Disability Rights & Stephen Miller

Aaron amplified reporting that Stephen Miller was the driving force behind a DOJ memo enabling states to institutionalize people with disabilities rather than fund community-based care. A reposted comment framed this as "performative cruelty," noting that community-based care is both what disabled Americans prefer and generally cheaper. The Bloomberg Law story is here.

Voting & Elections

Aaron reshared a Democracy Docket alert about Postmaster General Steiner's announcement that the Postal Service will not deliver mail ballots or state voter rolls, a development that drew a terse "Fun!" from the original poster. That story is here.

Immigration & Civil Liberties

Aaron reposted an exclusive report from CT Insider on ICE conducting an arrest inside a Connecticut state court in apparent defiance of newly established procedures the agency claims it doesn't have to follow. That piece is here. He also amplified the story of anti-fascist activists in the Prairieland case receiving sentences of up to 50 years under terrorism charges — including defendants never accused of planning the demonstration or committing violence — with Josh Marshall's commentary that framing the protest as a conspiracy produced what amounted to de facto life sentences for uninvolved people. The Talking Points Memo coverage is here.

Supreme Court & Criminal Justice

Aaron shared a Balls & Strikes recap of a Supreme Court decision in Landor, in which the Court held that prison guards — as opposed to the prison itself — did not consent to be sued under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, effectively shielding guards who forcibly shaved a Rastafarian prisoner's dreadlocks from liability. That summary is here.

Democratic Party & Left Politics

Several reposts touched on intra-left tensions and the future of the Democratic Party. Aaron amplified Atrios's sardonic observation about establishment Democrats urging progressives to run in primaries rather than as third-party candidates, then turning on them when they do. He also reposted a piece from Liberal Currents calling for a Democratic Party willing to prosecute Trump administration lawbreaking, expand the Supreme Court, and rebuild institutions — contrasting that vision with what the author called the party's "dull and uninspired caretakers." A repost about the concept of "reactionary centrism" — distinguished from ordinary moderation by its adoption of far-right cultural framings — reflected similar themes.

Zaid Mamdani & Antisemitism

Aaron reposted commentary comparing New York mayoral candidate Zaid Mamdani's outreach to Jewish voters with Representative Thomas Massie's embrace of antisemitic constituencies, arguing that Mamdani faces disproportionate accusations of antisemitism despite his demonstrated efforts to distance himself from it. The original observation is here.

Housing & Local Politics

Aaron briefly celebrated New York DSA's electoral sweep coinciding with the passage of the Road to Housing Act through Congress without what the poster called "poison pills," describing it as a good day for the "left-YIMBY" coalition.

Global Populism & Social Media

Aaron reposted a note connecting Australia's and Japan's recent shifts toward the populist right to social media dynamics, with the author suggesting the pattern across countries that were previously seen as outliers points to platform influence rather than country-specific factors. He also shared a Guardian piece on declining support for multiculturalism in Australia. That article is here.

Lighter Notes

Aaron reposted a WBUR profile of Laurence Louie, chef at Rubato HK Café and Top Chef contestant, whose Cantonese and Hong Kong-style cuisine drove his run on the show.