Too bad they are colorblind (and corruptionblind).

I like the Alan Thicke-Shatner mashup. At least they kept it all Canadian.

Title page of our paper, “The Politics of Black Classification: Sociopolitical Cues and Racial Perception,” with Lauren Davenport (Stanford) and Hunter Rendleman (UC Berkeley), dated April 14, 2026. Abstract: What makes someone Black in American society today? From Donald Trump questioning Kamala Harris’s racial identity to Joe Biden’s claim that hesitant Black voters “ain’t Black,” American politics frequently brings questions of racial authenticity and belonging to the surface. Yet political science often approaches race as a fixed attribute rather than a social construction. Here, we seek to understand how Americans define blackness in social and political life. Using a conjoint experiment with a racially diverse sample that includes Black, white, and mixed race Black-white respondents, we evaluate how ascribed and acquired traits influence perceptions of blackness. The results show that inherited characteristics—particularly parentage and skin tone, which are the strongest determinants of racial classification—play a central role, while sociopolitical cues such as partisanship, neighborhood context, and spousal race also influence racial classification. Using a continuous measure, we also show that respondents make graded assessments of blackness rather than purely binary classifications, with some individuals perceived as more Black than others. Black respondents are more likely than white respondents to classify a broader set of profiles as Black, consistent with a more inclusive understanding of racial membership, yet they also place greater emphasis on shared political identity. These findings clarify how racial categories are socially constructed and why that construction carries real political and social consequences.

Our paper, “The Politics of Black Classification: Sociopolitical Cues and Racial Perception” (w/ Lauren Davenport & @hrendleman.bsky.social), has been conditionally accepted at Perspectives on Politics!

Sharing abstract below. Long time coming, but we are really proud of this paper.

More soon!

I've been in training full time for the past 12 years.
I need one of these grants to start my academic career.
The current administration could support my research for the next millennium with a small fraction of what they have stolen from the American people.

I hate when people feel like they gotta get American names. If they can say Roethlisberger, they can say Adebayo.

Mayor Mamdani, wife Rama Duwaji to skip 2026 Met Gala, sources say New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his wife Rama Duwaji will not attend this year's Met Gala, sources said.

Mayor Mamdani will not attend the Met Gala, this year being sponsored by Jeff Bezos and his wife. An individual ticket for the event costs $75,000. He says he wants to keep the focus on "“affordability & making the most expensive city in the United States affordable.”
www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news...

The careful viewer notes the deliberate exit via the (clearly marked) entrance, just to demonstrate how rules do not apply here.

Always committed to chaos, even when arising from a nap.

Big companies wouldn’t have their billions without us. We’re doing the work, we deserve pay we can live on. Simple as that.

Chris Rabb in the Democratic primary for Pa. 3rd Congressional District | Endorsement At a moment when the nation’s fundamental values are under attack in Washington, the pugnacious Rabb is the kind of leader voters in the 3rd District need.

Link: www.inquirer.com/opinion/edit...

TODAY: Folks in Texas are protesting the Dilley ICE detention center, demanding the Trump administration shut it down.

Signs read: NO KIDS IN CAGES.

a shoulders-up headshot of an ancient chinese crested. his body is mostly hairless, with thin wisps of white. but the fur of his face and ears is forming an enormous heart shape from having been blown out by a fan. he’s rocking the salt-and-pepper look of an ambitious Helena Bonham Carter role, with more black along his neck and a bold gray streak atop his noggin and along the edges of his ears. his left eye is one big cloudy blue cataract.

This is Ricky. He was a runner-up in a pet photographer's "My Fabulous Weirdo" competition. Unfortunately when you are this fabulous, it can be very hard for the weird to shine through. 14/10 #SeniorPupSaturday (IG: portraitsofdogs)

Iris Long, Scientific Mentor to AIDS Activists, Dies at 92

"She tutored the activists on immunology and virology and schooled them in the intricacies of the Food and Drug Administration’s approval process and pharmaceutical research protocols."

[Gift article]

www.nytimes.com/2026/04/17/h...

The FBI Director Is MIA Kash Patel has alarmed colleagues with episodes of excessive drinking and unexplained absences.

And here’s a gift link to the remarkable story about the FBI Director from @theatlantic.com.

www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

I really don't like this 25A medicalization talk. "Fail a mental fitness test"? That frames this as if it's some unproven possibility of a particular mental illness, which is totally irrelevant. I don't care what boxes he checks in the DSM-5. That he's unfit for office is not a medical diagnosis.

Moreover, there is no such thing as a single "mental fitness test" that tells you if somebody should be removed from public office, because that's not a question for doctors. It's not their job. It's a question for our elected representatives, they're the only ones who can make that decision.

Takano has the power to initiate the process for Trump's removal! If you really truly believe he should be, the answer is impeachment. It's not the 25th Amendment. Pretending it's up to Vance and the Cabinet is a complete dodge. The body that matters here is the one Takano has a vote in, not RFK.

I'm sure - it will feel so good to see it in print (and good work needs to be out in the world!)

Glacial. But good on you for not dropping this project, even after so long.

Burgundy graphic with quote "“The time stolen from me by the U.S. government belongs not just to me, but to the children and youth I have dedicated my life to advocating for. With them in mind, I am choosing to return home as planned to continue my career as a woman scholar without losing more time to the state-imposed violence and hostility I have experienced in the United States – all for nothing more than co-signing an op-ed advocating for Palestinian rights.” The quote is attributed to Dr. Rümeysa Öztürk, Scholar unlawfully detained by the Trump administration for her speech, on her decision to return home to Türkiye. Below the quote is a photo of Dr. Öztürk in graduation garb, standing in front of a book shelf.

Dr. Rümeysa Öztürk has returned to Türkiye after completing her Ph.D. program in child study and human development.

Last year, her life was disrupted when ICE targeted her unlawfully with detention and deportation in retaliation for an op-ed she co-wrote in support of Palestinian human rights.

You are most likely the protester you are looking for, if you can't find them.

Virginia governor, advocates remember Dr. Cerina Fairfax Dr. Cerina Fairfax is remembered as a mentor and community leader as officials call attention to the broader impact of domestic gun violence toward Black women.

Dr. Cerina Fairfax is remembered as a mentor and community leader as officials call attention to the broader impact of domestic gun violence toward Black women

Trump to Nominate Doctor Who Has Publicly Supported Vaccines as C.D.C. Director

dr. schwartz is the first african american woman to be nominated or appointed to lead the nation's public health agency.

I feel like neither of you has internalized the valuable lessons of the 1984 classic "Gremlins".

All that fur doesn't grow itself

New York Times finally reports on concerns that Trump is ‘clearly insane’ | Press Watch That’s a big deal. But now what? It’s more than a one-day story.

Two cheers for @peterbakernyt.bsky.social and the @nytimes.com. I’ll give them a third if this recognition of Trump’s mental imbalance is reflected in their coverage going forward. presswatchers.org/2026/04/new-...

This Philly spot has the best free restaurant bread in America, according to the Atlantic

In her recent article, Caity Weaver chronicles her journey to identify the the best free restaurant bread in America. She lands on one loaf in Philadelphia.

So. Good.

Also can be said about the free bread at the Dandelion, another Starr joint.

Would like to like this more than once. Top notch.