Heather Franklin
@heatherfranklin.bsky.social
she/her | Sr. Campaign Director at @freepress.bsky.social | Opinions here are mine | Begrudgingly on the social internet
April 2024, a Pomona College student after her school had her arrested for protesting for Gaza and BDS: “We stand unwavering in our demands, and we know that the things that have historically toppled apartheid states is pressure from institutions.” www.teenvogue.com/story/studen...
Prem Thakker ツ@premthakker.bsky.social · 3w agoBREAKING: A majority of Democrats in the House have just voted to cut the $3.3 billion/year in U.S. military aid to Israel. Rep. Thomas Massie – the leader of the amendment – was the only Republican in support.
I know this is very "old man yells at cloud" of me, but I got a new, more ergonomic, computer mouse and just found out I may have to *download an app* to change the pointer speed on this thing. What happened to buttons that allow you to toggle through more than two speed options??
www.nytimes.com/2026/07/12/b... It’s amazing what a group of committed passionate people can do. For all you who signed onto the letters, film makers and journalists, and kept pushing, speaking to the AGs and sharing your stories…Thank you. They said it was inevitable, it’s not. #blockthemerger
States Prepare Lawsuit to Block Paramount’s Merger With Warner Bros.
State attorneys general are said to be getting ready to file a lawsuit as soon as this week to halt the $111 billion deal, a potential major obstacle.
nytimes.com
counterpoint: the dead should make it harder for me to speak ill of them
really think that if democrats hold any chamber of congress next year that a condition of passing a budget is the removal of russ vought, who has a genuinely tyrannical vision of presidential power and is a focal point of the lawlessness of the trump administration
Phil Rocco@philiprocco.bsky.social · 4w agoI don’t think people really understand how bad the OMB proposed rule is going to be for state and local govt. We’re talking about putting a full third of state budgets under the explicit control of Russ Vought. (1/2) www.bondbuyer.com/news/cities-...
These absurd, offensive, fictitious claims that Paramount merger opponents are antisemitic are insulting smears. That's the story here. Many of us fighting this deal are Jewish. Shame on Makan Delrahim for starting this lie and ex-FTC Chair Jon Leibowitz (now on Paramount's payroll) for joining in.
Paramount alleges that antisemitism is part of WBD merger opposition
DOJ signed off on the deal last week, but states still may sue.
axios.com
take down the goddamn letters and let us have ONE THING today
calling women who take allegations of domestic violence seriously “HR ladies” is a way to diminish the power we have worked so hard to gain and make women feel annoying for caring. i hope women in this category know it is never annoying to care.
Real good bit about the slippery slope of genAI use. A battle we're already fighting, especially against the C-suite.
Doctora Malka Older@older.bsky.social · 2mo ago"“I’m here to tell you the mission of your generation is to destroy AI,” said Chieng." news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...
So excited for what Akilah, Dan, and team have in store for us in season 2. If you aren't already subscribed, I beg you to get your life together. Season 1 of Rebel Spirit is the best podcast that's ever been in my ears, and season 2 is off to an amazing start. Congrats y'all!
Akilah Hughes@akilahhughes.com · 3mo agoSeason 2 of Rebel Spirit, my award-winning podcast (with @dansinker.com and iHeart Podcasts) about the lost cause of the south and the reconfederatization of the US today starts now. Go listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts 🩵🩶
And the tech companies wonder why people hate them so much.
“…the forces that stand today against …political representation for Black people won’t stop there…They seek a one party political system ruled by authoritarians. The political oppression of Black people is not the end. It is the conduit.”
Sherrilyn Ifill@sifill.bsky.social · 3mo agoWhite Supremacy Is an Antidemocracy Movement open.substack.com/pub/sherrily...
They’re like emergency responders who put on their siren and rush to the scene whenever Black people are trying to get representation
Marc Elias@marcelias.bsky.social · 3mo ago🚨BREAKING: The U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) has allowed Alabama to select a different map for this year’s congressional elections in a stunning, last-minute move to interfere with another state primary election that has already begun. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
If companies don't stop pushing their useless and annoying AI integrations, I'm going back to pen, paper, and regular phone calls. Either that or I'm headed back to the woods to live off the land with my hard copy media. Can you tell I was off last week?
One year ago, this administration walked away from a bipartisan commitment to help connect every American, regardless of income, zip code, or language. You can't lead in AI with a workforce locked out of the digital economy. It is time to restore Digital Equity Act funding now.
Public Knowledge@publicknowledge.bsky.social · 3mo agoThe Trump administration's anti-civil rights agenda has landed the Digital Equity Act in its crosshairs — but the fight isn't over yet. Read the latest from Broadband Policy Director @alisavalentin.bsky.social: publicknowledge.org/inequity-is-...
WHEN THE GAME JUST KICKS OFF AND YOU'RE SO FULL OF SAUCE THAT'S CANTOOOOREEEEEEE
NWSL@nwslsoccer.com · 3mo agoSOFIA CANTORE ONLY NEEDED 2 MINS 🇮🇹⚡️
The Voting Rights Act is essentially dead and it’s quite possible that we will, like when a similar SCOTUS gutted civil rights at the fall of Reconstruction, see a disappearance of much of the Black congressional representation, especially in the most heavily Black states, which are in the South.
To my knowledge an FCC commissioner has never been impeached by Congress. I know the list of administration officials in need of impeaching is long, but Brendan Carr should be added to it. It's important to remember that Carr used to be FCC General Counsel. He knows what he's doing.
Free Press@freepress.bsky.social · 3mo agoFCC Chairman Brendan Carr issued an order to initiate early license reviews of all of ABC’s broadcast station licenses. This extraordinary move follows calls by President Donald Trump and his wife Melania for the broadcaster to fire Jimmy Kimmel. Free Press statement:
The Paramount-Warner Bros merger is an awful, terrible, no good deal for consumers, for workers & for democracy. Our media ecosystem is crumbling all around us. The last thing we need is more corporate consolidation that puts censorship power in the hands of authoritarian overlords. (1/2)
Incredible stuff. Call your members and tell them to vote NO: 202-225-5341
jenna ruddock@ruddock.bsky.social · 4mo agoas Congress wrangles over extending vs. reforming controversial government surveillance powers under FISA Section 702, Trump has logged on to say the quiet part out loud: a clean extension of Section 702 would enable ongoing violations of our rights
Yeah so he is just going to keep doing the thing where we are in a constant state of uncertainty, confusion, stress, and tension because that is what abusive people do and the people who are in a position to address this are asleep at the switch.
If you think this is exhausting, imagine being Iranian.