Gus Orviston
@orviston.bsky.social
Bibliophile, perpetual grad student, fan of democracy, cats, and the Oxford comma. Episcopalian, but not great at it. Foxes over hedgehogs.
Pinned
Gus Orviston
@orviston.bsky.social
· Nov 7
Do not stop trying to be a good person just because you see bad people winning. Virtue matters.
Reposted by Gus Orviston
There's arguably no effective way for any future administration to undo the strategic damage being done to the U.S.'s relations with these and other states.
No matter what we do, the U.S. will be seen as an untrustworthy, craven & mercurial "partner"—something simply to be endured or hedged.
No matter what we do, the U.S. will be seen as an untrustworthy, craven & mercurial "partner"—something simply to be endured or hedged.
November 11, 2025 at 12:51 PM
There's arguably no effective way for any future administration to undo the strategic damage being done to the U.S.'s relations with these and other states.
No matter what we do, the U.S. will be seen as an untrustworthy, craven & mercurial "partner"—something simply to be endured or hedged.
No matter what we do, the U.S. will be seen as an untrustworthy, craven & mercurial "partner"—something simply to be endured or hedged.
This is exactly why I would be a terrible burglar
November 11, 2025 at 1:59 AM
This is exactly why I would be a terrible burglar
Reposted by Gus Orviston
I missed this awful detail in the Senate deal: helping politicians who conspired against America as part of Trump's coup hide their phone records.
That's right, as ICE brutally violates rights in ways that leave people with no recourse, the Senate found time to protect their colleagues from justice.
That's right, as ICE brutally violates rights in ways that leave people with no recourse, the Senate found time to protect their colleagues from justice.
Buried inside the deal to reopen government is a provision that would give Senators private right of action to sue for millions in damages over their phone records being analyzed by Jack Smith's team.
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Shutdown Deal Would Let Senators Sue Over Jack Smith Searches
Senators whose phone records were sought by Special Counsel Jack Smith would gain authority to sue for millions in damages under a provision buried in the Senate-advanced deal to reopen the government...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 10, 2025 at 10:18 PM
I missed this awful detail in the Senate deal: helping politicians who conspired against America as part of Trump's coup hide their phone records.
That's right, as ICE brutally violates rights in ways that leave people with no recourse, the Senate found time to protect their colleagues from justice.
That's right, as ICE brutally violates rights in ways that leave people with no recourse, the Senate found time to protect their colleagues from justice.
Reminder not to shake this dude's hand
November 10, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Reminder not to shake this dude's hand
I get why they did it. I don't think it was correct.
like this is basically it, the melts melted under pressure
November 10, 2025 at 5:34 PM
I get why they did it. I don't think it was correct.
Reposted by Gus Orviston
But what he can do is bring bogus federal charges against any state official who dares prosecute them.
Trump’s pardon attorney Ed Martin claims Trump is pardoning his Georgia co-defendants and other “alternate electors.”
Note: Trump’s Georgia co-defendants are charged under state law. The president can’t pardon people for state crimes.
Note: Trump’s Georgia co-defendants are charged under state law. The president can’t pardon people for state crimes.
November 10, 2025 at 5:47 AM
But what he can do is bring bogus federal charges against any state official who dares prosecute them.
Reposted by Gus Orviston
I am so weary of running around explaining contemporary politics to Democratic senators but Trump has taken the power of the purse from Congress and has made good on his promise to not fund anything he doesn't want to so "guaranteeing a vote in the Senate" is not a thing.
November 10, 2025 at 12:24 AM
I am so weary of running around explaining contemporary politics to Democratic senators but Trump has taken the power of the purse from Congress and has made good on his promise to not fund anything he doesn't want to so "guaranteeing a vote in the Senate" is not a thing.
Reposted by Gus Orviston
Teaching the Trump administration that disrupting air travel gets them what they want would be a bad idea. They’d pull that lever again.
November 10, 2025 at 12:12 AM
Teaching the Trump administration that disrupting air travel gets them what they want would be a bad idea. They’d pull that lever again.
One of the problems - not the largest problem, in my opinion - with Donald Trump is that he is very stupid.
With a “WOW!,” President Trump posts a claim about DOGE and “royalties linked to Obamacare” that originated on a satirical website. That site’s own About section reads: “Everything on this website is fiction… If you believe that it is real, you should have your head examined.”
November 9, 2025 at 6:10 PM
One of the problems - not the largest problem, in my opinion - with Donald Trump is that he is very stupid.
Patrick addresses this specifically to Catholics, but I think it’s applicable to any church that is part of orthodox Christianity.
November 9, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Patrick addresses this specifically to Catholics, but I think it’s applicable to any church that is part of orthodox Christianity.
Reposted by Gus Orviston
DHS and the White House pushed out sadistic videos celebrating this. The United States kidnapped people and dumped them in a foreign torture prison without any sort of process, and many of whom likely committed no serious crime. People in government need to be prosecuted for this.
Our reporters interviewed 40 of the men the Trump administration sent to a notorious prison in El Salvador: They described being beaten, sexually assaulted by guards and driven to the brink of suicide. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/w...
‘You Are All Terrorists’: Four Months in a Salvadoran Prison
www.nytimes.com
November 9, 2025 at 3:32 AM
DHS and the White House pushed out sadistic videos celebrating this. The United States kidnapped people and dumped them in a foreign torture prison without any sort of process, and many of whom likely committed no serious crime. People in government need to be prosecuted for this.
Reposted by Gus Orviston
Reposted by Gus Orviston
Reposted by Gus Orviston
40 men Trump sent to CECOT tell the NYT they were beaten, tortured, and sexually assaulted. The details are worse than you can imagine.
We can’t let them get away with this. Miller and the other architects of this sadism need to go to prison.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/w...
We can’t let them get away with this. Miller and the other architects of this sadism need to go to prison.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/w...
‘You Are All Terrorists’: Four Months in a Salvadoran Prison
www.nytimes.com
November 9, 2025 at 2:20 AM
40 men Trump sent to CECOT tell the NYT they were beaten, tortured, and sexually assaulted. The details are worse than you can imagine.
We can’t let them get away with this. Miller and the other architects of this sadism need to go to prison.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/w...
We can’t let them get away with this. Miller and the other architects of this sadism need to go to prison.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/w...
Reposted by Gus Orviston
this, but not a joke, is a huge part of my theology. the busy work is tending to the people. baking a casserole, taking out the trash, picking up the communion cups after the service... these are all the 'busy work' of God, and doing them--without protest, without fanfare--is beautiful.
Local Woman Devotes Life To Doing God's Busy Work https://theonion.com/local-woman-devotes-life-to-doing-gods-busy-work-1819570211/
September 26, 2025 at 2:53 PM
this, but not a joke, is a huge part of my theology. the busy work is tending to the people. baking a casserole, taking out the trash, picking up the communion cups after the service... these are all the 'busy work' of God, and doing them--without protest, without fanfare--is beautiful.
Reposted by Gus Orviston
oh so these people do pay attention to who politicians follow on social media, they just don’t care that the vice president follows a bunch of actual neo-nazis
Axios tried to bust James Talarico for following adult content creators on Instagram and I'm genuinely impressed by his campaign's response
November 8, 2025 at 4:39 PM
oh so these people do pay attention to who politicians follow on social media, they just don’t care that the vice president follows a bunch of actual neo-nazis
Reposted by Gus Orviston
And let’s be real here Trump’s own cognitive issues were a massive boon to him on the campaign trail
A lot of his support came not in spite of his dementia-fueled incoherence but because of it
A lot of his support came not in spite of his dementia-fueled incoherence but because of it
Biden’s biggest problem was his life long speech impediment, Trump’s greatest strength his ability to lie with a straight face.
November 8, 2025 at 6:32 AM
And let’s be real here Trump’s own cognitive issues were a massive boon to him on the campaign trail
A lot of his support came not in spite of his dementia-fueled incoherence but because of it
A lot of his support came not in spite of his dementia-fueled incoherence but because of it
Amazing things happening, everyone
Flights are being cancelled. Food assistance is suspended. Government employees are going without pay.
But priorities are being taken care of:
But priorities are being taken care of:
November 8, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Amazing things happening, everyone
I would wear this, much to the disappointment of my wife, I’m sure.
November 8, 2025 at 3:26 PM
I would wear this, much to the disappointment of my wife, I’m sure.
Reposted by Gus Orviston
Happy Caturday, y’all.
November 8, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Happy Caturday, y’all.
Reposted by Gus Orviston
sometimes an Oxford comma can make all the difference
November 8, 2025 at 12:36 PM
sometimes an Oxford comma can make all the difference
Reposted by Gus Orviston
Imagine if the government had told protesters this outside an abortion clinic
“Federal authorities told demonstrators Friday that there would be ‘no more prayer’ in front of or inside the Broadview ICE facility, in a move that mystified local leaders and raised legal questions.” blockclubchicago.org/2025/11/07/f...
Feds Tell Faith Leaders 'No More Prayer' Outside Broadview Facility
In a possible violation of the First Amendment, federal officials instructed demonstrators to stop holding religious gatherings outside the immigration processing facility in suburban Broadview after ...
blockclubchicago.org
November 8, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Imagine if the government had told protesters this outside an abortion clinic
Specifying that Trump has to follow the law makes this less likely that the GOP is going to go for this.
Apparently Schumer's offer also included a legal guarantee of appropriations being spent as specified.
November 7, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Specifying that Trump has to follow the law makes this less likely that the GOP is going to go for this.