Matt Martin

They're doing Cuba next.

Pete Hegseth C*ckblocks Anthropic And OpenAI collects its winnings.

"Let’s not bury the lede here: The DoD wants to use AI for fully autonomous lethal systems and mass surveillance of American citizens. Anthropic said 'no,' and now the US government is retaliating by trying to destroy it." — @lizdye.bsky.social

Steve King 9 @SteveKinglA + Follow Wilders understands that culture and demographics are our destiny. We can't restore our civilization with somebody else's babies. ESTERN ILIZATION Voice of Europe @V_of_Europe Hundreds of Islamists shouting "Allahu Akbar" in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Wilders is right for over 10 years. #turkijerel RETWEETS LIKES 516 688 10:40 AM - 12 Mar 2017 from lowa, USA

I'm teaching about early 20th century eugenics today and was reminded that 9 years ago Republican Representative Steve King was stripped of his committee assignments by his GOP colleagues for this post that simply states what is now bog standard GOP policy/rhetoric on immigration and "civilization."

Immigration Law in 2026: Fighting the Cruelty Machine

Thanks to @aywarhiannon.bsky.social & @fleerultra.bsky.social rultra.bsky.social for having me on @fivefourpod.bsky.social to talk about the practical hope of knowing where in immigration law we can win, where we are winning, & how we will win

open.spotify.com/episode/3zWN...

How I see it is AI will exacerbate bad and underdeveloped theory and conclusions, especially of marginalized groups. You can’t AI your way into understanding and properly researching Black politics, for example. What you can do is come up with harebrained ideas and potentially harmful conclusions.

Working on syllabi for my first semester as a professor. One lesson I want students to take away: it is better to come to class with one well-developed idea after skimming an article than a surface-level AI summary. The former pushes the discussion forward, the latter adds next to nothing.

One of my favourite sides of politics/media.

This is a bombshell: "the Pentagon wanted the company to allow for the collection and analysis of unclassified, commercial bulk data on Americans, such as geolocation and web browsing data"

This kind of agenda echoes the defunded Total Information Awareness effort, post-9/11

Sen. Ossoff Statement on Iran Atlanta, Ga. - U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff today released the following statement. "Eight months ago, Donald Trump lied to the country when he claimed U.S. air strikes had 'obliterated' Iran's nuclear program. "Now Trump says he's taken America to war for regime change in Iran. "Trump has launched this regime change war and put American forces at risk without presenting evidence of an imminent threat, without clear objectives, without having exhausted diplomacy, without a plan for the aftermath, and without the consent of Congress. "I oppose yet another regime change war-of-choice in the Middle East. Congress must convene immediately and pass a War Powers Resolution to assert our Constitutional authority over war and peace. "The President has presented no evidence that Iran or its nuclear program — which he falsely claimed to have 'obliterated' — pose an imminent threat to the United States, or that diplomacy was exhausted. Iran's support for terrorism and uranium enrichment have long destabilized the region. But sending American forces into harm's way should only ever be a last resort. "I pray for the safety of U.S. forces who have been ordered into battle and commend their extraordinary professionalism."

Ossoff’s statement is 1000x stronger than Schumer-Jeffries. This is a moderate Jewish Senator from a Trump state. The split isn’t moderate vs progressive, but leading vs poll-reacting

shockingly people are capable of simultaneously,

1. Hating their government

2. Hating the people who bomb and sanction their country, making regular life impossible and murdering members of their family, even more

If America still had the rule of law, this would be the easiest prosecution ever, but we all know absolutely nothing will happen.

Crowd shot of protesters filling Times Square outside the U.S. military recruitment center.

Protester holds a hand-made sign that reads, "Bombing kids, genocide do not equal 'Self-Defense'"

Protester holds hand-lettered sign that reads, "U.S. out of Iran! U.S. out of Korea! U.S. out of everywhere!"

Protesters wearing keffiyeh next to an Iranian flag

Stop the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran!
Rally and march in Times Square, NYC
Feb. 28, 2026

The "libertarian" labor reform is about to become law in Argentina, likely in the next few hours. It erases almost 100 years of concessions gained through struggle-- 12 hour workday, payments can be made in food, grave limitations on strikes & collective bargaining.

Chuck Schumer: ‘The American People Deserve A President Who Can More Credibly Justify War With Iran’ WASHINGTON—In a pointed critique of President Trump’s foreign policy leadership, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer stated to members of the press Thursday that “the American people deserve a presid...

From The Archives:

Donald Trump in 2012:

The entire Democratic strategy debate — "moderate" or move left? fight or compromise? — is based on a misreading of data. Voters don't think Dems are too progressive; they think Dems are weak. The actual math on what to do about this isn't even close!
New: www.gelliottmorris.com/p/new-poll-d...

Seized Art, Eavesdropping Guards: Parents Describe a Clampdown at Dilley Detention Center as Kids Shared Their Stories Detainees told ProPublica that art supplies have been removed in room searches, immigrants have lost access to Gmail and staff hover within earshot during video calls.

NEW: Guards have taken away crayons, colored pencils & paper during recent room searches at Dilley, according to detainees and others. After one inspection, the children just “cried and cried and cried,” a mother said. The facility denies the claims.

By @mckenziefunk.com @micarosenberg.bsky.social

Kansas Sends Letters To Trans People Demanding The Immediate Surrender Of Drivers Licenses "The legislature did not include a grace period."

It seems all Kansas-issued trans drivers' licenses are invalid, effective tomorrow

It is now illegal for trans people to drive a car until they surrender their license at a DMV (that most will need to drive to) and have it reissued with the wrong gender marker

This was never about woman's sports

“The sergeant of arms told me it is because I was standing up. Silently. No buttons, no facial expressions, no gestures, no signs. Not one sound … There are only two things you can do at the State of the Union, and they are sit down and stand up! All kinds of people were standing up all night.”

New paper accepted at Comparative Politics! "From Citizen Input to Elite Legitimation" comes from my fieldwork interviews with constitution-makers in Chile and Cuba. You can read the most recent draft here 🔗 mattjmartin.com/research/wor...

BREAKING

Former ICE agent:

On my first day training new cadets, I received secretive orders to teach them to violate the Constitution by entering homes without a judicial warrant.

This reflects other findings (www.nature.com/articles/s43...) suggesting Western cultures are now post-peak on climate change coverage/discussion.

Concerning to see, but also, newspaper coverage is in particular elite driven. Level of attention is decided.

This is happening in cities all over the country through direct gifts, police foundations, or nonprofits—rich people are forcing an agenda of mass surveillance and elected officials never say no to “free money”

City Council, we demand half a percent of the overall city budget for libraries! In response to the NYC FY2026 Budget, adopted this June, the Brooklyn Public Library, the New York Public Library, and the Queens Public Library released a joint statement thanking City Leaders for in...

Please email your city councilmember and tell them to fight for library funding increase and stabilization. This only takes 30 seconds! actionnetwork.org/letters/city...

I see a lot of people interpreting this post as "they are all the same," but what I want to convey is that socialist electeds have the opportunity to choose the frame when they fall short. Choosing when to use language like "efficiencies and waste" is part of proving why you are different.

With New Momentum, Republican States Push Broader Limits for Trans Americans In states that once focused mainly on health care and sports for transgender minors, debates now revolve around the validity of transgender identity.

The subheadline on this NYT piece is going to turn me into the Joker.

Like... this... is exactly what trans people have been saying was going to happen for years.

Private Line Cover art by io (https://www.instagram.com/io.artist/)

New song by me 📞 Cover art by my fav (@io.artist on IG) soundcloud.com/meridiem-bea...

still remember the "it's too early/hyperbolic/irresponsible to compare these guys to Nazi Germany" Reasonable Posters - whom, I imagine, are waiting for the renovations to be completed before they update their priors

UT System votes to limit 'controversial topics' in class, raising concerns about academic freedom This is the latest move by the state to have more control over what is taught at public universities.

And, here we go. No surprises but big disappointments every day: www.kut.org/education/20...