John Balazs
@sactown916.bsky.social
Sacramento criminal defense attorney. Former 9th Circuit law clerk and Assistant Federal Public Defender.
Reposted by John Balazs
Reposted by John Balazs
Trump hung up on a ProPublica reporter after being asked whether his Florida mortgages were similar to those of others he had accused of fraud.
Read our full investigation here 👇
Read our full investigation here 👇
Trump’s Own Mortgages Match His Description of Mortgage Fraud, Records Reveal
The Trump administration has argued that Fed board member Lisa Cook may have committed mortgage fraud by declaring more than one primary residence on her loans. We found Trump once did the very thing ...
www.propublica.org
December 10, 2025 at 4:30 AM
Trump hung up on a ProPublica reporter after being asked whether his Florida mortgages were similar to those of others he had accused of fraud.
Read our full investigation here 👇
Read our full investigation here 👇
Reposted by John Balazs
Described as worse than prison, the conditions at the largest ICE detention facility in CA are inhumane. With the lives of detainees at stake, KVP has joined Prison Law Office, the ACLU, and the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice in filing a class action: www.keker.com/news/news-it...
Keker Sues DHS, ICE Over Allegedly Inhumane Conditions at Calif. Detention Center
www.keker.com
November 21, 2025 at 12:35 AM
Described as worse than prison, the conditions at the largest ICE detention facility in CA are inhumane. With the lives of detainees at stake, KVP has joined Prison Law Office, the ACLU, and the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice in filing a class action: www.keker.com/news/news-it...
Reposted by John Balazs
What Happens When The Government Loses Its Credibility: The Comey Prosecution open.substack.com/pub/joycevan...
What Happens When The Government Loses Its Credibility: The Comey Prosecution
This is one of those long posts we occasionally have when a judge files a highly significant order.
open.substack.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:05 AM
What Happens When The Government Loses Its Credibility: The Comey Prosecution open.substack.com/pub/joycevan...
Reposted by John Balazs
FACT CHECK: TRUE
November 15, 2025 at 8:08 AM
FACT CHECK: TRUE
Reposted by John Balazs
U.S. tourism just took a $5.7 billion hit thanks to Canadians staying home. 🇨🇦 Travel from Canada to the U.S. has plunged since Trump took office.
Turns out chaos, hate, violence and instability aren’t great tourism slogans.
#cdnpoli #TrumpEffect
#USDemocracy
#Pinks
apple.news/AW5Gdi9eXQ4y...
Turns out chaos, hate, violence and instability aren’t great tourism slogans.
#cdnpoli #TrumpEffect
#USDemocracy
#Pinks
apple.news/AW5Gdi9eXQ4y...
U.S. tourism faces $5.7B US loss as Canadians continue to stay home — CBC News
Many Canadians continue to boycott travel to the United States, and the U.S. economy is paying the price. A U.S. Travel Association report forecasts a 3.2 per cent decline in international tourism spe...
apple.news
November 12, 2025 at 6:10 PM
U.S. tourism just took a $5.7 billion hit thanks to Canadians staying home. 🇨🇦 Travel from Canada to the U.S. has plunged since Trump took office.
Turns out chaos, hate, violence and instability aren’t great tourism slogans.
#cdnpoli #TrumpEffect
#USDemocracy
#Pinks
apple.news/AW5Gdi9eXQ4y...
Turns out chaos, hate, violence and instability aren’t great tourism slogans.
#cdnpoli #TrumpEffect
#USDemocracy
#Pinks
apple.news/AW5Gdi9eXQ4y...
Reposted by John Balazs
The Oregon Department of Justice submitted multiple video exhibits showing federal officers using extreme force against nonviolent protesters outside the U.S. Immigration & Customs Building. This is part of its effort to block the federal deployment of National Guard troops to Portland.
November 2, 2025 at 4:51 PM
The Oregon Department of Justice submitted multiple video exhibits showing federal officers using extreme force against nonviolent protesters outside the U.S. Immigration & Customs Building. This is part of its effort to block the federal deployment of National Guard troops to Portland.
Reposted by John Balazs
Halloween 2025 🎃
Scariest year ever
Scariest year ever
November 1, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Halloween 2025 🎃
Scariest year ever
Scariest year ever
Reposted by John Balazs
Reposted by John Balazs
1 in 8 Americans rely on SNAP…
October 26, 2025 at 3:36 PM
1 in 8 Americans rely on SNAP…
Reposted by John Balazs
So they didn’t like the ad. Let’s just post Reagan’s 5 min speech against tariffs as it appears on YouTube.
Over and over. On all platforms (some of y’all are still on X).
*1981 Sherrilyn horrified by 2025 Sherrilyn saying “let’s post Reagan’s speech.”
youtu.be/5t5QK03KXPc
Over and over. On all platforms (some of y’all are still on X).
*1981 Sherrilyn horrified by 2025 Sherrilyn saying “let’s post Reagan’s speech.”
youtu.be/5t5QK03KXPc
President Reagan's Radio Address on Free and Fair Trade on April 25, 1987
YouTube video by Reagan Library
youtu.be
October 24, 2025 at 5:14 PM
So they didn’t like the ad. Let’s just post Reagan’s 5 min speech against tariffs as it appears on YouTube.
Over and over. On all platforms (some of y’all are still on X).
*1981 Sherrilyn horrified by 2025 Sherrilyn saying “let’s post Reagan’s speech.”
youtu.be/5t5QK03KXPc
Over and over. On all platforms (some of y’all are still on X).
*1981 Sherrilyn horrified by 2025 Sherrilyn saying “let’s post Reagan’s speech.”
youtu.be/5t5QK03KXPc
Reposted by John Balazs
This is such a great callout…
Does your Christian church have a plan to help the community when SNAP benefits don’t go out in November?
If not, you’re at the wrong church.
Does your Christian church have a plan to help the community when SNAP benefits don’t go out in November?
If not, you’re at the wrong church.
October 23, 2025 at 11:33 PM
This is such a great callout…
Does your Christian church have a plan to help the community when SNAP benefits don’t go out in November?
If not, you’re at the wrong church.
Does your Christian church have a plan to help the community when SNAP benefits don’t go out in November?
If not, you’re at the wrong church.
Reposted by John Balazs
Reposted by John Balazs
Best I've seen.
👀 someone calling out big law firm complicity and cowardice
October 18, 2025 at 11:15 PM
Best I've seen.
Reposted by John Balazs
Reminder: Ed Martin, Trump's US Pardon attorney (R) and George Santos, whose sentence he just helped commute (L) were both speakers at the Stop the Steal rally the day before the Jan 6 Capitol attack. The next day, they both sat in the VIP section at Trump's Ellipse rally. 1/
October 18, 2025 at 2:50 AM
Reminder: Ed Martin, Trump's US Pardon attorney (R) and George Santos, whose sentence he just helped commute (L) were both speakers at the Stop the Steal rally the day before the Jan 6 Capitol attack. The next day, they both sat in the VIP section at Trump's Ellipse rally. 1/
Reposted by John Balazs
Find a No Kings protest Saturday and go!
Don't worry that you've never been to a protest before. Don't worry about being dressed wrong or looking out of place. Don't worry that you don't agree about everything -- or even about much -- with lots of people at the protest.
/1
Don't worry that you've never been to a protest before. Don't worry about being dressed wrong or looking out of place. Don't worry that you don't agree about everything -- or even about much -- with lots of people at the protest.
/1
October 17, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Find a No Kings protest Saturday and go!
Don't worry that you've never been to a protest before. Don't worry about being dressed wrong or looking out of place. Don't worry that you don't agree about everything -- or even about much -- with lots of people at the protest.
/1
Don't worry that you've never been to a protest before. Don't worry about being dressed wrong or looking out of place. Don't worry that you don't agree about everything -- or even about much -- with lots of people at the protest.
/1
Reposted by John Balazs
By rebranding genocidal rhetoric and violent misogyny as “edgy jokes,” JD Vance provides a permission structure for extremism. And he’s signaling to the next generation of Republican leaders that this language is not a career-ender but an acceptable way to signal loyalty to the MAGA base.
Vance on public outrage over the "I love Hitler" group chat: "Grow up! Focus on the real issues. Don't focus on what kids say in group chats... The reality is that kids do stupid things, especially young boys — they tell edgy, offensive jokes. That's what kids do."
October 16, 2025 at 6:02 PM
By rebranding genocidal rhetoric and violent misogyny as “edgy jokes,” JD Vance provides a permission structure for extremism. And he’s signaling to the next generation of Republican leaders that this language is not a career-ender but an acceptable way to signal loyalty to the MAGA base.
Reposted by John Balazs
Justice Brett Kavanaugh: “If the officers learn that the individual they stopped is a U.S. citizen...they promptly let the individual go."
The reality: Americans have been dragged, tackled, beaten, tased and shot by immigration agents.
A must read from the very talented @nicolefoy.bsky.social:
The reality: Americans have been dragged, tackled, beaten, tased and shot by immigration agents.
A must read from the very talented @nicolefoy.bsky.social:
More Than 170 U.S. Citizens Have Been Held by Immigration Agents. They’ve Been Kicked, Dragged and Detained for Days.
The government does not track how often immigration agents grab citizens. So ProPublica did. Our tally — almost certainly incomplete — includes people who were held for days without a lawyer. And near...
www.propublica.org
October 16, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Justice Brett Kavanaugh: “If the officers learn that the individual they stopped is a U.S. citizen...they promptly let the individual go."
The reality: Americans have been dragged, tackled, beaten, tased and shot by immigration agents.
A must read from the very talented @nicolefoy.bsky.social:
The reality: Americans have been dragged, tackled, beaten, tased and shot by immigration agents.
A must read from the very talented @nicolefoy.bsky.social:
Reposted by John Balazs
This lays out pretty well why Pritzker is doing what he’s doing, so far.
Some us cautioned a while ago that JB didn’t “win” anything as we still have more than 3 years to go and the fascists don’t exactly just give up,
Also, points out the importance of independent media.
Does also touch upon…
Some us cautioned a while ago that JB didn’t “win” anything as we still have more than 3 years to go and the fascists don’t exactly just give up,
Also, points out the importance of independent media.
Does also touch upon…
How Chicago managed to defeat Stephen Miller's propaganda, at least so far.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYlv...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYlv...
Stephen Miller's Fever Dreams
YouTube video by emptywheel
www.youtube.com
October 16, 2025 at 3:01 PM
This lays out pretty well why Pritzker is doing what he’s doing, so far.
Some us cautioned a while ago that JB didn’t “win” anything as we still have more than 3 years to go and the fascists don’t exactly just give up,
Also, points out the importance of independent media.
Does also touch upon…
Some us cautioned a while ago that JB didn’t “win” anything as we still have more than 3 years to go and the fascists don’t exactly just give up,
Also, points out the importance of independent media.
Does also touch upon…
Reposted by John Balazs
Important: this is exactly how propagandists operate.
NEW:
A dramatic voiceover video the White House and Donald Trump shared last week claiming to show "chaos" in Chicago is littered with outdated footage from Florida, Texas, South Carolina, Nebraska, California and Arizona, an AFP investigation found.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
A dramatic voiceover video the White House and Donald Trump shared last week claiming to show "chaos" in Chicago is littered with outdated footage from Florida, Texas, South Carolina, Nebraska, California and Arizona, an AFP investigation found.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
October 15, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Important: this is exactly how propagandists operate.
Reposted by John Balazs
EXCLUSIVE: Thousands of leaked messages show leaders of Young Republican groups joking about gas chambers, slavery and rape in a private Telegram chat.
Inside rising GOP leaders’ racist chats — obtained by POLITICO and spanning more than 7 months👇
Inside rising GOP leaders’ racist chats — obtained by POLITICO and spanning more than 7 months👇
‘I love Hitler’: Leaked messages expose Young Republicans’ racist chat
Thousands of private messages reveal young GOP leaders joking about gas chambers, slavery and rape.
www.politico.com
October 14, 2025 at 5:22 PM
EXCLUSIVE: Thousands of leaked messages show leaders of Young Republican groups joking about gas chambers, slavery and rape in a private Telegram chat.
Inside rising GOP leaders’ racist chats — obtained by POLITICO and spanning more than 7 months👇
Inside rising GOP leaders’ racist chats — obtained by POLITICO and spanning more than 7 months👇
Trump Considers Overhaul of Refugee System That Would Favor White People
www.nytimes.com
October 15, 2025 at 9:35 PM