Posts by Matt Bernius

Matt Bernius
About Matt Bernius
Matt Bernius is a design researcher working to create more equitable government systems and experiences. Matt's most recent work has been in the civic tech space, working as a researcher and design strategist at Code for America and Measures for Justice. Prior to that he worked at Effective, a UX agency, and also taught at the Rochester Institute of Technology and Cornell. Matt has an MA from the University of Chicago.

Fox New Host: Involunatarily Execute Mentally Ill Homeless People

Yes it was said. No the context doesn’t make it better.

The free high-resolution photo of wood, play, monument, statue, product, sad, sculpture, art, thinker, bronze, carving, patience, holzfigur, consider, bronze sculpture, question mark, at a loss , taken with an unknown camera 02/07 2017 The picture taken with The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. You may download, modify, distribute, and use them royalty free for anything you like, even in commercial applications. Attribution is not required. The free high-resolution photo of wood, play, monument, statue, product, sad, sculpture, art, thinker, bronze, carving, patience, holzfigur, consider, bronze sculpture, question mark, at a loss , taken with an unknown camera 02/07 2017 The picture taken with The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. You may download, modify, distribute, and use them royalty free for anything you like, even in commercial applications. Attribution is not required.

On Ezra Klein, MLK, And Polite Politics

On politics, guns, and people killing people

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Messy Reflections On The Assassination Of A Political Opponent

To be fully human requires living with and in sometimes unresolvable contradictions

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hosts a teleconference with NFL players Aaron Jones and Elijah Higgins during their visit to the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing in Kuwait from the Pentagon, April 2, 2025. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hosts a teleconference with NFL players Aaron Jones and Elijah Higgins during their visit to the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing in Kuwait from the Pentagon, April 2, 2025.

Reports Suggest Pentagon Shifting Focus To Domestic Defense

Another day, another step closer towards military policing in the US.

[LLM image generated by President Trump's staff or a supporter and shared by President on Truth Social reading "Apocalypse Now" and President Trump in the role of antagonist Bill Kilgore] [LLM image generated by President Trump's staff or a supporter and shared by President on Truth Social reading "Apocalypse Now" and President Trump in the role of antagonist Bill Kilgore]

[Updated] A Trump Meme Says All The Quiet Parts Out Loud

A meme that is as muddled and authoritarian as the President who posted it

Site Maintenance Site Maintenance

Site Maintenance Update: Why We Can’t Have Nice Things

Whoever you are, please stop trying to register clearly fake accounts.

Site Update: Email Edition

A fix if you haven’t been getting comment updates.

Right Wing Media On Iran In 2025 Sounds A Lot Like It Did On Iraq In 2002/3

We’re officially past rhyming and into history (or at least rhetoric) repeating.

Trump And Miller At Functional Odds On Immigration Policy [Updated: Or maybe not]

The challenges and harms of meeting campaign promises.

Sec Def Peter Hegseth Jokes About Afghanistan Allies

Spoiler alert: the joke wasn’t funny

Some Random Tweets And Thoughts On The LA Protests

There’s always a tweet

Caching in

Help us help you help us.

Updated Update About Site Updates

The place to report bugs and post “test” comments

What Many On The Left Get Wrong When They Talk About Due Process

In particular in the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case

Senator Murkowski: “We Are All Afraid”

A chilling admission from a leader in the President’s OWN party

Trump Administration Cancels Food Shipments That Help US Food Banks And Farmers

They are also considering another US Farmer Bailout while simultaneously cutting funds to help US Farmers and other residents

What Will Be The Impact Of The Pause That Wasn’t?

Be prepared for a rocky day and potentially more changes to “the plan”

[Updating] President Trump Kinda Pauses(?) Implementation of Non-China Tariffs

Or they maybe happening at 10%… Who knows?! Clearly not the White House.

Fox And Friends Has Fallen!

Things have to be bad when they actually start to speak the truth to the President

Different Forms of Trump Apologist Copium

Remember Trump cannot fail, he can only be failed!

X/itter Truth Bomb Of The Day

This one should come with a warning label (especially as it cuts both ways)

Strong Jobs Report For March*

* – but the tariffs didn’t start until April 2

photo of working, person, military, construction, cutting, team, helmet, build, labor, job, workers, laborer, task, construction worker, sledge hammer photo of working, person, military, construction, cutting, team, helmet, build, labor, job, workers, laborer, task, construction worker, sledge hammer

The Problem With “What About The Workers?!”

A response to an argument based on feels not facts

X/itter Reacts To The Tariffs

It’s like tab clearing, but for those with no attention spa… squirrel!

Some Tariff Related Content

Spoiler alert: This is going to be a disaster

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Quick OTB Site Update: Don’t Mind The Dust

Infrastructure week is continuing

X/eet Of The Day

Who’d of thought that Donald Trump would do what he campaigned on doing?!

Vance + Musk: Self-Proclaimed Racist DOGE Employees Should Be Rehired

Remember kids, DEI is the REAL racism

A Few Thoughts On Block Grants, USAid, Conservatism, and Coalition Building

This could be a issue for common ground… if both sides are prepared to give a little

What We Know So Far About The OPM “Buy Out”

Is it even a traditional “Buy Out” and is it already in conflict with OPM statutes?

A Few Thoughts On Resistance And Pardons

Today’s an appropriate on to think about the role of suffering in change

Biden Pardons Fauci, Milley, And Others

Going out on another unforced error

Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself: Carter Funeral Edition

Pro-tip: Googling BEFORE posting a Hot Take can save a lot of embarrasment

Congress To Release Gaetz Report

Gaetz’s own party hates him almost as much as the Democrats hate him

A Bit Of Wheat Among The Chaff

Trump’s Deputy AG nominee is an promising choice

Meritocracy, Mediocrity, & DEI: SECDEF* Edition

There is no such thing as “the perfect candidate.”

President-Elect Trump Pushing For Recess Appointments

In which I agree with Trump about the problem, but NOT the solution

Advice From Popehat

Definitely not advice from the pope

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Whose Predictions Were Wrong?

Like Guy Fawkes, I got burnt!

A Guy Fawkes mask is placed atop the grave of Samuel Adams for a photograph. More at The Schumin Web: www.schuminweb.com/life-and-times/boston-megaraid-part-1/ Ben Schumin is a professional photographer who captures the intricacies of daily life. This image may be used under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0. A Guy Fawkes mask is placed atop the grave of Samuel Adams for a photograph. More at The Schumin Web: www.schuminweb.com/life-and-times/boston-megaraid-part-1/ Ben Schumin is a professional photographer who captures the intricacies of daily life. This image may be used under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0.

9ish Guy Fawkes Day & Beyond Predictions [Updated]

Remember, remember the fifth of November…

Trump Advisors Promise A Recession (And Worse) If He Wins

Elon is on record warning Trump supporters to be prepared for “temporary hardship”

The free high-resolution photo of desk, black and white, technology, white, money, market, blue, business, black, monochrome, chart, statistic, monitor, bw, bank, display, graph, stock, digital, currency, dollar, trade, information, sell, economy, server, financial, management, data, finance, cost, analysis, profit, investment, exchange, ticker, rate, accounting, funds, earning, trading, forex, personal computer, monochrome photography, index, electronic device, personal computer hardware, electronic instrument, foreign exchange , taken with an unknown camera 03/17 2017 The picture taken with The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. You may download, modify, distribute, and use them royalty free for anything you like, even in commercial applications. Attribution is not required. The free high-resolution photo of desk, black and white, technology, white, money, market, blue, business, black, monochrome, chart, statistic, monitor, bw, bank, display, graph, stock, digital, currency, dollar, trade, information, sell, economy, server, financial, management, data, finance, cost, analysis, profit, investment, exchange, ticker, rate, accounting, funds, earning, trading, forex, personal computer, monochrome photography, index, electronic device, personal computer hardware, electronic instrument, foreign exchange , taken with an unknown camera 03/17 2017 The picture taken with The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. You may download, modify, distribute, and use them royalty free for anything you like, even in commercial applications. Attribution is not required.

Companies Go On Record About Future Tariff-Related Price Increases

Trump’s core policies will drive inflation