Secular Jen 🫘

Trump says white South Africans are persecuted; some are returning to a better life — Reuters Andrew Veitch left South Africa after being held up at gunpoint in his car. But now he feels there are greater threats in the United States, ​he said, citing mass shootings in public places as well as...

South African immigrants to the US are returning to South Africa because the US does not feel safe, citing school shooters and ICE raids. apple.news/A9pQEUbPrT_W...

JUST IN: Four demonstrators who still face conspiracy charges tied to ICE protests in Broadview seek records relating to "any improper influence exerted upon the U.S. Attorney's office."

The motion includes a pic of President Trump's image on the front entryway of the Justice Department:

And as a fun related legal fact, the failure of a commander to punish war crimes by his subordinates is also a war crime under the doctrine of command responsibility.

Published by the Naval War College in 2021:

digital-commons.usnwc.edu/ils/vol97/is...

(1) The accused declared, ordered, or otherwise indicated that there shall be no survivors or surrender accepted; (2) The accused thereby intended to threaten an adversary or to conduct hostilities such that there would be no survivors or surrender accepted; (3) It was foreseeable that circumstances would be such that a practicable and reasonable ability to accept surrender would exist; (4) The accused was in a position of effective command or control over the subordinate forces to which the declaration or order was directed; and (5) The conduct took place in the context of and was associated with hostilities.

✋ Former USG war crimes lawyer here.

Apropos of SecDef's remarks this morning:

Denial of quarter—even the declaration of no quarter—is a war crime.

And recognized as such by the US Government.

From DoD's Manual for Military Commissions.

Mississippi Matters YouTube video by Scott Colom

Finally able to bring the Mississippi Matters show to BlueSky!

Jeeeeeeeeeeez 😡

BBC news is SO much better reporting on international conflicts than most of what I have seen.

The Downballot's special elections Big Board for the 2025-26 cycle

We're delighted to see people pay so much attention to special elections and legislative elections these days! Tracking these races is one of our favorite things to do.

It's also a lot of work! We'd be really grateful if folks citing that figure of 28 R→D flips would link back to our tracker:

Well, that's one way to throw his many offenses against women and girls in our faces.

The General Assembly approved the first-of-its-kind legislation. The bill says that school instruction must "Not describe, portray, or present as credible a description or portrayal of the actions precipitating or involved in the events of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection as peaceful protest."

What did Iran's new supreme leader say in his first address? | BBC Newscast YouTube video by BBC News

"...Mojtaba Khamenei, gave his first statement pledging to continue blocking the Strait of Hormuz.

...delivered not by Khamenei himself, but by a newsreader on Iranian state TV speaking over a photo of him, sparking further speculation as to his health and whereabouts."

youtu.be/3XWAVy--r9k?...

Good news: A Colorado public charter school has agreed to stop teaching creationism alongside evolution in science classes.

Read more ➡️ ffrf.us/3NlLAMq

Since 1994, immigrants have paid more in taxes than they receive in benefits every year.

Do not believe the lies you hear about immigrants.

They are good for society and the economy.

At least it gave you attribution. And it was good advice.

Two whole minutes! 👍

Santa Fe is a Democratic city in a Dem county in a state that hasn't voted for a Republican for president in 20+ years.

Weird that city officials are making it hard to protest a fascist Republican president with 60% disapproval who is waging illegal war to distract from his sex trafficking scandal

curious to see whether lying incessantly, massively and delusionally about a horrific war for no reason that is going catastrophically will incur more of a political cost for Trump and his court than lying incessantly, massively and delusionally about everything else for the past decade has

AI Used to Promote Non-Existent Evacuation Flights From the Middle East - bellingcat A Dutch newspaper published a story about private evacuation flights from Dubai, but the photo shows signs of AI generation and the flights appear never to have existed.

De Telegraaf, the Netherlands’ largest newspaper, recently published an interview with a woman promoting €1,600 seats on private evacuation flights from Dubai. Bellingcat found that her image was likely AI-generated, and flight data suggests no such plane took off. www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/03...

Let's hear about Medicare for all! Insurance companies have proven that they will do anything to maximize their profits at the expense of policy holder health. Time to stop spending taxpayer dollars to increase their bottom lines.

In Case of Emergency: The Dubious Legality of Trump Allies' Draft EO Conservative activists say that declaring a national emergency would allow Trump to assert sweeping authority over elections. They're wrong.

NEW: Right-wing activists are circulating a draft executive order that purports to give Trump sweeping power over federal elections.

@mollyroberts.bsky.social and I got new details on the activists, lawyers, and conspiracy theorists behind the proposed order:

www.lawfaremedia.org/article/in-c...

Not enough people are talking about how Kristi Noem and Trump have undermined FEMA.

@neguse.house.gov and I have a bill to fix it.

The U.S. Built a Blueprint to Avoid Civilian War Casualties. Trump Officials Scrapped It. The Pentagon dismantled its civilian protection mission as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made “lethality” a top priorit

Trump has gutted health care and food assistance while funneling billions into a war machine that he’s empowered to kill civilians abroad with no accountability.

The cruelty never ends.

https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-defense-department-iran-hegseth-civilian-casualties

Playing Politics With National Security Is a Dangerous Game The Trump administration has gravely undermined counterterrorism work while also starting a war of aggression in the Middle East.

Days before Trump ordered U.S. Central Command to initiate Operation Epic Fury, FBI Director Kash Patel reportedly fired a dozen agents, analysts, and staff tasked with monitoring threats from Iran.

What a coincidence

This is what happens when you let boys get too much education. They're too emotional and aggressive. Keep them using their strength and muscles in the trades.

Headline from The New York Times: "U.S. at Fault in Strike on School in Iran, Preliminary Inquiry Says" Below is a picture of the school after the bombing and text from the article.

A strike on an Iranian school killed 175 people, mostly children. Trump tried to blame it on Iran, but a preliminary inquiry shows that it was the US. Our tax dollars are killing children.

We need answers and accountability for this atrocity, and an immediate stop to this war.

They are correct to be scared.

Jackie Kashian said it so right in her new special -- We've been watching and dreading the same knife attacker come toward us for the last 10 years, not able to do anything. I think many of us are out of adrenaline from being angry and scared for so long.

Democrats ask Pentagon about Iran school strike and role of AI In a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, more than 120 Democratic lawmakers ask whether the Pentagon will investigate the strike as a possible war crime.

More than 120 Democratic members of Congress are asking the Pentagon for detailed information about how the U.S. military is limiting civilian casualties in Iran and what role AI is playing in choosing targets.

Starting NOW: "Diplomatic Malpractice: The Trump Administration’s Failure To Protect and Evacuate U.S. Embassies and Citizens in the Middle East." Watch live online ⤵️
https://www.youtube.com/live/d85C_vhGH-0