#characteristicsoffascism — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #characteristicsoffascism, aggregated by home.social.
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#Anthropic Building a #PreCrime System to Surveil #AntiAI #Dissenters, Investigation Shows | Common Dreams
One legal expert said that as AI companies “become more hated, there’s more pressure on them to over-disclose knowing that some of the people they identify for law enforcement shouldn’t be targeted.”
by Brad Reed, September 9, 2026
"The American Prospect on Wednesday published an investigation revealing that top artificial intelligence firm Anthropic is building a predictive surveillance system aimed at tracking activists who are opposed to advanced AI development.
"The Prospect found that Anthropic last month issued a job posting seeking an intelligence specialist to “identify, assess, track, and investigate global threats including geopolitical instability, terrorism, crime, activism, nation-state targeting of the AI sector.”
Read more:
https://www.commondreams.org/news/anthropic-pre-crime-surveillance#PreCrime #ThoughtCrime #AIResistance #ResistanceIsFertile #AISucks #CriminalizingDissent #TheResistance #WaterIsLife #AirIsLife #HumanIntelligence #TechFascism #Fascism #CharacteristicsOfFascism
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#Anthropic Building a #PreCrime System to Surveil #AntiAI #Dissenters, Investigation Shows | Common Dreams
One legal expert said that as AI companies “become more hated, there’s more pressure on them to over-disclose knowing that some of the people they identify for law enforcement shouldn’t be targeted.”
by Brad Reed, September 9, 2026
"The American Prospect on Wednesday published an investigation revealing that top artificial intelligence firm Anthropic is building a predictive surveillance system aimed at tracking activists who are opposed to advanced AI development.
"The Prospect found that Anthropic last month issued a job posting seeking an intelligence specialist to “identify, assess, track, and investigate global threats including geopolitical instability, terrorism, crime, activism, nation-state targeting of the AI sector.”
Read more:
https://www.commondreams.org/news/anthropic-pre-crime-surveillance#PreCrime #ThoughtCrime #AIResistance #ResistanceIsFertile #AISucks #CriminalizingDissent #TheResistance #WaterIsLife #AirIsLife #HumanIntelligence #TechFascism #Fascism #CharacteristicsOfFascism
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#Anthropic Building a #PreCrime System to Surveil #AntiAI #Dissenters, Investigation Shows | Common Dreams
One legal expert said that as AI companies “become more hated, there’s more pressure on them to over-disclose knowing that some of the people they identify for law enforcement shouldn’t be targeted.”
by Brad Reed, September 9, 2026
"The American Prospect on Wednesday published an investigation revealing that top artificial intelligence firm Anthropic is building a predictive surveillance system aimed at tracking activists who are opposed to advanced AI development.
"The Prospect found that Anthropic last month issued a job posting seeking an intelligence specialist to “identify, assess, track, and investigate global threats including geopolitical instability, terrorism, crime, activism, nation-state targeting of the AI sector.”
Read more:
https://www.commondreams.org/news/anthropic-pre-crime-surveillance#PreCrime #ThoughtCrime #AIResistance #ResistanceIsFertile #AISucks #CriminalizingDissent #TheResistance #WaterIsLife #AirIsLife #HumanIntelligence #TechFascism #Fascism #CharacteristicsOfFascism
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#Anthropic Building a #PreCrime System to Surveil #AntiAI #Dissenters, Investigation Shows | Common Dreams
One legal expert said that as AI companies “become more hated, there’s more pressure on them to over-disclose knowing that some of the people they identify for law enforcement shouldn’t be targeted.”
by Brad Reed, September 9, 2026
"The American Prospect on Wednesday published an investigation revealing that top artificial intelligence firm Anthropic is building a predictive surveillance system aimed at tracking activists who are opposed to advanced AI development.
"The Prospect found that Anthropic last month issued a job posting seeking an intelligence specialist to “identify, assess, track, and investigate global threats including geopolitical instability, terrorism, crime, activism, nation-state targeting of the AI sector.”
Read more:
https://www.commondreams.org/news/anthropic-pre-crime-surveillance#PreCrime #ThoughtCrime #AIResistance #ResistanceIsFertile #AISucks #CriminalizingDissent #TheResistance #WaterIsLife #AirIsLife #HumanIntelligence #TechFascism #Fascism #CharacteristicsOfFascism
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#Anthropic Building a #PreCrime System to Surveil #AntiAI #Dissenters, Investigation Shows | Common Dreams
One legal expert said that as AI companies “become more hated, there’s more pressure on them to over-disclose knowing that some of the people they identify for law enforcement shouldn’t be targeted.”
by Brad Reed, September 9, 2026
"The American Prospect on Wednesday published an investigation revealing that top artificial intelligence firm Anthropic is building a predictive surveillance system aimed at tracking activists who are opposed to advanced AI development.
"The Prospect found that Anthropic last month issued a job posting seeking an intelligence specialist to “identify, assess, track, and investigate global threats including geopolitical instability, terrorism, crime, activism, nation-state targeting of the AI sector.”
Read more:
https://www.commondreams.org/news/anthropic-pre-crime-surveillance#PreCrime #ThoughtCrime #AIResistance #ResistanceIsFertile #AISucks #CriminalizingDissent #TheResistance #WaterIsLife #AirIsLife #HumanIntelligence #TechFascism #Fascism #CharacteristicsOfFascism
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Trump Goes After Anonymous Email Provider in Italy. The Real Target Is Free Speech in the U.S.
Trump designated an Italian web-hosting provider as a foreign “terror” group. It could take #antifascist sites in the U.S. offline.
Matt Sledge
August 28 2026"In the latest escalation of the Trump administration’s war on the left, the U.S. government’s designation of a popular antifascist webhosting provider as a terror group could shutter a swath of radical websites in the U.S.
"Secretary of State #MarcoRubio and Treasury Secretary #ScottBessent announced Wednesday that they were targeting the Italy-based A/I Collective with terror sanctions. Federal law gives the Treasury Department broad discretion to apply the terror label to foreign groups.
"A wide array of #anarchist, antifascist, and #FarLeft groups in the U.S. and abroad use the privacy-minded collective’s offerings, including an anonymous email service and its popular noblogs.org blogging platform.
"The practice of designating an internet platform and service provider as a terror group — rather than those pursuing violence themselves — has 'huge' implications for the future free speech on the internet, warned Jillian York, the director of international freedom of expression at the #ElectronicFrontierFoundation.
" 'They are going after the messenger,' York said. 'I don’t think that the members of the group would necessarily condone the actions of the people that they hosted. What they do condone is the freedom to host, the ability to be anonymous, the ability to be private.'
"The A/I Collective told The Intercept that it is exploring its legal options to fight the sanctions, which block U.S. citizens and companies from providing the group with financial support.
"In an unsigned statement, the group said that it denies the U.S. government’s allegations.
" '#Antifascism and #anticapitalism are not #terrorism ,' the group said. '#Protesting is not terrorism. And everyone has the right to speak out and to struggle for #humanity.' " [And #MotherEarth ! ]
Source:
https://theintercept.com/2026/08/28/trump-antifa-terrorist-websites-free-speech/Archived version:
https://archive.ph/4ETk2#FreeSpeech #AutisticiInventati #Solidarity #USPol #WorldPol #SolidarityWithAutisticiInventati #FreedomOfExpression #SilencingDissent #CriminalizingDissent #CriminalizingProtest #Fascism #CharacteristicsOfFascism
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I'm not much of a beer drinker these days, but I would encourage everyone who does, and who has access to #MinocquaBrewing, BUY THEIR BEER!!! And donate to their legal fund!
US brewery punished for promising free beer when Trump dies
Carsen Holaday
Thursday 30 July 2026"- The Wisconsin Department of Revenue is set to revoke the alcohol permit for Minocqua Brewing Company by 4 August.
- Owner #KirkBangstad, a liberal activist, claims the move is politically motivated due to his outspoken #AntiTrump stance.
- The brewery previously garnered attention for social media posts suggesting free beer would be offered upon the death of a prominent political figure.
- Bangstad plans to challenge the decision, urging supporters to donate to a legal defence fund to fight the state.
- The Department of Revenue confirmed the revocation notices for two brewery locations and an alcohol beverage warehouse, stating the business can operate during the appeal process until 4 August. "
Link to defense fund:
https://buy.stripe.com/7sYbIT1S090709RbpZ97G00#TrumpSucks #USPol #Wisconsin #Illinois #DrinkUp #Cheers #Resistance #CharacteristicsOfFascism
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Federal Judge Blocks #Idaho Law Criminalizing #Transgender Bathroom Use
Six transgender residents claimed that the #BathroomBan, the most restrictive in the nation, violated their constitutional rights.
By Amy Harmon, June 16, 2026
Excerpt: "Twenty states besides Idaho restrict transgender people from using bathrooms that align with their gender identity, according to the #MovementAdvancementProject, which tracks state-level legislation on #LGBTQ issues. But the restrictions elsewhere apply only to schools and colleges, government-owned buildings and public places like parks and airports.
"Idaho’s measure is viewed as the most restrictive such law in the nation because of its broad application and because of the penalties it imposes. Repeat violators face up to five years in prison. The law covers restrooms in all publicly owned buildings as well as privately owned settings such as restaurants, retail stores and business offices. It includes bathrooms with a single stall. Idaho’s law also applies more immediately, including no provision like the one in #Florida that requires a transgender person to refuse to leave a bathroom that does not match their sex at birth in order to establish a violation.
"State officials argue that even if the law is challenging to enforce, it is not unconstitutionally vague because it is clear about what must be proved. They noted that a person’s biological sex could be determined later through objective means, such as a birth certificate or DNA testing, even if it cannot be done at the scene."
Read more:
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/16/us/transgender-idaho-bathroom-law.htmlArchived version:
https://archive.ph/VjZXW -
So, maybe I'm biased, but I personally think that degrees in #LiberalArts and #Humanities are very important in having well-rounded citizens -- who are exposed to art, history, geography, philosophy, etc. And I think that sort of education should be free and start at the high school level (or even before).
Hampshire College Will Close Amid Student Enrollment Declines
Other small private colleges like Hampshire have closed in recent years as financial pressures and competition for students increase.
by Mark Arsenault, April 14, 2026
Hampshire president, Jennifer Chrisler: “Some of it is a persistent and ill informed, I think, belief at the federal level that the only value of an education is what you earn four years after your graduation”.
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/snPv7#Authoritarianism #DumbingUsDown #CharacteristicsOfFascism #HigherEducation #Education #LearningForLearningsSake
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#ICE Is Expanding Across the US at Breakneck Speed. Here’s Where It’s Going Next
ICE plans to lease offices throughout the US as part of a secret, monthslong expansion campaign. WIRED is publishing dozens of these locations.
February 10, 2026
Excerpt: "As of January, ICE’s expansion is heavily concentrated in a few key states. #Texas has at least 9 leasing projects underway. In #Harlingen, located near the US border with Mexico, a lease has been awarded at 222 East Van Buren, in the same building as the city’s Department of Labor–aligned outpost. (ICE has already detained dozens of Harlingen-area residents.) In the #Woodlands, a district near #Houston, ICE appears poised to move into an office building at 1780 Hughes Landing Boulevard, blocks away from a Primrose preschool. In #ElPaso, ICE is moving into the Epicenter Office Community, a large campus of buildings right off Interstate 10 near many local health providers and other businesses. In #SanAntonio, ICE is considering a move into a building located at 15727 Anthem Parkway, near apartment buildings, dozens of restaurants, and the Methodist Hospital Landmark. In #EaglePass, ICE appears to be looking at a move into a building at 3381 US Highway 277, where at least one government office—the Drug Enforcement Administration—is already located.
"A Trump administration official recently told WIRED that #California and #NewYork are 'next' for the type of fraud investigation that culminated in 3,000 ICE agents in Minneapolis. At least seven leasing projects are underway in California. In #Sacramento, ICE has installed security features at the John E. Moss building ahead of further expansion. The location is already the site of a Justice Department immigration court. In Irvine, a city in Orange County located an hour’s drive from #LosAngeles, ICE is moving into offices on 2020 Main Street, located right next to the airport and a childcare agency. In #VanNuys, a neighborhood of Los Angeles, ICE is expanding its offices at the James C. Corman federal building that also has offices for the IRS and Health and Human Services. Further expansion of ICE offices is also underway throughout the state, in federal buildings in Los Angeles, at San Diego’s Edward J. Schwartz Courthouse and federal building, and in Santa Ana’s federal building. The #SantaAna federal building is located within blocks of a church, the stadium for one of the nation's top high school football programs, and many government services.
"In New York and #NewJersey, ICE is expanding its physical footprint rapidly. In #RoselandNJ, less than an hour’s drive from New York City, ICE is moving into a building at 5 Becker Farm Road. The building is located near the Roseland Child Development Center. In #WoodburyNY, a hamlet in #LongIsland, ICE is moving into offices located at 88 Froehlich Farm Boulevard, near an expedited passport center. In #NewWindsor, New York, a town within driving distance of New York City along the Hudson River known for the Storm King Art Center, ICE is moving into offices at 843 Union Avenue. All three of these locations are within an hour and a half from a warehouse in #ChesterNY, that DHS is pursuing as an immigrant detention center.
"The same pattern plays out in dozens of other cities across the US. ICE’s expansion includes not just its own preexisting space—or sharing an office with other government agencies—but also situates its agents near sensitive civilian locations.
"That often includes places of worship. In #Hyattsville, Maryland, ICE is expanding its offices at the Metro 1 building on 6505 Belcrest Road, which sits a few blocks from a Lutheran church. In #Tennessee, OPLA is planning to move into the #Nashville House office building, a business center in the city near multiple churches. The #OneCityCenter building in #PortlandME, where ICE plans to expand its offices, is within walking distance to at least six churches, a mosque, one synagogue, and a Salvation Army adult rehab center. [Good to know. We'll be there protesting!]
"Several planned ICE office spaces are located near schools and early-childhood care centers. ICE is poised to move into a building on 1000 Westlakes Drive in the #Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, suburb of #Berwyn; the Hillside Elementary School is about a mile away. In #Hartford, Connecticut, OPLA is poised to expand existing ICE office space in the Abraham A. Ribicoff federal building, which sits two blocks from the Betances elementary school. Back in Tennessee, ICE is ready to move into offices at 5904 Ridgeway Center Parkway in Memphis, in a building near the private all-girls Hutchison School. In the #ColumbusOH, suburb of #Westerville, OPLA appears ready to move into a small office building at 774 Park Meadow, near the Oakstone Academy High School. In #MeridianID ICE is moving into the Portico at Meridian Center, which is located near the Spalding STEM Academy high school. And in #OakbrookIL, a suburb of #Chicago, ICE is moving into the Oakbrook Gateway, an office building located near both a Bright Horizons daycare center and a hospice center.
"Many other planned locations are near hospitals and medical offices. In #YorkPA, ICE’s OPLA division has leased space at Yorktowne Medical, a facility with multiple medical offices. In #ColumbiaSC, ICE is poised to move into offices at 1441 Main Street, which sits blocks away from the Prisma Health Baptist Hospital. In #NaplesFL, ICE is poised to move into offices at 75 Vineyards Boulevard, close to Physicians Regional Pine Ridge campus hospital.
"Other locations appear to be strategically situated near buildings that ICE either currently uses or could use to detain immigrants. The #Hyattsville location is about an hour and a half from a warehouse DHS recently purchased that ICE has said will be used to detain immigrants, as is a second office marked for OPLA use in #CockeysvilleMD.
"Among the many ICE leasing projects underway in Florida is Research Commons, a building located in #Orlando at 12249 Science Drive that’s less than 25 minutes away from another warehouse identified by the Post as a potential large-scale detention center. The York, #Pennsylvania, location is also an hour and 20 minutes away from a warehouse recently purchased by ICE for nearly $90 million that a Republican congressman said will be used as a processing and immigrant detention facility.
"In Alexandria, Louisiana, ICE is moving into a building on 1201 3rd Street, located right in the city’s historic downtown center and a 16-minute drive from the Alexandria Staging Facility, where immigrants have been detained, transferred, and then deported.
"#AlexandriaLA has emerged as a key location for ICE’s activities in the state and around the country, and an investigation from The Guardian alleged a pattern of abuse and alleged due process violations at the Alexandria facility that’s operated as a deportation 'hub.'
"This is just a sampling of the dozens and dozens of lease locations in the process of being awarded to ICE in every single GSA leasing region, which spans the entire country and US territories. ICE agents and officers will share buildings with doctors, restaurants, and businesses. They’ll expand existing offices and move in with unrelated government agencies—at 801 Arch Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for example, they’ll share space with the DMV."
Read more:
https://www.wired.com/story/ice-expansion-across-us-at-heres-where-its-going-next/Archived version:
https://archive.ph/BQfRW#USPol #DefundICE #DefundDHS #BorderPatrol #MurderPatrol #DetentionCenters #ICERaids #Terrorism #ICESucks #TrumpSucks #CharacteristicsOfFascism
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“De Facto #Dictatorship”: Democrats Confront #ICE, #CBP Officials on Brutal Tactics
#DemocracyNow, February 11, 2026
"House Democrats grilled the heads of ICE, CBP and USCIS at a hearing Tuesday over their role in the Trump administration’s brutal campaign to carry out #MassDeportations. 'These three directors are responsible for what we are seeing around the country, whether it’s in detention, whether it’s in the streets or even in the courts,' says Illinois Congressmember #DeliaRamirez, who is calling for her fellow Democrats to suspend funding for the Department of Homeland Security unless Republicans agree to their demands to rein in federal immigration agents. We play excerpts from Ramirez and other representatives’ remarks about the killings of U.S. citizens #ReneeGood and #AlexPretti in Minneapolis, the deaths of #immigrants in ICE custody and the fear and terror experienced by civilians confronted daily by masked federal agents. 'This is more than #authoritarianism. This is a de facto dictatorship,' says Texas Congressmember #AlGreen, who also spoke at the hearing."
Read / watch / listen:
https://www.democracynow.org/2026/2/11/ice_congress#USPol #DefundICE #DefundDHS #BorderPatrol #MurderPatrol #DetentionCenters #ICERaids #Terrorism #ViewerSupportedNews #ICESucks #TrumpSucks #CharacteristicsOfFascism
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A Year Into #Trump’s War on #Immigration, Images of an Altered America
The #crackdown and #detentions swept from one coast to the other: day laborers in Los Angeles, a flower seller in Chicago, immigrants in New York courtrooms.
By Luis Ferré-Sadurní Photographs by Todd Heisler
From Texas and New Mexico to Illinois and New York, a New York Times reporter and photographer spent the year documenting Mr. Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Dec. 30, 2025
Excerpt: "The silence [at the border with Mexico] is pierced by the thudding of military helicopters conducting surveillance with infrared cameras. Soldiers deployed by Mr. Trump are perched on eight-wheeled armored vehicles that had typically been used for combat in Iraq and Afghanistan."
#USPol #PoliceState #TrumpSucks #ICESucks #Authoritarianism #WarZone #CharacteristicsOfFascism
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#Protesters in #SouthFlorida to fight back against state orders to remove #RainbowCrosswalks
Walter Murphy, August 25, 2025
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — "Protesters are expected to hit the streets of South Florida Monday to fight back against state orders to remove rainbow crosswalks in places like #FortLauderdale, #MiamiBeach and #KeyWest.
"Four crosswalks in Fort Lauderdale are in the crosshairs of the Florida Department of Transportation.
"The state recently sent the city a non-compliance letter, demanding the different designs and murals be removed.
" 'It’s an attempt to try to erase the presence of anything to do with the #LGBTQCommunity,' Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis said.
"The state sent similar letters to Miami Beach, Key West and #DelrayBeach, citing safety issues, but Trantalis says it has nothing to do with safety.
" 'It could be the gay community this year -- who knows what’s going to be next year,' he said. 'We don’t know where they are going to keep trying to eliminate the diversity of what represents Florida.'
"Two of the crosswalks in Fort Lauderdale on the state’s list are along Breakers Avenue at Terramar and Riomar streets.
"Another one is at East Las Olas Boulevard and Almond Avenue, and the final one is at Sebastian Street along A1A.
"That will be the site of one of two demonstrations against #FDOT’s order set for Monday night.
"Both protests were organized by #EricSwanson, who is better known as #MissBouvèé.
" 'A crosswalk doesn’t define us,' Miss. Bouvèé said. 'It’s the principle of the fact (that) it symbolizes a safe space for us.'
" 'I am outraged by the State of Florida’s decision to forcefully remove #PrideCrosswalks — symbols of love, support, and unity in our communities,' Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Thursday.
" 'These vibrant installations are more than paint on pavement. They reflect the values we hold dear in Miami-Dade: respect, appreciation of fellow neighbors, and the fundamental right to live and love openly,' she said in a statement.
"The warnings to communities across Florida come after last week’s removal of a rainbow-colored crossing marking the 2016 massacre outside the #PulseNightclub in #Orlando, where 49 people were gunned down. It was painted over in the middle of the night by work crews, but has since been restored by a group of demonstrators."
"The issue has been simmering since a July 1 directive from U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who gave U.S. governors 60 days to identify what he called safety improvements.
" 'Roads are for safety, not political messages or artwork,' Duffy said in a statement at the time.
"The Federal Highway Administration said in a statement Friday to The Associated Press that Duffy 'has made every state receiving federal dollars responsible for identifying hazards on their roads.'
:Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday amplified those comments, saying on X: 'We will not allow our state roads to be commandeered for political purposes.'
"A statement from FDOT said the agency has a duty 'to ensure the safety and consistency of public roadways and transportation systems.'
" 'That means ensuring our roadways are not utilized for social, political, or ideological interests,' it said.
Efforts to remove the crosswalks are 'clearly an #AntiLGBTQ push on behalf of both the federal government and the copycat version from the state government,' said Rand Hoch, founder of the Palm Beach County #HumanRights Council.
" 'They’re basically blackmailing municipalities, counties and states by saying if you don’t do this, we’re going to withhold funding,' Hoch said. 'It’s absolutely ridiculous.'
"It is unclear whether other states and communities outside Florida are being ordered to remove rainbow crossings, but Florida is often the vanguard nationwide in fights over what some call the culture wars of politics. Those include battles over the removal of #LibraryBooks deemed inappropriate by #DeSantis and other Republicans.
"In Key West, state transportation officials said that if pavement markings in its historic downtown aren’t removed by Sept. 3, 'the Florida Department of Transportation will remove them by any appropriate method necessary without further notice.' In a letter to Key West’s city manager, federal authorities also threatened the 'immediate withholding' of state funds if it finds 'additional violations.'
"The Aug. 15 letter to Key West leaders said that many local communities in Florida 'immediately began undertaking actions to ensure compliance.' It did not specify how many communities have cooperated or what steps they have taken.
"Miami Beach has also been ordered to remove its rainbow crosswalk on Ocean Drive by the first week of September."
#DeSantisSucks #GBLTQIntolerance #GBLTQErasure #CharacteristicsOfFascism #FascismInTheUSA #USPol #FloridaPol #TrumpIsAFascist #TrumpIsABully
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#MAGA really wants it to be legal to burn a #PrideFlag, while Trump wants jail for #AmericanFlag burners
by Josh Marcus
Tue, August 26, 2025Excerpt: "Trump supporters, as well as the president himself, have been accused of desecrating the American flag in other ways.
"During the January 6 insurrection, Trump supporters replaced an American flag at the U.S. Capitol with a Trump flag, and one protester used Old Glory as a weapon against police officers.
"At the White House, the administration has replaced Hillary Clinton’s first lady portrait with a painting imposing Donald Trump’s face over the American flag.
"On the 2020 campaign trail, meanwhile, Trump replaced the American flag with the police-themed Thin Blue Line flag at rallies."
Read more:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/maga-really-wants-legal-burn-212638395.html#USPol #MAGADeathCult #TrumpIsAFascist #GBLTQIntolerance #CharacteristicsOfFascism
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Don't give #Trump any ideas, #Putti!
#RussianParliament approves a bill punishing online searches for information deemed ‘#extremist’
Updated 6:47 AM EDT, July 25, 2025
MOSCOW (AP) — "The Russian parliament’s upper house on Friday quickly approved a bill that punishes #OnlineSearches for information officially branded 'extremist,' the latest in a series of moves by authorities to tighten control of the internet.
The legislation makes what it describes as 'deliberately searching for and accessing extremist materials' online punishable by a fine of up to the equivalent of $64.
"The bill, which was endorsed by the lower house earlier this week, is now set to be signed into law by President Vladimir #Putin.
The official definition of extremist activity is extremely broad and includes opposition groups like the #AntiCorruptionFoundation, created by the late opposition leader #AlexeiNavalny, and the 'international #LGBT movement.'
"It’s not clear how authorities will track down violators.
"Officials and lawmakers said ordinary internet users won’t be affected and only those who methodically seek outlawed content will be targeted. They didn’t explain how authorities would differentiate between them.
"Russians widely use #VPN services for access to #BannedContent, but authorities have sought to tighten restrictions and close the loopholes. The state communications watchdog has increasingly used technology to analyze traffic and block specific VPN protocols.
"Russian authorities have ramped up their multipronged #crackdown on dissent after sending troops into #Ukraine in February 2022.
"Since then, online #censorship and prosecutions for social media posts and comments have soared.
"Multiple independent news outlets and rights groups have been shut down, labeled as 'foreign agents' or outlawed as 'undesirable.' Hundreds of #activists and critics of the #Kremlin have faced criminal charges."
#SilencingDissent #Russia #RussiaPol #RussiaFirst #SilencingJournalism #Authoritarianism #Fascism #CharacteristicsOfFascism
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#SupremeCourt Lets #Trump Enact His #Authoritarian Agenda on Its ‘#ShadowDocket’
The right-wing-dominated Supreme Court keeps greenlighting Trump’s most authoritarian actions without even bothering to give us an explanation
By Mike Sacks, July 27, 2025
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/xAZk2#USPol #Trump #Authoritarianism #Fascism #NaziRegime #ResistTheRegime #SCOTUS #SCOTUSIsCompromised #ImpeachClarenceThomas #ImpeachBrettKavanaugh #ErikPrince #OligarchCamp #TrumpIsAFascistDictator #CharacteristicsOfFascism
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House education committee threatens to subpoena #BowdoinCollege over #antisemitism records
Senior #GOP officials on the committee allege that the #Maine liberal arts school failed to comply with repeated requests for documentation regarding disciplinary action taken against those involved with a campus #encampment
Read more [paywall?]: https://jewishinsider.com/2025/06/bowdoin-college-antisemitism-house-education-workforce-committee/
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/Kk8Ab#BrunswickME #ProPalestinian #FreePalestine #MaineResists #USPol #TrumpIsEvil #CharacteristicsOfFascism
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#StudentLoans in default to be referred to #DebtCollection, #EducationDepartment says
By ANNIE MA, April 21, 2025
WASHINGTON (AP) — "The Education Department will begin collection next month on student loans that are in default, including the garnishing of wages for potentially millions of borrowers, officials said Monday.
"Currently, roughly 5.3 million borrowers are in default on their federal student loans.
"The Trump administration ’s announcement marks an end to a period of leniency that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. No federal student loans have been referred for collection since March 2020, including those in default. Under President Joe Biden, the Education Department tried multiple times to give broad forgiveness of student loans, only to be stopped by courts.
" 'American taxpayers will no longer be forced to serve as collateral for irresponsible student loan policies,' #EducationSecretary #LindaMcMahon said.
"Beginning May 5, the department will begin involuntary collection through the Treasury Department’s offset program, which withholds government payments — including tax refunds, federal salaries and other benefits — from people with past-due debts to the government. After a 30-day notice, the department also will begin garnishing wages for borrowers in default.
"The decision to send debt to collections drew criticism from advocates, who said borrowers had experienced whiplash and confusion with the changing student loan policies between the Biden and Trump administrations."
Source:
https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-debt-default-collection-fa6498bf519e0d50f2cd80166faef32a#CharacteristicsOfFascism #Education #DumbingUsDown #Debt #LoanForgiveness for #TheRich, but not #Students!
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Marco Rubio's hunt for "#AntiChristian bias" is creeping #theocracy
In a new war on federal workers, State Department employees are told to snitch on people with #Pride flags
By Amanda Marcotte
Published April 15, 2025 6:00AM (EDT)Excerpt: "Unsurprisingly, a deeper read of the cable shows that 'anti-Christian bias' is the cover story propped up to justify Rubio's actual assault on freedom of religion at State. He's giving Christian nationalists at the agency a tool to harass and even Rpurge people who don't share their #FarRight beliefs. The definitions of 'anti-Christian bias' throughout add up to outrage that conservative Christians are expected to treat people who believe differently with fairness and decency.
"For instance, the memo asks for reports of 'mistreatment for opposing displays of flags, banners or other paraphernalia,' specifically during Joe Biden's administration. It doesn't take a doctorate in bureaucratese to interpret this. Rubio is seeking stories where conservative Christians were told to mind their own business after objecting to a colleague putting up a #PrideFlag, a #BlackLivesMatter sign or perhaps a religious knickknack from a #NonChristian faith. This might be more comprehensible if, say, any Christians had being told they couldn't wear a cross or have a picture of Jesus on their desk. Instead, what Rubio is suggesting is that Christians have [the right to] prevent other people from having the freedom to express views and positions they dislike — and that it amounts to 'bias' if they can't control what others do or say. "
Read more:
https://www.salon.com/2025/04/15/marco-rubios-hunt-for-anti-christmas-bias-is-creeping-theocracy/#ChristianNationalism #USPol #ChristoFascism #ChurchAndState #AntiGBLTQ #CharacteristicsOfFascism #HeritageFoundation #Project2025 #ChristianCoalition #MoralityPolice #HumanRightsViolations #GBLTQErasure #TrumpIsPutinsPuppet #TrumpRegime
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Marco Rubio's hunt for "#AntiChristian bias" is creeping #theocracy
In a new war on federal workers, State Department employees are told to snitch on people with #Pride flags
By Amanda Marcotte
Published April 15, 2025 6:00AM (EDT)Excerpt: "Unsurprisingly, a deeper read of the cable shows that 'anti-Christian bias' is the cover story propped up to justify Rubio's actual assault on freedom of religion at State. He's giving Christian nationalists at the agency a tool to harass and even Rpurge people who don't share their #FarRight beliefs. The definitions of 'anti-Christian bias' throughout add up to outrage that conservative Christians are expected to treat people who believe differently with fairness and decency.
"For instance, the memo asks for reports of 'mistreatment for opposing displays of flags, banners or other paraphernalia,' specifically during Joe Biden's administration. It doesn't take a doctorate in bureaucratese to interpret this. Rubio is seeking stories where conservative Christians were told to mind their own business after objecting to a colleague putting up a #PrideFlag, a #BlackLivesMatter sign or perhaps a religious knickknack from a #NonChristian faith. This might be more comprehensible if, say, any Christians had being told they couldn't wear a cross or have a picture of Jesus on their desk. Instead, what Rubio is suggesting is that Christians have [the right to] prevent other people from having the freedom to express views and positions they dislike — and that it amounts to 'bias' if they can't control what others do or say. "
Read more:
https://www.salon.com/2025/04/15/marco-rubios-hunt-for-anti-christmas-bias-is-creeping-theocracy/#ChristianNationalism #USPol #ChristoFascism #ChurchAndState #AntiGBLTQ #CharacteristicsOfFascism #HeritageFoundation #Project2025 #ChristianCoalition #MoralityPolice #HumanRightsViolations #GBLTQErasure #TrumpIsPutinsPuppet #TrumpRegime
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Marco Rubio's hunt for "#AntiChristian bias" is creeping #theocracy
In a new war on federal workers, State Department employees are told to snitch on people with #Pride flags
By Amanda Marcotte
Published April 15, 2025 6:00AM (EDT)Excerpt: "Unsurprisingly, a deeper read of the cable shows that 'anti-Christian bias' is the cover story propped up to justify Rubio's actual assault on freedom of religion at State. He's giving Christian nationalists at the agency a tool to harass and even Rpurge people who don't share their #FarRight beliefs. The definitions of 'anti-Christian bias' throughout add up to outrage that conservative Christians are expected to treat people who believe differently with fairness and decency.
"For instance, the memo asks for reports of 'mistreatment for opposing displays of flags, banners or other paraphernalia,' specifically during Joe Biden's administration. It doesn't take a doctorate in bureaucratese to interpret this. Rubio is seeking stories where conservative Christians were told to mind their own business after objecting to a colleague putting up a #PrideFlag, a #BlackLivesMatter sign or perhaps a religious knickknack from a #NonChristian faith. This might be more comprehensible if, say, any Christians had being told they couldn't wear a cross or have a picture of Jesus on their desk. Instead, what Rubio is suggesting is that Christians have [the right to] prevent other people from having the freedom to express views and positions they dislike — and that it amounts to 'bias' if they can't control what others do or say. "
Read more:
https://www.salon.com/2025/04/15/marco-rubios-hunt-for-anti-christmas-bias-is-creeping-theocracy/#ChristianNationalism #USPol #ChristoFascism #ChurchAndState #AntiGBLTQ #CharacteristicsOfFascism #HeritageFoundation #Project2025 #ChristianCoalition #MoralityPolice #HumanRightsViolations #GBLTQErasure #TrumpIsPutinsPuppet #TrumpRegime
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Marco Rubio's hunt for "#AntiChristian bias" is creeping #theocracy
In a new war on federal workers, State Department employees are told to snitch on people with #Pride flags
By Amanda Marcotte
Published April 15, 2025 6:00AM (EDT)Excerpt: "Unsurprisingly, a deeper read of the cable shows that 'anti-Christian bias' is the cover story propped up to justify Rubio's actual assault on freedom of religion at State. He's giving Christian nationalists at the agency a tool to harass and even Rpurge people who don't share their #FarRight beliefs. The definitions of 'anti-Christian bias' throughout add up to outrage that conservative Christians are expected to treat people who believe differently with fairness and decency.
"For instance, the memo asks for reports of 'mistreatment for opposing displays of flags, banners or other paraphernalia,' specifically during Joe Biden's administration. It doesn't take a doctorate in bureaucratese to interpret this. Rubio is seeking stories where conservative Christians were told to mind their own business after objecting to a colleague putting up a #PrideFlag, a #BlackLivesMatter sign or perhaps a religious knickknack from a #NonChristian faith. This might be more comprehensible if, say, any Christians had being told they couldn't wear a cross or have a picture of Jesus on their desk. Instead, what Rubio is suggesting is that Christians have [the right to] prevent other people from having the freedom to express views and positions they dislike — and that it amounts to 'bias' if they can't control what others do or say. "
Read more:
https://www.salon.com/2025/04/15/marco-rubios-hunt-for-anti-christmas-bias-is-creeping-theocracy/#ChristianNationalism #USPol #ChristoFascism #ChurchAndState #AntiGBLTQ #CharacteristicsOfFascism #HeritageFoundation #Project2025 #ChristianCoalition #MoralityPolice #HumanRightsViolations #GBLTQErasure #TrumpIsPutinsPuppet #TrumpRegime
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Marco Rubio's hunt for "#AntiChristian bias" is creeping #theocracy
In a new war on federal workers, State Department employees are told to snitch on people with #Pride flags
By Amanda Marcotte
Published April 15, 2025 6:00AM (EDT)Excerpt: "Unsurprisingly, a deeper read of the cable shows that 'anti-Christian bias' is the cover story propped up to justify Rubio's actual assault on freedom of religion at State. He's giving Christian nationalists at the agency a tool to harass and even Rpurge people who don't share their #FarRight beliefs. The definitions of 'anti-Christian bias' throughout add up to outrage that conservative Christians are expected to treat people who believe differently with fairness and decency.
"For instance, the memo asks for reports of 'mistreatment for opposing displays of flags, banners or other paraphernalia,' specifically during Joe Biden's administration. It doesn't take a doctorate in bureaucratese to interpret this. Rubio is seeking stories where conservative Christians were told to mind their own business after objecting to a colleague putting up a #PrideFlag, a #BlackLivesMatter sign or perhaps a religious knickknack from a #NonChristian faith. This might be more comprehensible if, say, any Christians had being told they couldn't wear a cross or have a picture of Jesus on their desk. Instead, what Rubio is suggesting is that Christians have [the right to] prevent other people from having the freedom to express views and positions they dislike — and that it amounts to 'bias' if they can't control what others do or say. "
Read more:
https://www.salon.com/2025/04/15/marco-rubios-hunt-for-anti-christmas-bias-is-creeping-theocracy/#ChristianNationalism #USPol #ChristoFascism #ChurchAndState #AntiGBLTQ #CharacteristicsOfFascism #HeritageFoundation #Project2025 #ChristianCoalition #MoralityPolice #HumanRightsViolations #GBLTQErasure #TrumpIsPutinsPuppet #TrumpRegime
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State by State Pending and recently passed #AntiProtestLaws: #WestVirginia - part 1
HB 5091: Heightened penalties for #protesters near #pipelines and other infrastructureIncreases the penalties and broaden offenses that could cover nonviolent protesters near pipelines and other infrastructure. The law amends West Virginia’s 2020 critical infrastructure law to remove the limitation that the law’s offenses could only occur on critical infrastructure property “if completely enclosed by a fence or other physical barrier that is obviously designed to exclude intruders, or if clearly marked with a sign or signs that.. indicate that entry is forbidden.” As a result, many more infrastructure sites are covered by the 2020 law’s trespass and tampering offenses, which carry significant penalties. The law also makes convictions for second and subsequent offenses of either the trespassing or tampering offenses a felony punishable by at least 2 and up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $10,000-$15,000. The law increases the fine for a person who “vandalizes, defaces, or tampers with” equipment in a critical infrastructure facility that causes damage of more than $2,500, from $1,000-$5,000 to $3,000-$10,000. (As introduced, the bill made second convictions punishable by a minimum of 5 years and a fine of $100,000-$250,000, and increased the fine for tampering or vandalizing from $1,000-$5,000 to $25,000-$100,000.)
Full text of bill:
https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_history.cfm?INPUT=5091&year=2024&sessiontype=RSStatus: enacted
Introduced 25 Jan 2024; Approved by House 6 February 2024; Approved by Senate 4 March 2024; Signed by Governor Justice 26 March 2024
Issue(s): Infrastructure, Trespass
HB 4615: New penalties for protests near gas and oil pipelines
Heightens potential penalties for protests near oil and gas pipelines and other infrastructure. Under the law, knowingly trespassing on property containing a critical infrastructure facility is punishable by a year in jail and a $500 fine. Criminal trespass on critical infrastructure property with intent to "vandalize, deface, tamper with equipment, or impede or inhibit operations" of the facility is a felony punishable by up to three years in prison and a $1,000 fine. Actually vandalizing, defacing, or tampering with the facility--regardless of actual damage--is a felony punishable by 5 years in prison and a $2,000 fine. An individual convicted of any of the offenses, and any entity that "compensates, provides consideration to or remunerates" a person for committing the offenses, is also civilly liable for any damage sustained. An organization or person found to have "conspired" to commit any of the offenses--regardless of whether they were committed--is subject to a criminal fine. The law newly defines "critical infrastructure facility" under West Virginia law to include a range of oil, gas, electric, water, telecommunications, and railroad facilities that are fenced off or posted with signs indicating that entry is prohibited.
Full text of bill:
https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_history.cfm?INPUT=4615&year=2020&sessiontype=RSStatus: enacted
Introduced 30 Jan 2020; Approved by House 13 February 2020; Approved by Senate 7 March 2020; Signed by Governor Justice 25 March 2020
Issue(s): Civil Liability, Protest Supporters or Funders, Infrastructure, Trespass
HB 4618: Eliminating #PoliceLiability for deaths while dispersing #riots and unlawful assemblies
Reaffirms West Virginia's problematic law on rioting, and adds the West Virginia Capitol Police to those authorities who cannot be held liable for the deaths and wounding of individuals in the course of dispersing riots and unlawful assemblies. Under prior West Virginia law, the State Police, sheriffs, and mayors had authority to use means such as curfews and warrantless searches to disperse riots and unlawful assemblies; the law reaffirms and extends this authority to the Capitol Police. According to the law, if a bystander is asked to assist in the dispersal and fails to do so, he or she "shall be deemed a rioter." The law also adds Capitol Police to existing provisions eliminating liability if anyone present, "as spectator or otherwise, be killed or wounded," while the authorities used "any means" to disperse riots or unlawful assemblies or arrest those involved. The law was passed during a statewide strike by #WestVirginiaTeachers, thousands of whom protested in February 2018 at the #StateCapitol.
Full text of bill:
https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_history.cfm?INPUT=4618&year=2018&sessiontype=RSStatus: enacted
Introduced 13 Feb 2018; Approved by House 22 February 2018; Approved by Senate 8 March 2018; Signed by Governor Justice 10 March 2018
Issue(s): Police Response, Riot
#FirstAmendment #CriminalizingDissent
#Authoritarianism #Fascism #Clampdown #CriminalizingProtest
#CharacteristicsOfFascism #USPol #AntiProtestLaws #PipelineProtests #TeachersStrike #ACAB -
State by State Pending and Recently Passed #AntiProtestLaws: #Iowa
SF 342: Heightened penalties for protesters convicted of "riot," "unlawful assembly," or blocking traffic, and immunity for #drivers who injure them
Introduces felony penalties for the offense of "riot," previously an aggravated misdemeanor, such that the offense is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and $7,500. Preexisting law defines "riot" as a group of three or more people assembled "in a violent manner," at least one of whom uses any unlawful force or violence against another person or causes property damage. The law also converts "unlawful assembly" from a simple to an aggravated misdemeanor. Preexisting law defines "unlawful assembly" as a group of three or more people, any of whom are acting "in a violent manner," and who intend that any of them will commit an offense. Under the law, it is a serious (rather than simple) misdemeanor, punishable by one year in jail and a $1,875 fine, to "obstruct" a sidewalk, street, or "other public way" with the intent to hinder its use by others. If an individual obstructs a sidewalk or street while "present during an unlawful assembly," it is an aggravated misdemeanor, punishable by 2 years in jail and a $6,250 fine. If an individual obstructs a sidewalk or street while "present during a riot," it is a Class D felony, punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a $7,500 fine. Under the law, a driver who injures someone who is participating in a "protest, demonstration, riot, or unlawful assembly," engaging in "disorderly conduct," and blocking traffic, is immune from civil liability as long as the driver was exercising "due care" and the protester did not have a permit to be in the street. The law would also allow law enforcement who experience a physical or other injury while on duty to pursue civil damages from a person, group, or organization. Finally, the law creates a new felony offense for "defacing" public property, "including a monument or statue." The offense, a Class D felony, is punishable by up to 5 years in prison, a $7,500, and mandatory restitution for any property damage. This law was introduced and passed by the Senate as SF 534, but passed by the House as an amendment to SF 342.
Full text of bill:
https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=89&ba=SF%20342Status: enacted
Introduced 1 Mar 2021; Approved by Senate 10 March 2021, Approved by House 14 April 2021, Signed by Governor 16 June 2021
Issue(s): Civil Liability, Protest Supporters or Funders, Driver Immunity, Riot, Traffic Interference
HF 952: Requiring state permission for protests in the capitol and on capitol grounds
Would require organizers to have a government sponsor in order to hold protests in or near the Iowa capitol. Under the bill, organizers cannot hold “events” in capitol buildings or on capitol grounds unless they have a “recommendation” either from a statewide elected official or by both a member of Iowa’s state senate and its house of representatives. The bill would also prohibit the same person from holding more than six “events” per year in or around the capitol. Neither the bill nor the relevant provisions of Iowa law define “events,” such that they could seemingly include public protests and demonstrations. As such, the bill would effectively give elected officials authority to allow or disallow protests near the capitol.
Full text of bill:
https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=91&ba=HF%20952
Status: pendingIntroduced 12 Mar 2025.
HF 25: Heightened penalties for #MaskedProtesters
Would increase the penalty for any offense if committed by someone wearing a mask or other device that concealed their identity for the purpose of facilitating the offense. The bill provides #exemptions for masks worn in a number of contexts, including holiday costumes, medical masks, and “#hood[s]” or other “disguise[s]” worn by members of “a society, order, or organization while engaged in any parade, ritual” or “ceremony.” As such, for instance, members of the #KluKluxKlan would seemingly be exempt from enhanced penalties for illegally blocking traffic while parading in the street wearing hoods. The bill does not exempt masks worn during public protests, nor does it limit the enhanced penalties to violent crimes. Accordingly, a peaceful protester who committed a nonviolent offense while wearing a mask could face steeper penalties. A masked demonstrator engaged in a vigil who failed to disperse after being ordered to do so by police, for instance, could face up to a year in jail, rather than 30 days.
Full text of bill:
https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=91&ba=hf25Status: pending
Introduced 14 Jan 2025.
Issue(s): #FaceCovering
#FirstAmendment #CriminalizingDissent
#Authoritarianism #Fascism #Clampdown #CriminalizingProtest
#CharacteristicsOfFascism #USPol #AntiProtestLaws #TrafficInterference #MaskBans #HoodsAreOK #HeatherHeyer #UniteTheRight #DrivingDownProtestors #LimitingProtests #RedTape -
Like I said before, #Trump will use ANY excuse to withhold funding. And he has NOT restored #ColumbiaUniversity's funding yet, despite their caving to the #BullyInChief's demands! Today, it's #TransgenderAthletes and #FreePalestine #Protestors. Tomorrow it will be...? The capitulation has to stop NOW!
#Academia Confronts a Watershed Moment at Columbia, and the Right Revels
Threatened with losing $400 million in federal funding, the university agreed to overhaul its protest policies and security practices.
"The end is not clear. Columbia’s moves on Friday — revealed in a letter to the campus from the interim president, Dr. Katrina A. Armstrong — were essentially an opening bid in negotiations with the federal government to let the $400 million flow again. But the Trump administration has not publicly said what other concessions it might seek from Columbia or the dozens of other universities, from Hawaii to Harvard, that it has started to scrutinize since taking power on Jan. 20."
by Troy Closson, Alan Blinder and Katherine Rosman, March 22, 2025
"Many professors saw it as surrender, a reward to the Trump administration’s heavy hand. Conservative critics of academia celebrated it as an overdue, righteous reset by an Ivy League university.
"Columbia University’s concession on Friday to a roster of government demands as it sought to restore about $400 million in federal funding is being widely viewed as a watershed in Washington’s relationships with the nation’s colleges.
"By design, the consequences will be felt immediately on Columbia’s campus, where, for example, some security personnel will soon have arrest powers and an academic department that had drawn conservative scrutiny is expected to face stringent oversight. But they also stand to shape colleges far from Manhattan.
"'Columbia is folding and the other universities will follow suit,' Christopher Rufo, an activist and senior fellow at the #ManhattanInstitute, a conservative think tank, wrote on social media after the university’s announcement on Friday."
[...]
"Many worry that the administration’s pursuit of Columbia was a test drive — a way to gauge public reaction, assess the prospects of legal pushback and develop a precedent. On Wednesday, the administration seemed to bring another test case, saying it would withhold about $175 million from Penn because the university had allowed an openly transgender woman on its women’s swim team in 2022."
Read more:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/22/nyregion/columbia-trump-concessions-watershed.htmlArchived version:
https://archive.ph/xQeLn
#CharacteristicsOfFascism #USPol #HigherEducation #DumbingUsDown -
#Trump demands unprecedented control at #ColumbiaUniversity, alarming scholars and speech groups
By COLLIN BINKLEY and JAKE OFFENHARTZ
Updated 7:52 PM EDT, March 14, 2025NEW YORK (AP) — "The Trump administration brushed aside decades of precedent when it ordered Columbia University to oust the leadership of an academic department, a demand seen as a direct attack on academic freedom and a warning of what’s to come for other colleges facing federal scrutiny.
"Federal officials told the university it must immediately place its #MiddleEasternStudies, #SouthAsianStudies, and #AfricanStudies Department under 'academic receivership for a minimum of five years.' The demand was among several described as conditions for receiving federal funding, including $400 million already pulled over allegations of #antisemitism.
"Across #academia, it was seen as a stunning intrusion.
"'It’s an escalation of a kind that is unheard of,' said Joan Scott, a historian and member of the academic freedom committee of the American Association of University Professors [#AAUP]. 'Even during the #McCarthy period in the United States, this was not done.'"
https://apnews.com/article/columbia-university-mahmoud-khalil-ice-arrests-1921e26f6b5a8585ad5cbda790846324
#CharacteristicsOfFascism #USPol #Censorship #DumbingUsDown #Authoritarianism #SilencingDissent #AcademicFreedom #Fascism -
"The group of 45 colleges facing scrutiny over ties to the PhD Project include major public universities such as Arizona State, Ohio State and Rutgers, along with prestigious private schools like Yale, Cornell, Duke and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology."
https://apnews.com/article/trump-dei-universities-investigated-f89dc9ec2a98897577ed0a6c446fae7b
#CharacteristicsOfFascism #DumbingUsDown #Idiocracy #USPol -
#Trump Officials Are ‘Pretending’ a Judge Didn’t Bar His #AntiDiversity Orders
A judge blocked the administration from forcing organizations to accept anti-diversity contract terms. Trump officials haven’t let them know
By Asawin Suebsaeng, Andrew Perez
March 12, 2025"Last month, a federal judge issued an injunction blocking President Donald Trump’s administration from implementing multiple executive orders designed to purge the government of anything related to diversity — including an order to prohibit contractors and grant recipients from doing literally anything to promote the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion (#DEI) within their organizations.
"Trump’s Justice Department decided the fairly broad injunction only covered certain agencies. This month, certain parts of the administration, including the U.S. State Department, continued attempting to force this provision on contractors and grant recipients, threatening their funding if they failed to sign it, according to three knowledgeable sources in and outside of government. Rolling Stone has also reviewed documentation supporting these accounts.
"After the judge clarified on Monday that his injunction does, indeed, bar the whole federal government from enforcing Trump’s anti-diversity orders, the administration hasn’t bothered to inform various nonprofits and grant recipients they do not currently have to comply with the president’s orders, according to two of the sources. The new contract terms the Trump administration attempted to foist on these organizations and recipients remain on their desks, with the threats about failure to sign still dangling over them.
"'We haven’t even received a generic email about the judicial ruling,' says one senior executive at an international nonprofit and longstanding implementing partner with the U.S. government. ' They are just pretending it didn’t happen, it seems.'
"The episode is part of a broader pattern in which the second Trump administration has operated under the impression that judges’ orders and rulings don’t much matter. Vice President J.D. Vance has publicly argued that Trump can ignore judges’ orders, asserting: 'Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.' Trump, for his part, has threatened to 'look at' judges who rule against Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Over Presidents Day weekend, Trump admitted he thinks he can break any law he wants to — so long as he can loosely define doing so as part of his mission to ' save' the country.'"
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trump-officials-diversity-orders-dei-pretending-1235294937/
#ResistDOGE #Resistance #BadDOGE #Fascism #Authoritarianism #CharacteristicsOfFascism #USPol -
#PortlandME - The American Civil Liberties Union of #Maine says dozens of federal detainees are currently being held at the #CumberlandCountyJail and many others are being held at the #FederalPrison in #BerlinNewHampshire.
"Last week, the #ACLU of New Hampshire said it confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement was already holding prisoners in Berlin. The Los Angeles Times has reported more than 500 detainees could be held at #FCIBerlin.
"As of Monday, March 10, 2025, at ACLU says there were 61 people held in ICE custody at the Cumberland County Jail in Portland."
Read more:
https://www.wmtw.com/article/federal-detainees-held-maine-jail-nh-federal-prison/64148626
#HumanRightsViolations #ICEDetention #IndefiniteDetention #PrivatePrisons #Fascism #CharacteristicsOfFascism #ResistICE #ImmigrantsRights -
#MaineACLU Denounces ‘Cruel’ Use of #NewHampshire #FederalPrison to Hold #ICEDetainees
By Edward TomicMarch 11, 2025
"The #Maine American Civil Liberties Union (#ACLU) has issued a statement denouncing the use of a New Hampshire federal prison by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain suspected illegal aliens.
"Last month, media outlets began reporting on a leaked memo, signed Feb. 6, that indicated ICE was intending to use #FCIBerlin, a medium-security prison in Berlin, N.H., to hold immigration detainees in custody.
"That memo noted that the units at FCI were not currently available due to there being a 'substantial amount of preparation and resources' needed before the prison could accept detainees, such as additional funding for staffing, food, utilities, clothing and other items.
"The memo also indicates that the federal Bureau of Prisons or warden at each locally designated prison may approve or reject a request by ICE to hold an ICE detainee for any reason, such as for lack of space, or medical, mental health, safety or security reasons.
"ICE lodges immigration detainers against unlawfully present noncitizens who have been arrested on criminal charges or who the agency has probable cause to believe are deportable from the U.S.
"'The government should not be using federal prisons to support the president’s #MassDeportation efforts,' said Carol Garvan, legal director of the ACLU of Maine, in a Monday statement.
"'The federal government itself acknowledged that FCI Berlin would require a ‘substantial amount of preparation,’ yet just weeks later they have already begun detaining people there,' Garvan said. 'We have strong concerns about the #inhumane treatment of people in ICE custody, and we will not stand by while our region is used to carry out these cruel policies.'"
https://www.themainewire.com/2025/03/maine-aclu-denounces-cruel-use-of-new-hampshire-federal-prison-to-hold-ice-detainees/
#HumanRightsViolations #ICEDetention #IndefiniteDetention #PrivatePrisons #Fascism #CharacteristicsOfFascism #ResistICE #ImmigrantsRights -
#Florida officials report hundreds of books removed from schools
#Beloved by #ToniMorrison, #NormalPeople by #SallyRooney and #SlaughterhouseFive by #KurtVonnegut, among books pulled
by Coral Murphy Marcos
Tue 12 Nov 2024 23.10 EST"Florida’s department of education has released a list of more than 700 books that were 'removed or discontinued' from schools across the state after changes to a state law last year that allows parents and residents to challenge the content of #LibraryBooks.
"This year’s list, which has doubled in size from last year, includes titles such as Beloved by Toni Morrison, Normal People by Sally Rooney, and Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut.
"The list comes after #HouseBill1069 went into effect last July, requiring school districts to set up a mechanism for parents to object to anything they consider pornographic or inappropriate.
"Since then hundreds of titles have been removed from elementary, middle and high school libraries. In Florida, 33 out of about 70 school districts #BannedBooks.
"American classics such as #BraveNewWorld by #AldousHuxley, #ForWhomTheBellTolls by #ErnestHemingway and The Adventures of #TomSawyer by #MarkTwain are among those that have been pulled. Contemporary novels by bestselling authors such as #MargaretAtwood and #StephenKing have also been removed.
"Members of the #FloridaFreedomToReadProject, a group comprised of public school parents, said the measure has led to an unprecedented rise in #censorship, mostly driven by conservative interest groups, and has limited students’ access to diverse #literature.
“'We believe in a fair, thorough, and public objection process that ensures decisions reflect the needs of each school community - not the broad, district-wide censorship we see today that’s inspired by the vague language in #HB1069 and ‘bad book’ lists like this one,' the group said in a statement.
“'Censorship is happening right here in Florida. Lists like this that include award-winning, #ClassicLiterature and books about #BanningBooks cannot be spun or shoved into a narrative about extremely targeted removals,' they added.
"#PENAmerica found that Florida and #Iowa recorded the highest number of book bans during the 2023-2024 school year, leading in the country with over 4,500 book bans in Florida and over 3,600 in Iowa. These bans have cost districts about $34,000 to $135,000 a year.
"A study on educational censorship in Florida found a 'climate of compliance, fear and stress' that threatens students’ academic performance and the well-being of both teachers and students'."
#BannedBooks #Censorship #FloridaSchools #Education #CharacteristicsOfFascism #ChristoFascism