Month: January 2025

Republicans are reducing the power of the NC governor who is a Democrat

The North Carolina General Assembly’s GOP supermajority just approved a hugely corrupt power grab, seizing authority from the governor and the courts to prevent any meaningful check on legislative abuses. Authoritarian stuff. A very dark day for democracy in NC. amp.newsobserver.com/news/politic…

— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjsdc.bsky.social) 2024-12-02T22:41:39.722Z

Cooper and Stein filed this new motion in an ongoing lawsuit challenging SB 749, a similar law that gave the governor's power to appoint state election board members to the North Carolina Legislature. A state court struck down SB 749 in March for violating the NC Constitution.

— Democracy Docket (@democracydocket.com) 2025-01-03T17:15:43.676Z

Republicans refuse to accept a loss in North Carolina

Elections are only fair if they win.

Republican candidate Jefferson Griffin trails Democratic incumbent Allison Riggs in their race for a seat on the state Supreme Court, but Griffin says that very tribunal should handle his effort to invalidate more than 60,000 ballots. http://www.wunc.org/politics/202…

— WUNC News (@wunc.org) 2025-01-06T21:14:18.708Z

NEW: North Carolina Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin (R) filed new legal complaints late last month to challenge 60,000 ballots. All of Griffin's challenges have been moved to federal court where litigation is ongoing.

— Democracy Docket (@democracydocket.com) 2025-01-02T20:40:16.043Z

Everyone should know about what's happening in North Carolina. Republicans are using Trump's playbook to try to overturn an election. I wrote about it last week:

— Judd Legum (@juddlegum.bsky.social) 2024-12-08T16:56:53.385Z

BREAKING: The North Carolina Democratic Party sues to stop tens of thousands of ballot challenges initiated by the state GOP, saying that the challenges violate federal law. NC Republicans are contesting the validity of over 60,000 ballots cast in November.

— Democracy Docket (@democracydocket.com) 2024-12-06T22:47:34.169Z

#BREAKING: The North Carolina Supreme Court blocks certification of the Supreme Court election, will hear Jefferson Griffin's protest later this month. #ncpol #Election2024

— Bryan Anderson (@bryanranderson.bsky.social) 2025-01-07T17:07:56.005Z

BlueSky posts about the bad Roberts Supreme Court

People are asking how to hold John Roberts accountable for making Trump immune. What needs to happen is every time Trump does something that is likely a crime–like getting kickbacks paid to his personal account–there needs to be someone (like @whitehouse.senate.gov) blaming Roberts.

— emptywheel (@emptywheel.bsky.social) 2025-01-06T20:48:08.829Z

On Chief Justice Roberts’ 2024 Year-End Report.. this is superb:open.substack.com/pub/sherrily…

— Jen Rubin (@jenrubin.bsky.social) 2025-01-02T20:38:28.889Z

It’s all but certain that by 2029 Trump will have appointed 5 Supreme Court justices, and nontrivially likely that he will have appointed 7.

— Jacob T. Levy (@jacobtlevy.bsky.social) 2024-12-25T18:14:32.576Z

Findings from the Senate Judiciary Committee's probe into the Supreme Court's 'ethical crisis':• Scalia accepted lavish gifts from billionaires and others with business before the Court for over a decade, in violation of federal law, including 258 personal trips, dozens of which weren't disclosed.

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1.bsky.social) 2024-12-22T19:51:54.140Z

More ACA BlueSky posts

The black line is how much a 64-yr old couple earning $90K/yr has to pay per month for the benchmark #ACA policy in 2025.The blue bars are how much they'd have to pay in 2026 if the IRA subsidies are allowed to expire.I'm only halfway through the states.

— Charles Gaba ✡️ (@charlesgaba.com) 2024-12-31T03:26:50.081Z

This is the simplest way I've found to explain how net #ACA premiums will be impacted if the IRA subsidies are allowed to expire a year from tomorrow.

— Charles Gaba ✡️ (@charlesgaba.com) 2024-12-31T03:58:14.268Z

Visiting my wife’s family in Oklahoma & the top two stories in the conservative paper are about how Trump will likely make cars more expensive so people are buying now & how ACA repeal would hurt entrepreneurs

— Matt Browner Hamlin (@mattbh.com) 2024-12-24T18:04:31.323Z

HUGE: Nearly 24 million Americans have already enrolled in ACA coverage for 2025 — including 3.2 million new consumers!Thanks to President Biden's expanded outreach and streamlined enrollment, sign-ups are double what they were under the last administration. 💪www.cnn.com/2025/01/08/b…

— Building Back Together (@buildingback-us.bsky.social) 2025-01-08T15:26:13.190Z

The continued decline of the Washington Post described on BlueSky

After Bezos squashed the Post’s endorsement of Harris, Post writers pleaded with us online to keep our subscriptions to the Post because they pay for a lot of good writers. It’s a good argument and I kept mine. Now, some Post writers are leaving. I may change my mind since they have changed their view of the Post. Bezos is doing to the Post what Musk did to Twitter.

The other takeaway from what's happening at WaPo is that there are at least 300,000 Americans out there who were paying ~$100 a year or more for a media outlet to hold the powerful accountable. That's a huge, documented audience with enough money to support a new media outlet.

— James Downie (@jamescdownie.bsky.social) 2025-01-06T20:47:13.723Z

Everyone knows the Washingon Post is in turmoil, bleeding subscribers, journalists, reader respect. But if the boss is asking how to attract Trump supporters that means self-respect is eroding too. For me, at least, that's a step further than I thought we were at. http://www.semafor.com/newsletter/0…

— Jay Rosen (@jayrosen.bsky.social) 2025-01-06T15:09:59.660Z

Scoop: Layoffs are slated to hit The Washington Post this week, I'm told. Dozens are expected to be impacted. Details here: http://www.status.news/p/washington…

— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy.bsky.social) 2025-01-06T03:17:32.122Z

Replacing this entire crop of reporters is going to be like trying to regrow a mature forest with saplings. The current generation signed up for jobs in accountability journalism, which no longer seems to be Post management’s focus — if that remains true, anyone who can will leave.

— Amanda Katz (@katzish.bsky.social) 2025-01-06T02:25:18.365Z

The problems at WaPo are twofold.First, new publisher Will Lewis is in an untenable position. His first major act as publisher was to mislead (lie?) to the public about the process of the Kamala Harris editorial getting spiked.

— Jonathan V. Last (@jvl.bsky.social) 2025-01-06T00:58:03.848Z

From my story: 300,000 people canceled digital subscriptions to Wash Post between Oct 24, when NPR revealed Bezos’s decision to kill a planned endorsement of VP Harris, and Election Night

— David Folkenflik (@davidfolkenflik.bsky.social) 2025-01-04T20:01:13.866Z

I could continue to list hundreds of names of great reporters and editors who remain at the Washington Post, and who like me have every intention of staying to see what's around the next corner.

— Sally Jenkins (@sallyjenx.bsky.social) 2025-01-07T18:37:55.024Z

The Washington Post laid off most of their PR team as part of today’s cuts. Comms chief Kathy Baird said in an email to her team that the Post will “stop the dedicated practice of publicity for our journalism across broadcast and traditional media outlets."

— Charlotte Klein (@charlottetklein.bsky.social) 2025-01-07T20:08:19.800Z

Michael Pierce’s big-man interception

355 pound Ravens defensive lineman had an interception yesterday! It was great.

History was made last night. #Ravens DT, Michael Pierce listed at 6’0” 355 lbs, became the player with the highest BMI (48.1) in NFL history to record an interception. The record stood for 27 years (Barron Tanner 6’3”, 360 lbs in 1997). #NFL

— Jaydpauley (@jaydpauley.bsky.social) 2025-01-05T13:39:14.347Z

Ravens DT Michael Pierce didn't want to become a meme after game-sealing interception.www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootb…

— ProFootballTalk (@profootballtalk.bsky.social) 2025-01-05T14:14:34.142Z

Ravens offense set team and individual NFL records in the 2024 season

The 2024 Ravens have had one of the all-time great offensive seasons (and one record for the defense)

  • The first team with 4,000 yards passing and 3,000 yards rushing
  • Derrick Henry is the first player with 1,500 yards rushing in three separate seasons
  • Lamar Jackson is the first player with 4,000 yards passing and 900 yards rushing
  • The first team with 40 passing touchdowns and 20 rushing touchdowns
  • Jackson’s passer rating of 119.6 is the fourth highest in NFL history
  • Roquan Smith (age 27) is the youngest NFL player to hit 1,000 tackles
  • Derrick Henry is the first player with multiple seasons of 1,900 or more yards rushing
  • Derrick Henry had the best rushing season by a player 30 or older
  • Lamar Jackson had the best TD/interception ratio ever 41/4
  • NFL record yards per rush (can’t find the number yet)
  • Jackson has 4 games with a perfect 158.3 passer rating
  • Jackson and Henry set the record for most combined rushing yards by a QB and RB
  • Michael Pierce has the highest BMI (48.1) of any player who has an interception
  • The Ravens had the highest yards-per-carry (5.8) in NFL history
  • The Ravens are the first team since 1970 to outrush every opponent
  • The Ravens are the only team to have both a top 10 offense and top 10 defense in both seasons

HISTORY FOR LAMAR 🚨Lamar Jackson becomes the first player in NFL history to surpass 4,000 passing yards and 800 rushing yards in a single season 🔥www.nytimes.com/athletic/liv…

— The Athletic (@theathletic.bsky.social) 2025-01-04T22:37:40.568Z

Best Season-Long Passer Rating with 800+ Rushing Yards:121.6 Lamar Jackson (2024)113.3 Lamar Jackson (2019)102.7 Lamar Jackson (2023)102.4 Robert Griffin III (2012)101.2 Jayden Daniel’s (2024)

— The Sport Numbers (@thesportnumbers.bsky.social) 2025-01-04T16:13:11.432Z

His rating was lower after yesterday’s game

Lamar Jackson finishes 2024 as NFL leader in both yards per pass and yards per run.www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootb…

— ProFootballTalk (@profootballtalk.bsky.social) 2025-01-06T17:44:25.242Z

Lamar Jackson has 4 career games with a perfect passer rating (158.3), the most by any player all-time.He broke a tie with Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Kurt Warner, and Ben Roethlisberger who each had 3.

— twoodcc (@twoodcc.bsky.social) 2024-11-03T20:42:43.554Z

Jackson, Henry, and Kittle Have All-Time DYAR Seasons in 2024

The Washington Post squashed a cartoon showing billionaires sucking up to Trump

One of them was the Post’s owner Jeff Bezos. The cartoonist resigned. A Post editor claimed it was not censorship but about too much similar content. That’s bullshit. I am appalled by how mainstream media and billionaires have caved int o Trump.

Washington Post cartoonist resigns over paper’s refusal to publish cartoon critical of Jeff Bezos

— The Guardian (@theguardian.com) 2025-01-04T15:25:09Z

This is highly disconcerting. WaPo editors killed an editorial cartoon that mocked Bezos and other tech oligarchs. Will the Post respond to this? Democracy dies with accommodation. anntelnaes.substack.com/p/why-im-qui…

— David Corn (@davidcorn.bsky.social) 2025-01-04T09:09:26.997Z

“Four years ago, dozens of companies denounced the invasion of the U.S. Capitol and pledged to withhold support from those who disputed the 2020 election results. Now, many of those companies are lining up to fund Donald Trump’s inauguration.”From the @wsj.com http://www.wsj.com/business/tru…

— Katie Phang (@katiephang.bsky.social) 2025-01-05T16:29:15.749Z

anntelnaes.substack.com/p/with-grati…

— Ann Telnaes (@anntelnaes.bsky.social) 2025-01-06T18:08:02.232Z

Don't you dare call the Kowtowers kowtowers!(in solidarity with the Washington Post 's former cartoonist Ann Telnaes who wouldn't kowtow)

— Matt Wuerker (@mwuerker.bsky.social) 2025-01-06T22:44:13.385Z

Two graphs from social media showing the benefits of the Affordable Care Act

The Duke’s Mayo mascot was Flavor Flav

Head coach PJ Fleck got an honorary mayo bath after Minnesota won the Duke's Mayo Bowl 🔥Who was pouring the mayonnaise? None other than the game's mascot, Flavor Flav.

— The Athletic (@theathletic.bsky.social) 2025-01-04T04:36:03.401Z

The Duke’s Mayo Bowl reminded us why it’s the granddaddy of funky bowls, culminating in Flavor Flav (who had been in the costume all game) dumping mayo on PJ Fleck

— RedditCFB (@redditcfb.com) 2025-01-04T15:24:16.398Z