Sashank K.
@sashank.bsky.social
Reposted by Sashank K.
This is what it looks like when ICE violates our First Amendment rights.
September 19, 2025 at 11:27 AM
This is what it looks like when ICE violates our First Amendment rights.
My family speaks the same language Usha and her parents do. My sister married a Jewish-Catholic white man. If my brother-in-law were to say the same Vance nonsense about how my sister and I were less American than he was, my sister wouldn't stay quiet about it, like Usha's has. I certainly wouldn't.
It's sad, but also amusing, that JD Vance thinks MAGA will embrace him and his brown-skinned Indian American family after Trump dies.
I mean...he really believes it.
Nope.
I mean...he really believes it.
Nope.
September 7, 2025 at 5:28 AM
My family speaks the same language Usha and her parents do. My sister married a Jewish-Catholic white man. If my brother-in-law were to say the same Vance nonsense about how my sister and I were less American than he was, my sister wouldn't stay quiet about it, like Usha's has. I certainly wouldn't.
Reposted by Sashank K.
IDF says it deliberately struck a photojournalist whose work was used by a range of Western media on October 7. His specific crime, according to the IDF: "Asilh documented and uploaded footage of looting, arson and murder to social media."
April 7, 2025 at 3:07 PM
IDF says it deliberately struck a photojournalist whose work was used by a range of Western media on October 7. His specific crime, according to the IDF: "Asilh documented and uploaded footage of looting, arson and murder to social media."
Reposted by Sashank K.
NEW: The Minerva Research Initiative, established by the Pentagon to fund social science relevant to national security, is being gutted. Dozens of researchers studying threats from extremist groups, misinformation or climate change have received notices that their grants are being terminated.
🧪
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Pentagon guts national security program that harnessed social science
Dozens of U.S. academics lose grants from Minerva program for studies related to terrorism, drug trafficking, and other threats
www.science.org
March 2, 2025 at 7:55 PM
NEW: The Minerva Research Initiative, established by the Pentagon to fund social science relevant to national security, is being gutted. Dozens of researchers studying threats from extremist groups, misinformation or climate change have received notices that their grants are being terminated.
🧪
🧪
Reposted by Sashank K.
A federal judge ordered Trump officials to testify under oath about the extent of DOGE’s access to sensitive data and work.
Judge Rules Trump Officials Must Testify in DOGE Data Lawsuit
Read more here.
www.democracydocket.com
March 2, 2025 at 1:30 AM
A federal judge ordered Trump officials to testify under oath about the extent of DOGE’s access to sensitive data and work.
Reposted by Sashank K.
Yup. The GOP was bad long before 2016. It was bad in 2009 when I started blogging about it. It was bad in 2006 when Tom Mann and @normornstein.bsky.social wrote The Broken Branch. It was bad at least from the 1990s on, when it was the party of Newt and Rush. And it just got worse, worse, and worse.
I want to amplify this. The most important problem for the health of American democracy is the weak state of the GOP (a “failed state” of party). A much much bigger problem than the state and strategies of the Democrats. It was bad in 2016 and it’s been going in the wrong direction since then.
I really think the most changed dynamic - which took eight years for Trump to build - is a supine GOP. When the president's party has a lot of people going on TV to disagree with him it hurts morale. He's now got internal blowback from one elderly senator who he makes fun of all the time.
February 20, 2025 at 4:23 AM
Yup. The GOP was bad long before 2016. It was bad in 2009 when I started blogging about it. It was bad in 2006 when Tom Mann and @normornstein.bsky.social wrote The Broken Branch. It was bad at least from the 1990s on, when it was the party of Newt and Rush. And it just got worse, worse, and worse.
Reposted by Sashank K.
NEW: Pregnancy became far more dangerous in Texas after the state banned abortion, according to ProPublica’s first-of-its-kind analysis, which found the sepsis rate for women hospitalized as they miscarried in the 2nd trimester shot up by more than 50%.
https://propub.li/43487Tj
https://propub.li/43487Tj
Texas Banned Abortion. Then Sepsis Rates Soared.
ProPublica’s first-of-its-kind analysis is the most detailed look yet into a rise in life-threatening complications for women experiencing pregnancy loss under Texas’ abortion ban.
propub.li
February 20, 2025 at 12:00 PM
NEW: Pregnancy became far more dangerous in Texas after the state banned abortion, according to ProPublica’s first-of-its-kind analysis, which found the sepsis rate for women hospitalized as they miscarried in the 2nd trimester shot up by more than 50%.
https://propub.li/43487Tj
https://propub.li/43487Tj
Reposted by Sashank K.
- Pages referencing #disability / disability policy also now missing
January 22, 2025 at 10:10 AM
- Pages referencing #disability / disability policy also now missing
Reposted by Sashank K.
"We don’t have a policy on Palestine. We just do what the Israelis want us to do.” - Mike Casey, the US diplomat working on Gaza who just quit his job.
‘Tired of writing about dead kids’: why a US state department worker resigned over Israel-Gaza policy
Mike Casey, one of only two people explicitly focused on Gaza, left over inaction and doing ‘what the Israelis want’
www.theguardian.com
December 20, 2024 at 12:25 AM
"We don’t have a policy on Palestine. We just do what the Israelis want us to do.” - Mike Casey, the US diplomat working on Gaza who just quit his job.
@johnhollinger.bsky.social Hi John, I've long considered using NBA analytics to teach kids about data and analytics to make sense of what they experience and to analyze it (ie data science/statistics/analytics). Did you and the Grizzlies ever interface with Memphis kids on something like this?
December 7, 2024 at 6:08 PM
@johnhollinger.bsky.social Hi John, I've long considered using NBA analytics to teach kids about data and analytics to make sense of what they experience and to analyze it (ie data science/statistics/analytics). Did you and the Grizzlies ever interface with Memphis kids on something like this?
Reposted by Sashank K.
Apparently my “health insurance” company (GHI) won’t cover the infant RSV vaccine, something recommended by the CDC. Instead, parents must pay $600 out of pocket.
December 6, 2024 at 9:23 PM
Apparently my “health insurance” company (GHI) won’t cover the infant RSV vaccine, something recommended by the CDC. Instead, parents must pay $600 out of pocket.
@meowody.bsky.social See what happens when you don't have a conservative government have a completely loaded investigation/assessment of GAH.
France has just had a review of healthcare for young trans people and it has come out entirely the opposite to Cass. But then again the personnel involved had not been specifically selected to arrive at a politically-required outcome.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
![The most recent international guidelines [12] suggest that GAH should be initiated in transgender adolescents whose gender incongruence has been confirmed according to the criteria outlined in the ICD-11 (Table 1). Additionally, these adolescents should demonstrate sufficient emotional and cognitive maturity to provide informed consent for treatment. Unlike strict age criteria, other factors such as the duration of gender incongruence, medical follow-up history, persistence of transition requests, psychological distress, and the individual's maturity level should be considered when determining the optimal timing for introducing GAH.
In situations where GAH is introduced before Tanner stage 5 (especially when GnRHa has been previously prescribed), suppression can be maintained upon the introduction of GAH to prevent the action of endogenous hormones and the appearance or continued progression of secondary sexual characteristics in the undesired gender.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:d56idxm2oyqwwn2uxnegm2yo/bafkreicxk5xed5no2jm57oz6mzrtrenufehvmqn7ig4cqrgdeuiu52hqwu@jpeg)
December 4, 2024 at 3:18 AM
@meowody.bsky.social See what happens when you don't have a conservative government have a completely loaded investigation/assessment of GAH.
I stopped watching the channel and hid them from my Youtube feed when they censored and sidelined @mehdirhasan.bsky.social, who was the best journalist and interviewer on there (even before they tried to silence him). Journalism should tell the truth and not to try to hide or obfuscate the news.
November 22, 2024 at 4:31 AM
I stopped watching the channel and hid them from my Youtube feed when they censored and sidelined @mehdirhasan.bsky.social, who was the best journalist and interviewer on there (even before they tried to silence him). Journalism should tell the truth and not to try to hide or obfuscate the news.
Reposted by Sashank K.
Tonight is probably one of the worst mental health crisis in the trans community I've ever seen. It's bleak. So many people are in crisis and I'm scared I'm going to wake up tomorrow and have lost friends.
Please reach out to your trans friends and family. They could use some love.
Please reach out to your trans friends and family. They could use some love.
November 21, 2024 at 2:59 AM
Tonight is probably one of the worst mental health crisis in the trans community I've ever seen. It's bleak. So many people are in crisis and I'm scared I'm going to wake up tomorrow and have lost friends.
Please reach out to your trans friends and family. They could use some love.
Please reach out to your trans friends and family. They could use some love.
Reposted by Sashank K.
AOC comes out swinging against a Nancy Mace for targeting Sarah McBride.
"They're doing this so that Nancy Mace can ... fundraise off an email. They're not doing this to protect people. They're endangering women, they're endangering girls of all kinds. And everybody should reject it. It's gross."
"They're doing this so that Nancy Mace can ... fundraise off an email. They're not doing this to protect people. They're endangering women, they're endangering girls of all kinds. And everybody should reject it. It's gross."
November 21, 2024 at 2:48 AM
AOC comes out swinging against a Nancy Mace for targeting Sarah McBride.
"They're doing this so that Nancy Mace can ... fundraise off an email. They're not doing this to protect people. They're endangering women, they're endangering girls of all kinds. And everybody should reject it. It's gross."
"They're doing this so that Nancy Mace can ... fundraise off an email. They're not doing this to protect people. They're endangering women, they're endangering girls of all kinds. And everybody should reject it. It's gross."
Reposted by Sashank K.
Nancy Mace three years ago:
“I strongly support LGBTQ rights and equality…No one should be discriminated against."
"I have friends and family that identify as LGBTQ…Having been around gay, lesbian, and transgender people has informed my opinion over my lifetime."
“I strongly support LGBTQ rights and equality…No one should be discriminated against."
"I have friends and family that identify as LGBTQ…Having been around gay, lesbian, and transgender people has informed my opinion over my lifetime."
November 19, 2024 at 4:37 AM
Nancy Mace three years ago:
“I strongly support LGBTQ rights and equality…No one should be discriminated against."
"I have friends and family that identify as LGBTQ…Having been around gay, lesbian, and transgender people has informed my opinion over my lifetime."
“I strongly support LGBTQ rights and equality…No one should be discriminated against."
"I have friends and family that identify as LGBTQ…Having been around gay, lesbian, and transgender people has informed my opinion over my lifetime."
Reposted by Sashank K.
Today is British-Egyptian activist and coder Alaa Abd El Fattah’s 43rd birthday—his eleventh behind bars. EFF continues to call for his immediate release and urges the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to issue its opinion on his incarceration www.eff.org/deeplinks/20...
On Alaa Abd El Fattah’s 43rd Birthday, the Fight For His Release Continues
Today marks prominent British-Egyptian coder, blogger, activist, and political prisoner Alaa Abd El Fattah’s 43rd birthday—his eleventh behind bars. Alaa should have been released on September 29, but...
www.eff.org
November 18, 2024 at 5:17 PM
Today is British-Egyptian activist and coder Alaa Abd El Fattah’s 43rd birthday—his eleventh behind bars. EFF continues to call for his immediate release and urges the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to issue its opinion on his incarceration www.eff.org/deeplinks/20...
So I've been wondering if it were possible for journalists to band together and create a public resource that allows everyday folk to budget their monthly news expenditure. Individual substacks are too expensive. Maybe a tip jar that drew from this monthly allocation for amazing journalism?
i don’t think americans have realized just how much journalism job losses have worsened since the pandemic. during the 2010s, local news was hurting but there was more churn in national-level roles. now it feels like the floor has dropped out everywhere and we are plunging toward the incinerator
Continuing this year's devastating series of journalism job cuts, The AP says it is cutting staff by 8 percent.
That comes after Gannett and McClatchy announced plans to stop using AP.
www.nytimes.com/2024/11/18/b...
That comes after Gannett and McClatchy announced plans to stop using AP.
www.nytimes.com/2024/11/18/b...
November 18, 2024 at 5:19 PM
So I've been wondering if it were possible for journalists to band together and create a public resource that allows everyday folk to budget their monthly news expenditure. Individual substacks are too expensive. Maybe a tip jar that drew from this monthly allocation for amazing journalism?
Reposted by Sashank K.
The refusal to tamp down on misogynistic hate and harassment, or provide users with tools to protect themselves, has resulted in the silencing of women's voices across the internet. This dynamic is especially pronounced on platforms like YouTube and Twitter. www.usermag.co/p/the-majori...
November 18, 2024 at 5:09 PM
The refusal to tamp down on misogynistic hate and harassment, or provide users with tools to protect themselves, has resulted in the silencing of women's voices across the internet. This dynamic is especially pronounced on platforms like YouTube and Twitter. www.usermag.co/p/the-majori...
Reposted by Sashank K.
The latest Pew Research report on news content creators paints a damning picture of our skewed information ecosystem.
I went deep into the 122 page report and broke down the key findings and what they mean www.usermag.co/p/the-majori...
I went deep into the 122 page report and broke down the key findings and what they mean www.usermag.co/p/the-majori...
The majority of news influencers are conservative men, study finds
The latest Pew Research report on news content creators paints a damning picture of our skewed information ecosystem
www.usermag.co
November 18, 2024 at 4:49 PM
The latest Pew Research report on news content creators paints a damning picture of our skewed information ecosystem.
I went deep into the 122 page report and broke down the key findings and what they mean www.usermag.co/p/the-majori...
I went deep into the 122 page report and broke down the key findings and what they mean www.usermag.co/p/the-majori...
Reposted by Sashank K.
I have five reporters solely focused on the federal government, abuses of power, the rule of law, democracy and corruption.
Do you work in the federal govt? Get in touch with them!
And my Signal is: 718-496-5233
Do you work in the federal govt? Get in touch with them!
And my Signal is: 718-496-5233
1/ Hey, Bluesky community! Thanks for taking an interest in what we do at @ProPublica.org.
I’ve spent this year reporting on the people and policies to expect in Trump 2.0 — from Project 2025 and attacks on civil servants to MAGA's plan to “eradicate” all mentions of climate change.
A quick 🧵...
I’ve spent this year reporting on the people and policies to expect in Trump 2.0 — from Project 2025 and attacks on civil servants to MAGA's plan to “eradicate” all mentions of climate change.
A quick 🧵...
November 18, 2024 at 3:36 PM
I have five reporters solely focused on the federal government, abuses of power, the rule of law, democracy and corruption.
Do you work in the federal govt? Get in touch with them!
And my Signal is: 718-496-5233
Do you work in the federal govt? Get in touch with them!
And my Signal is: 718-496-5233
Reposted by Sashank K.
Of the 20 vastly white segregation academies we identified that received voucher money in North Carolina, nine were at least 30 percentage points more white than the counties in which they operate, based on 2021-22 federal survey and census data. www.propublica.org/article/segr...
Segregation Academies Across the South Are Getting Millions in Taxpayer Dollars
North Carolina offers an especially telling window into what is happening across this once legally segregated region where legislatures are now rapidly expanding and adopting controversial voucher-sty...
www.propublica.org
November 18, 2024 at 3:02 PM
Of the 20 vastly white segregation academies we identified that received voucher money in North Carolina, nine were at least 30 percentage points more white than the counties in which they operate, based on 2021-22 federal survey and census data. www.propublica.org/article/segr...
Reposted by Sashank K.
He isn’t walking it back. Note what he says: “start with,” “begin there.” They’re going to start by rounding up cases who it will be hard for liberals, the media, etc, to defend. Then they’ll start testing to see how far they can go.
Notable - Mike Johnson on CNN walks back Trump's promise to deport as many as 20m people, saying "I'm not sure that's what's gonna happen. I think what the president is talking about is beginning w/the dangerous persons that we know are here. There are criminals, known criminals"
November 17, 2024 at 10:15 PM
He isn’t walking it back. Note what he says: “start with,” “begin there.” They’re going to start by rounding up cases who it will be hard for liberals, the media, etc, to defend. Then they’ll start testing to see how far they can go.
Reposted by Sashank K.
This is a great community ethos. Did you know there’s also a “Newskies” feed with first posts from new users? I sometimes go in there and say hi to new folks coming on.
I think all of us should spend five minutes doing this each day:
👉 Search Bluesky for “first post”
👉 Filter by “latest”
👉 Like and welcome at least 10 new people
It makes a big difference and it could just make you a new friend!
#FirstPostChallenge
👉 Search Bluesky for “first post”
👉 Filter by “latest”
👉 Like and welcome at least 10 new people
It makes a big difference and it could just make you a new friend!
#FirstPostChallenge
November 17, 2024 at 5:45 AM
This is a great community ethos. Did you know there’s also a “Newskies” feed with first posts from new users? I sometimes go in there and say hi to new folks coming on.
Reposted by Sashank K.
We delivered blankets for 30 families today in southern WV. Collaborating with Mercer county DEC and Oakvale community outreach.
Mutual aid is key to reaching rural Appalachians, who feel ignored by a system focused on profit.
Mutual aid is key to reaching rural Appalachians, who feel ignored by a system focused on profit.
November 14, 2024 at 2:22 AM
We delivered blankets for 30 families today in southern WV. Collaborating with Mercer county DEC and Oakvale community outreach.
Mutual aid is key to reaching rural Appalachians, who feel ignored by a system focused on profit.
Mutual aid is key to reaching rural Appalachians, who feel ignored by a system focused on profit.