathygellis.bsky.social: "I think a colorable, non-frivolous argument can be made that Elon Musk, and everyone on his DOGE team accessing the federal government’s computer infrastructure, is potentially personally liable for violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA)."
When It’s Not Just A Coup But A CFAA Violation Too
The hazard with landing upon a legal solution that seems too good to be true is that it often is. So as you read this post it is important to keep in mind that I may have overlooked something, and …
www.techdirt.com
February 4, 2025 at 8:50 PM
From @cathygellis.bsky.social: "I think a colorable, non-frivolous argument can be made that Elon Musk, and everyone on his DOGE team accessing the federal government’s computer infrastructure, is potentially personally liable for violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA)."
Reposted by elizabeth nyc
Let the protests begin.
Crowd keeps growing outside Treasury as Members who were DENIED entry speak
February 5, 2025 at 1:23 AM
Let the protests begin.
Reposted by elizabeth nyc
Frost: "Trump fired pretty much every inspectors general in the entire country. And then a little bit later we hear that Elon Musk now has access to the federal payment system with zero oversight. And the question is, what is to stop him from using that information to enrich himself?"
February 5, 2025 at 1:47 AM
Frost: "Trump fired pretty much every inspectors general in the entire country. And then a little bit later we hear that Elon Musk now has access to the federal payment system with zero oversight. And the question is, what is to stop him from using that information to enrich himself?"
Reposted by elizabeth nyc
@raskin.house.gov: "This is a coup, which is a seizure of state power by unelected actors... In addition to everything that Trump is doing to dismantle every part of gov’t that doesn't profit him personally, we have this additional problem of Elon Musk trying to consolidate state power under him."
February 5, 2025 at 2:02 AM
@raskin.house.gov: "This is a coup, which is a seizure of state power by unelected actors... In addition to everything that Trump is doing to dismantle every part of gov’t that doesn't profit him personally, we have this additional problem of Elon Musk trying to consolidate state power under him."
Reposted by elizabeth nyc
"Musk is a private citizen taking control of established government offices. That is not efficiency; that is a coup."
nymag.com/intelligence...
nymag.com/intelligence...
Elon Musk May Have Your Social Security Number
The billionaire and his DOGE agents were reportedly granted full access to the Treasury’s federal payments system, and nobody knows to what end.
nymag.com
February 3, 2025 at 9:24 AM
"Musk is a private citizen taking control of established government offices. That is not efficiency; that is a coup."
nymag.com/intelligence...
nymag.com/intelligence...
Reposted by elizabeth nyc
Senator Elizabeth Warren sent a letter on Monday to the Treasury secretary demanding answers for why the Dept. of Government Efficiency was granted access to the federal payments system, giving Elon Musk's team a powerful tool that could be used to track and potentially limit government spending.
Warren Questions Bessent Over Musk Access to Treasury Payment System
In a letter to the Treasury secretary, the Democratic senator warned against meddling with a system that processes trillions of dollars of transactions.
www.nytimes.com
February 3, 2025 at 11:18 AM
Senator Elizabeth Warren sent a letter on Monday to the Treasury secretary demanding answers for why the Dept. of Government Efficiency was granted access to the federal payments system, giving Elon Musk's team a powerful tool that could be used to track and potentially limit government spending.
Reposted by elizabeth nyc
More courage at the FBI. This is the way.
February 2, 2025 at 6:43 PM
More courage at the FBI. This is the way.
Reposted by elizabeth nyc
Good summary of the American coup over the weekend. At the same time it sounded like the takeover was executed by like half a dozen grad engineer dorks working for Musk, I feel like a roomful of South Korean civil servants coulda held them off with just a fire extinguisher and some light bullying.
1/ Musk seeking control over nerve systems of the federal government. As someone who spent a decade studying how centralized information systems are used for coercion this is a five alarm fire. We need to name it, identify risks, and seek to mitigate their impacts.
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/01/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/01/u...
Elon Musk’s Team Now Has Access to Treasury’s Payments System
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent gave Mr. Musk’s representatives at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency a powerful tool to monitor and potentially limit government spending.
www.nytimes.com
February 2, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Good summary of the American coup over the weekend. At the same time it sounded like the takeover was executed by like half a dozen grad engineer dorks working for Musk, I feel like a roomful of South Korean civil servants coulda held them off with just a fire extinguisher and some light bullying.