Keya Vakil
@keyavakil.bsky.social
Philly-born, LA-based politics editor. LAFC and BVB fan. Amateur chef.
Proud to have played even a tiny part in bringing this important, devastating piece to life.
cardinalpine.com/2025/08/01/n...
cardinalpine.com/2025/08/01/n...
North Carolina student’s life upended after being detained by ICE
Allison Bustillo Chinchilla came to America as a child from Honduras and grew up to be a certified nursing assistant. Under President Donald Trump’s mass deportation policy, she’s spent the past five ...
cardinalpine.com
August 1, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Proud to have played even a tiny part in bringing this important, devastating piece to life.
cardinalpine.com/2025/08/01/n...
cardinalpine.com/2025/08/01/n...
Reposted by Keya Vakil
Keep hearing people say protests against first Trump administration were ineffective. Evidence suggests otherwise.
Many “savvy” folks argue protests can’t work. Evidence suggests otherwise.
“Muslim ban set off a fury of protests across US, garnering tremendous media attention and discussion… Portraying ‘Ban’ at odds with inclusive elements of American identity prompted some citizens to shift their attitudes…”
“Muslim ban set off a fury of protests across US, garnering tremendous media attention and discussion… Portraying ‘Ban’ at odds with inclusive elements of American identity prompted some citizens to shift their attitudes…”
A Change of Heart? Why Individual-Level Public Opinion Shifted Against Trump’s “Muslim Ban” - Political Behavior
Public opinion research suggests that rapid and significant individual-level fluctuations in opinions toward various policies is fairly unexpected absent methodological artifacts. While this may gener...
link.springer.com
March 25, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Keep hearing people say protests against first Trump administration were ineffective. Evidence suggests otherwise.
Reposted by Keya Vakil
Just got fired from being a freshman football coach, if you want to know what MAGA does to communities.
They don’t care about what helps people, because the school is certainly not going to find an ex-NFL player willing to coach there at that level, they only care about trying to hurt people.
They don’t care about what helps people, because the school is certainly not going to find an ex-NFL player willing to coach there at that level, they only care about trying to hurt people.
February 27, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Just got fired from being a freshman football coach, if you want to know what MAGA does to communities.
They don’t care about what helps people, because the school is certainly not going to find an ex-NFL player willing to coach there at that level, they only care about trying to hurt people.
They don’t care about what helps people, because the school is certainly not going to find an ex-NFL player willing to coach there at that level, they only care about trying to hurt people.
Reposted by Keya Vakil
I think about this headline all of the time.
February 27, 2025 at 9:35 PM
I think about this headline all of the time.
Reposted by Keya Vakil
gravedigger of american democracy. a more malign influence than john c calhoun.
BREAKING: Sen. Mitch McConnell says he won't seek re-election in 2026, ending a 40-year Senate career. nbcnews.to/4i5uZ9p
February 20, 2025 at 9:57 PM
gravedigger of american democracy. a more malign influence than john c calhoun.
newsletter.therecount.net/p/the-kids-a...
"On many key indicators of sociopolitical identity, America's youngest voters increasingly resemble conservatives: distrustful of institutions and mainstream consensus, prone to conspiratorial thinking and social disconnection, and nostalgic for the past."
"On many key indicators of sociopolitical identity, America's youngest voters increasingly resemble conservatives: distrustful of institutions and mainstream consensus, prone to conspiratorial thinking and social disconnection, and nostalgic for the past."
Feb 13
For Republicans, anyhow.
newsletter.therecount.net
February 20, 2025 at 10:13 PM
newsletter.therecount.net/p/the-kids-a...
"On many key indicators of sociopolitical identity, America's youngest voters increasingly resemble conservatives: distrustful of institutions and mainstream consensus, prone to conspiratorial thinking and social disconnection, and nostalgic for the past."
"On many key indicators of sociopolitical identity, America's youngest voters increasingly resemble conservatives: distrustful of institutions and mainstream consensus, prone to conspiratorial thinking and social disconnection, and nostalgic for the past."
Reposted by Keya Vakil
Humanity created a massive tool for social control and placed it in the hands of the worst people possible techcrunch.com/2025/02/19/s...
Study of TikTok, X 'For You' feeds in Germany finds far-right political bias ahead of federal elections | TechCrunch
Recommendation algorithms operated by social media giants TikTok and X have shown evidence of substantial far-right political bias in Germany ahead of a
techcrunch.com
February 20, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Humanity created a massive tool for social control and placed it in the hands of the worst people possible techcrunch.com/2025/02/19/s...
Reposted by Keya Vakil
I know it was hard to tell at the time and hindsight is 20 20 but one early sign that maybe these Dems shouldn’t have voted to confirm someone who Trump 2.0 picked for a cabinet level post is that Trump had picked them for a cabinet level post www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-...
Oops: Senate Democrats Regret Voting For Some Trump Cabinet Nominees
Oops!
www.huffpost.com
February 20, 2025 at 8:13 PM
I know it was hard to tell at the time and hindsight is 20 20 but one early sign that maybe these Dems shouldn’t have voted to confirm someone who Trump 2.0 picked for a cabinet level post is that Trump had picked them for a cabinet level post www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-...
Reposted by Keya Vakil
I appreciate everyone’s messages of support, I’m trying to get through all my mentions but as you can imagine, it’s been a bit of a busy day :)
Remember - peaceful civil disobedience, and no kings, no tyrants. Not ever.
Remember - peaceful civil disobedience, and no kings, no tyrants. Not ever.
February 20, 2025 at 6:06 AM
I appreciate everyone’s messages of support, I’m trying to get through all my mentions but as you can imagine, it’s been a bit of a busy day :)
Remember - peaceful civil disobedience, and no kings, no tyrants. Not ever.
Remember - peaceful civil disobedience, and no kings, no tyrants. Not ever.
Reposted by Keya Vakil
It’s not a “savings” if you’re getting fewer services in exchange. I’m still paying the same taxes!
DOGE says it has saved $55 billion in federal spending so far, but its website only accounts for $16.6 billion of that
DOGE Says It’s Saved $55 Billion, Itemized Data Show Far Less
The federal cost-cutting effort dubbed the Department of Government Efficiency says it has saved $55 billion in federal spending so far, but its website only accounts for $16.6 billion of that.
www.bloomberg.com
February 19, 2025 at 3:37 PM
It’s not a “savings” if you’re getting fewer services in exchange. I’m still paying the same taxes!
"let's cut spending but not in MY state please mr trump please don't do that pwetty pwease"
shameless hacks.
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
shameless hacks.
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
After ceding power of the purse, GOP lawmakers beg Trump team for funds
Republican senators find themselves in an unusual position these days: begging Trump officials to release funds they themselves appropriated.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 19, 2025 at 4:21 PM
"let's cut spending but not in MY state please mr trump please don't do that pwetty pwease"
shameless hacks.
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
shameless hacks.
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Keya Vakil
i am 100% of the belief that simply forcing take-writers to answer the question "who specifically said this and why are they significant" would result in substantially fewer bad takes circulating in the world
if i ever teach a class on argumentative writing i am going to use these paragraphs as an example of how to NOT write persuasively for an audience.
February 17, 2025 at 2:55 PM
i am 100% of the belief that simply forcing take-writers to answer the question "who specifically said this and why are they significant" would result in substantially fewer bad takes circulating in the world
Reposted by Keya Vakil
I’m no fancy big city economist but my understanding was that new administrations usually did not spend the first month in power openly trying to beef up monthly unemployment numbers
February 17, 2025 at 6:45 PM
I’m no fancy big city economist but my understanding was that new administrations usually did not spend the first month in power openly trying to beef up monthly unemployment numbers
"No one in the Soy Right makes affirmative choices; they’re smol beans who need protection and care."
maxread.substack.com/p/soy-right-...
maxread.substack.com/p/soy-right-...
Soy Right ascendant
The return of Gamergate
maxread.substack.com
February 12, 2025 at 8:29 PM
"No one in the Soy Right makes affirmative choices; they’re smol beans who need protection and care."
maxread.substack.com/p/soy-right-...
maxread.substack.com/p/soy-right-...
Reposted by Keya Vakil
the Soy Right: "right-wingers who have adopted the sensitive, aggrieved victimhood pose and corny rhetorical and personal style that they have spent the last 10 years attributing to liberals" maxread.substack.com/p/soy-right-...
Soy Right ascendant
The return of Gamergate
maxread.substack.com
February 12, 2025 at 4:33 PM
the Soy Right: "right-wingers who have adopted the sensitive, aggrieved victimhood pose and corny rhetorical and personal style that they have spent the last 10 years attributing to liberals" maxread.substack.com/p/soy-right-...
Reposted by Keya Vakil
it is genuinely incredible that all you have to do is scratch the surface and it becomes clear that each of these guys is a huge piece of shit
Incredible: Russ Vought’s daughter has cystic fibrosis and benefits from a “miracle drug” made possible by the National Institutes of Health—an agency Vought now aims to gut as part of the Project 2025 attack www.motherjones.com/politics/202... Scoop from @motherjones.com’s @metrauxjulia.bsky.social
Project 2025 is gutting medical funding that helped Russell Vought's own kid
Its architect's daughter has cystic fibrosis—and benefits from a "miracle drug" backed by an agency he's attacking.
www.motherjones.com
February 12, 2025 at 2:24 AM
it is genuinely incredible that all you have to do is scratch the surface and it becomes clear that each of these guys is a huge piece of shit
a genuinely good idea
Imagine if @aoc @sanders.senate.gov , every dem, SIMULTANEOUSLY held Town Halls where they allowed grant and contract recipients to explain to the country what it is they do and why it's important
Invite all media. Including RW podcasters. @spaces Flood the zone
Call it a Day Of Transparency
Invite all media. Including RW podcasters. @spaces Flood the zone
Call it a Day Of Transparency
February 12, 2025 at 4:37 PM
a genuinely good idea
Personally, I think it's bad that 21 year old little groyper freaks are running our government, but what do I know.
February 7, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Personally, I think it's bad that 21 year old little groyper freaks are running our government, but what do I know.
Reposted by Keya Vakil
The outcome of this political moment depends a lot on Americans being able to escape or see past the billionaire-controlled prison of right-wing propaganda our devices have become www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
The Algorithmic Cage
The private companies in control of social-media networks possess an unprecedented ability to manipulate and control the populace.
www.theatlantic.com
February 7, 2025 at 4:11 PM
The outcome of this political moment depends a lot on Americans being able to escape or see past the billionaire-controlled prison of right-wing propaganda our devices have become www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
Reposted by Keya Vakil
This Kara Swisher interview is both revisionist history and empty pablum. Shameful for Ezra Klein and his people to help her launder her reputation as if she wasn't enabling every single one of these guys and literally doing her book tour with them!
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/07/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/07/o...
February 7, 2025 at 5:44 PM
This Kara Swisher interview is both revisionist history and empty pablum. Shameful for Ezra Klein and his people to help her launder her reputation as if she wasn't enabling every single one of these guys and literally doing her book tour with them!
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/07/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/07/o...
Reposted by Keya Vakil
imo this is accurate, but the reason this is so insane is: the mass affluent society is there IN LARGE PART DUE TO THE BUREAUCRACY. It employs people. It generates huge demand for white collar goods and services and creates whole new markets for them. Not even getting into the services it provides!
The gamble is essentially Americans are rich enough, or at least there’s a plurality of middle class/petite bourgeois people who are rich enough, to where they can repeal the 20th century without arousing the anger of the larger public.
February 5, 2025 at 7:48 PM
imo this is accurate, but the reason this is so insane is: the mass affluent society is there IN LARGE PART DUE TO THE BUREAUCRACY. It employs people. It generates huge demand for white collar goods and services and creates whole new markets for them. Not even getting into the services it provides!
Reposted by Keya Vakil
I’ve seen the “End of the USSR” get kicked around a lot as parallel to what’s happening in DC, and I was initially skeptical but this does seem prescient. The political economy that shaped our regulatory institutions/welfare state is long gone and many elites figure they can get away dismantling it.
And the underlying motivation could be similar - an elite that realizes that the social bargain struck in earlier times makes concessions that, while called for then, are no longer needed in changed historical circumstances.
February 5, 2025 at 5:29 AM
I’ve seen the “End of the USSR” get kicked around a lot as parallel to what’s happening in DC, and I was initially skeptical but this does seem prescient. The political economy that shaped our regulatory institutions/welfare state is long gone and many elites figure they can get away dismantling it.
Reposted by Keya Vakil
in less than eight years the NCAA went from banning North Carolina from hosting championships due to its bathroom bill to... this.
Statement from NCAA president Charlie Baker on Donald Trump’s executive order banning transgender athletes from women’s sports.
Says the NCAA will move quickly to align with the EO.
Says the NCAA will move quickly to align with the EO.
February 5, 2025 at 11:31 PM
in less than eight years the NCAA went from banning North Carolina from hosting championships due to its bathroom bill to... this.