Lara Jirmanus, MD, MPH
@larazjmd.bsky.social
Physician, Community organizer, Social medicine practitioner. Parent. Lebanese-Palestinian @harvardmed. Opinions my own. Still 😷 #NotATarget #NoOneIsIllegal
The richest man owns X. The second and fourth richest men control Google. The third richest man owns The Washington Post. The fifth richest man owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. And now the sixth richest could soon take over both Paramount and Warner Bros. See the problem here?
“Harvard fires us for teaching about Palestine.” Great @bostonglobe.com piece about our standout demanding an end to pervasive anti-Arab, anti-Muslim bias at @harvard.edu Silence kills. Repression enables gen0c1de
The State Department is actively instructing consular officers NOT to tell applicants they're banned, even as those applicants pay fees and attend interviews.
A December 2025 proclamation alone blocks 1 in 5 legal immigrants from entering the US. It covers major origin countries including Cuba, Venezuela, Nigeria, Haiti, and Iran, with no end date and no refunds for fees already paid.
Three separate policies (signed by Trump, Secretary Rubio, and USCIS head Edlow) now bar citizens of 92 countries from receiving immigrant visas. That covers roughly half of all legal immigrants entering the US from abroad.
The US government collected over $1 billion in immigration fees then refused to process the applications. No denials. No refunds. Just silence. This is the largest fee fraud in the history of the American immigration system. Here's what's happening. 🧵
Yep. Since November, hundreds of thousands of people have had their applications simply put on total pause; no movement whatsoever. Even though they paid thousands of dollars to the government to adjudicate their cases.
Austin Kocher, PhD@austinkocher.com · 5mo agoThe US government collected over $1 billion in immigration fees then refused to process the applications. No denials. No refunds. Just silence. This is the largest fee fraud in the history of the American immigration system. Here's what's happening. 🧵
Israel bombed an apartment complex in Lebanon today, killing a 3-year-old girl as Israeli officials reaffirmed their plan to steal land in southern Lebanon. Israel cannot continue killing kids and stealing land from other countries. It must be stopped.
Israel kills three in Beirut as it intensifies attacks across Lebanon
Israel steps up attacks across Lebanon as more than one million people are displaced due to the conflict.
aljazeera.com
The Israeli government has displaced a total of 6 million people from their homes. (3 million Iran, 2 million Gaza, 1 million Lebanon). 6 million people. The equivalent of the entire population of Maryland displaced from their homes. By one government.
Nobody should attack ambulances. Israel has directly attacked at least 30 ambulances in Lebanon. Israel has attacked 36 ambulances in Iran. In the past month alone.
The only two-state solution Israel supports is a second Israel in Lebanon.
digby@digby56.bsky.social · 5mo agoSo Israel is now Gaza-ing Lebanon. Oy vey.
What Israel is doing in Lebanon is SICKENING. It’s reminiscent of the Nakba but on a wider scale. Lebanon isn’t getting news coverage just like Gaza at the beginning of the genocide. 🇮🇱 must be stopped before this turns into another Gaza situation! They’ve called for the annexation of South 🇱🇧
Pay attention to Lebanon. Trump and Netanyahu started a regional war in the Middle East, creating a humanitarian disaster. And now, the Israeli army has killed over 1,000 people in Lebanon—about 20% of them are kids. Congress should not bankroll this escalating war of choice.
It’s not about what this country can or can’t afford. It’s about priorities.
1 day and 3 different Democratic caucuses! Thank you Woburn, Natick and Lexington for the support and consideration. It was a treat to see so many people eager to take back our country. Special shout out to Woburn where my family also laid some roots and where I learned how to wrestle ✌🏽💛
This facility was opened by Obama. I say that not to downplay what’s happening now but to emphasize that family detention was horrific from the moment it began.
Catherine Rampell@crampell.bsky.social · 5mo agoA 13-year-old girl tried to take her life by cutting her wrists with a plastic knife from the cafeteria after guards took away drawing materials, and was put into isolation without seeing a doctor. The teen was deported to Colombia after nearly two months in confinement
The WSJ manufacturing consent for Trump’s war and pre-excusing what most consider to be war crimes. www.wsj.com/livecoverage...
Still figuring out what’s next. But I will say: To any candidate who wants help setting up a new style of campaign, who needs advice on integrating mutual aid in their operations, who has questions about any weird, fun, unconventional part of our race, I would love to talk. Let me know.
Lieu: "Undocumented immigrants want nothing to do with the govt! To vote, you have to first register. How many undocumented immigrants are gonna go, 'Yes, I'm gonna give all my information to the govt that's maybe trying to deport me. No way!' This is a problem that doesn't exist."
Exactly It’s all so painfully transparent and stupid. The SAVE ACT is voter suppression, period.
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 5mo agoLieu: "Undocumented immigrants want nothing to do with the govt! To vote, you have to first register. How many undocumented immigrants are gonna go, 'Yes, I'm gonna give all my information to the govt that's maybe trying to deport me. No way!' This is a problem that doesn't exist."
Rahma Zein exposes daily life for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank apartheid. Israeli soldiers MURDERED a Palestinian family, STRIPPED the surviving children, and punched a 12-year-old boy in the face when he asked why they killed his parents.
Today, I asked a State Department official if it’s in our national security interests to allow U.S. weapons to be used against civilians. The silence I got in response was deafening, and only broken when Republicans on the committee interrupted my line of questioning.
PROF. PAPE: "I’ve studied every air campaign since World War 1. I’ve modeled the bombing of Iran for 20 years. Air power alone has NEVER toppled a government… it only brings in more aggressive replacements.”
Great day to testify to stop law enforcement collaboration with #ICE and demand #ICEout of hospital, schools, places of worship and other sensitive locations! Call MA state reps and tell them to support the PROTECT Act H.5158 malegislature.gov/Bills/194/HD... Details on how to support below!
I'm challenging Congresswoman Clark because she put Israel before her constituents. She took over $1M from AIPAC, continues to fund Israel's war machine including $3B this year and is a genocide-enabler in Gaza. That's not leadership for peace - that's complicity. We deserve better.
Katherine Clark@whipkclark.bsky.social · 5mo agoNo new wars. Lower costs on day one. Safer communities. Trump campaigned on these promises to the American people. He lied.
