Prof. Carl LeVan
@democracyprofdc.bsky.social
Professor at American University. Defender of democracy. Lover of decency. Seeker of truth. Author/co-editor of books on Nigeria, constitution-making, and the American national security state. Editorial boards: Governance, Journal of Modern African Studies
So you have (1) a president polling 35% or less across four polls (2) an unpopular war of choice against Iran that has (a) alienated allies (b) spread (c) driven up the price of oil, and (3) 3 million people losing health insurance this year. But the DNC can't figure out how to raise money?
Politico@politico.com · 2d agoKen Martin seeks outside help to boost DNC fundraising
This September will mark 25 years since 9/11 and the inauguration of the “war on terror.” On Sept 9 & 10, join @knightcolumbia.org and the Li Center at @columbiajournalism.bsky.social for a major symposium about the war on terror’s legacy for democratic freedom. 1/ knightcolumbia.org/events/the-f...
The Forever War and the First Amendment
knightcolumbia.org
Today, 25 states led by Oregon (which also led state litigation against previous Trump tariffs) filed lawsuit challenging Trump's massive new Section 301 tariffs. This is 3rd case against Section 301 tariffs. See my discussion here for more: reason.com/volokh/2026/...
Twenty-five States, Led by Oregon, File Lawsuit Challenging Trump's Section 301 Tariffs
NA Today, twenty-five largely Democratic-controlled state governments filed a lawsuit challenging Donald Trump's massive new Section 301 tariffs. The complaint,…
reason.com
In Michigan? Check this guy out on Tuesday night
You've got it right: as the State Dept reorganizes itself to emphasize regional bureaus over thematic ones, such as Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, the govt is also reducing the primary (highly successful) mechanism for training area studies experts africanstudies.org/advocacy/asa...
ASA Opposes ED’s Proposed Rescission of International Education Program Regulations
Public Comment Posted July 30, 2026 African Studies Association Opposes ED’s Proposed Rescission of International Education Program RegulationsThe African Studies Association (ASA) strongly opposes th...
africanstudies.org
Amica Center for #Immigrant Rights: ICE after "people who entered the country lawfully and then overstayed, many of them because they feared persecution. Some of them have pending asylum applications, many of them seem to have work permits, and now they’re being targeted for arrest.” wapo.st/4fDQluN
ICE is expanding its arrests at airports to new targets, lawyers say
The agency has been apprehending travelers who entered the country legally but overstayed their visas, as ICE and the TSA appear to increase information sharing.
wapo.st
(thanks Beth Whitaker for discovering this beauty) "US government map of Africa mislabels every country at global conference" Reuters share.google/tPJqKA2wc9ts...
US government map of Africa mislabels every country at global conference
A U.S. government map of Africa mislabeled every country during a State Department presentation at a global conference taking place in Brazil this week, causing a stir among attendees who took screen...
share.google
On this thoughtful @csis.org podcast, senior level reflections from WHO and others about the lack US engagement in the Congo #Ebola outbreak. youtube.com/playlist?lis... Read with my essay on medical #populism, when scientists defended science as epistemic solidarity doi.org/10.1080/0258...
Into Africa
YouTube video by Center for Strategic & International Studies
youtube.com
Saudi Arabia's entry into US-Iran war will likely lead to US using Saudi bases for attacks, and its population may see it as an unwanted alignment with Israel. As 25th anniversary of 9/11 nears, worth recalling goals of Saudis involved with al Qaeda: end US aid to Israel, US troops out of holy lands
Njoki was influential in the debt relief movement (and told me she lamented Bono's uncoordinated intervention). She was an educator on Capitol Hill when I worked there, and got me interested in African political economy. I fondly remember visiting her in Nairobi in 2011 too. Rest in Power.
Democracy Now!@democracynow.org · 2w agoPan-African feminist educator and advocate Njoki Njehû was a committed Kenyan grassroots organizer activist whose work criticized the neoliberal financial policies of the World Bank and the IMF.
Yesterday, the Trump administration released a report titled ‘Science: A New Golden Age.’ “The potential outcome is a loss of knowledge and expertise and the destruction of opportunities for that expertise to benefit the public good,” said UCS’s Jennifer Jones. Read her statement:
New Trump Administration Report Sets the Stage for Further Political Interference in Science
Trump Administration’s New Science Plan Threatens Independent Research and Scientific Integrity
ucs.org
That so disrespects Gordie Howe
The Hill@thehill.com · 2w agoA planned joint ceremony on Friday between the U.S. and Canada marking the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge has been canceled after President Trump announced a 50 percent tariff on certain Canadian imports, including alcohol and dairy.
One of the under-reported and under-researched features of the Trump admin is a chief of staff who does not have control over who sees the president, the information that lands on his desk, or his public messaging. www.worldpoliticsreview.com/trump-whispe...
The Art of ‘Trump Whispering’
From obsequious praise to rounds of golf, world leaders have found various ways to work with Trump and influence U.S. foreign policy.
worldpoliticsreview.com
More than 60 courts – including judges appointed by Trump himself – have already reviewed and REJECTED his false claims about the 2020 election. Any suggestion to the contrary is a desperate attempt to cast doubt on future elections.
A great update to K. David Harrison's fantastic book ""How Languages Die" which I taught nearly 20 years ago. And, as reviewer Ron Charles points out, perfect timing with Trump's silly emphasis on English ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_N...
Perfect timing...a few days after the National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine released a new report on climate change. www.nationalacademies.org/read/28590
We are joining more than 130 groups in calling on Congress to hold ICE and the Department of Homeland Security accountable. Read the coalition letter: 🔗 civilrights.org/resource/ice...
If the head of US intelligence isn't able to say who won the election in 2020, then maybe he shouldn't be head of US intelligence.
If more Dems had been willing to hold Israel to the same standards of other US recipients of aid and taxpayer funded military hardware, this moment might be less dramatic -- and Israel's behavior over the decades might have been different.
Politico@politico.com · 3w agoBREAKING: Nearly half of House Democrats voted to cut off aid to Israel, a moment of reckoning as the party confronts years of voter outrage over the war in Gaza.
Very thoughtful exploration of theology and the hermeneutics of "good trouble." Though after 65 minutes I did expect a nod to Gandhi or Thoreau, much as MLK did in many of his speeches. Thank you @chq1874.bsky.social for a great Hall of Philosophy program
Also, since they say it is our own fault, the people: you need to take into consideration the drivers of spending policies being UNDEMOCRATICALLY enacted, like costly wars without Confessional authorization, giving no bid costly contracts, etc.
Prof. Carl LeVan@democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 3w agoAnalysis of debt/GDP ratio being offered also needs to take into consideration what the deficit spending entails: is it borrowed money for a $4 trillion dollar war (Iraq) or a war in #Iran, or is it investment in education, research, energy?
In discussing inflation, and how Americans overestimate the actual level, also need to a) look at massive increases in price of meat and other food items, b) mention #tariffs as a driver, and c) discuss Trump admin firing the economists who collect data on inflation
Prof. Carl LeVan@democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 3w agoRe: James Pethokoukis + Ben Harris at @chq1874.bsky.social - stunning to see persistence of mischaracterization of "far left" as "anti-trade." Same trope used on Capitol Hill during NAFTA. This doesn't acknowledge progress of fair #trade: labor + environment now pretty typical in trade agreements
Re: James Pethokoukis + Ben Harris at @chq1874.bsky.social - stunning to see persistence of mischaracterization of "far left" as "anti-trade." Same trope used on Capitol Hill during NAFTA. This doesn't acknowledge progress of fair #trade: labor + environment now pretty typical in trade agreements
Haven't read this yet. But I heard it - and this was very compelling and presented with delicate and rare expertise for de-polarization
Brookings Institution@brookings.edu · 3w agoHere is her related research, if interested: www.brookings.edu/articles/ice...
A neighbor and immigrant advocates identified the man as Joan Sebastian Guerrero, a 26-year-old father from Colombia. The Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition said Guerrero was authorized to work in the US. He is dead at the hands of ICE agents. www.pressherald.com/2026/07/13/b...
Biddeford witness saw gunshot victim bleeding from head
One resident who saw the shooting said he heard the man who died say 'I tried to stop.'
pressherald.com
"Resistance requires risk-taking and strategy, and the best way to nurture noncooperation is to join a group of people who share values and organize together." @juliaangwin.com & @fieldsmeyer.com. Join us tomorrow as we organize together to protect science & democracy: act.ucsusa.org/4yeoiuA
