thomasabt.bsky.social - Profile | ThreadSky | a Reddit-style client for Bluesky

A message for Jeff Bezos: my colleague @ilyasomin.bsky.social on why supporters of free markets and personal freedoms should fear and oppose Trumpism (and thanks for including me in list of Cato people working hard to defend constitutional liberties).

submitted 3 days ago • 9 comments

I remember the wonderful days when such displays of unity were led by the United States, not aimed at it.

submitted 3 days ago • 107 comments

The VRC is committed to saving lives using: Scientific Rigor: Evidence- and data-informed strategies. Real-World Relevance: Practical, real-world expertise on implementation. Independence: We are non-partisan with no financial conflicts. Want to learn more, visit our website vrc.umd.edu

submitted 4 days ago • 0 comments

"Warning to Big Law: those who fail to stand up while they can for the rule of law may rue its erosion and regret their silence." www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

submitted 3 days ago • 0 comments

Congratulations to SaveLivesNow! for becoming a "What's Right with the Region" honoree! It's an important recognition of the work to date and the work to come. We at @vrcinfo.bsky.social are proud to work alongside you! focus-stl.org/2025/02/26/2...

submitted 5 days ago • 0 comments

Did you know that the VRC partners with cities to reduce homicides and shootings? Current partners include Boston, Knoxville, Memphis, and the St. Louis region. Learn more about our work: vrc.umd.edu/practice

submitted 6 days ago • 0 comments

Another smart, nuanced piece from my colleagues Thad and Natasha Johnson, this time on facial recognition technology. With the right guardrails, FRT can save lives without endangering our liberties. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

submitted 7 days ago • 0 comments

"[I]t’s time for the American people, across the political spectrum, to recognize what is happening. America has a rogue president and a rogue administration, and we need to acknowledge that and respond." www.nytimes.com/2025/02/24/o...

submitted 7 days ago • 0 comments

“Everyone, cops and communities alike, has an interest in keeping officers with histories of misconduct from rejoining the profession. Nonpartisan public safety reforms like these should be placed above politics and maintained across administrations.” www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...

submitted 11 days ago • 0 comments

“Everyone, cops and communities alike, has an interest in keeping officers with histories of misconduct from rejoining the profession. Nonpartisan public safety reforms like these should be placed above politics and maintained across administrations.” www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...

submitted 11 days ago • 0 comments

The root that tears apart your foundation begins as a seed of distrust, hate, and blame. The seed that grew into a dictatorship in Europe didn’t arrive overnight. It started with everyday Germans mad about inflation and looking for someone to blame.

submitted 12 days ago • 835 comments

Trump - with his devotion to Putin, abandonment of Ukraine, and lies about history- is the antithesis of everything Ronald Reagan stood for. He is aligning America with the enemies of the very freedom that generations have fought and died to defend.

submitted 12 days ago • 308 comments

Very excited about the work to come in Memphis. The city is poised for success. More to come soon!

submitted 12 days ago • 0 comments

Was proud to sign on to this important letter. "Prosecutors [must] exercise their tremendous power fairly, without regard to partisan politics, and in furtherance of the rule of law."

submitted 13 days ago • 0 comments

"Modern societies, as Americans are soon to learn, cannot function without experts in every field, especially the many thousands who work in public service," writes @radiofreetom.bsky.social.

submitted 14 days ago • 40 comments

Danielle Sassoon's letter to AG Bondi, which directly alleges a quid pro quo, is a searing, meticulous indictment of DOJ's leadership. static01.nyt.com/newsgraphics...

submitted 18 days ago • 0 comments

Important new research on CCTV from Eric Piza, Brandon Welsh, Savannah Reid, and David Hatten. Pretty clear that this point that CCTV, as a standalone strategy, is not enough to substantially cut crime and especially violence. ericpiza.net/2025/02/11/c...

submitted 19 days ago • 0 comments

This pretty much sums up where we are and where we're headed if we don't push back hard. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

submitted 20 days ago • 0 comments

Community members working to stop violence and save lives in St. Louis. Roca Inc has collaborated with SaveLivesNow! to make it happen by focusing on shifting mindsets using cognitive behavioral interventions. Access the article here! www.ksdk.com/article/news...

submitted 21 days ago • 0 comments

Friends, @joycewhitevance.bsky.social and @contrariannews.org are launching The Democracy Index, and this is 1st post inviting you to follow along. I'll be helping behind the scenes, along with our other friends in the democracy saving space. It will be weekly. open.substack.com/pub/contrari...

submitted 21 days ago • 18 comments

Top comment on the recent NYT story on DOGE’s young aides www.nytimes.com/shared/comme...

submitted 23 days ago • 131 comments

1. Today the NIH director issued a new directive slashing overhead rates to 15%. I want to provide some context on what that means and why it matters. grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...

submitted 24 days ago • 270 comments

In a new executive order, President Donald Trump directed the attorney general to review several of President Joe Biden’s gun violence reduction efforts, including ghost gun regulations, expanded background checks on gun sales, and tougher oversight of lawbreaking gun dealers.

submitted 23 days ago • 28 comments

This week the VRC was in Memphis, working with Mayor Young and a wide array of stakeholders to save lives and stop violence. Lots of progress made, more to come soon! Attaching cool pictures!

submitted 24 days ago • 0 comments

Want to see media coverage of the VRC in the cities we work with? Explore our "In the News" page for an inside look into how we help communities stop violence and save lives. vrc.umd.edu/in-the-news

submitted 27 days ago • 0 comments

Did you know the VRC produces rigorous research? Check out our AVB article, "Crime, Place, Policy, and Politics" now. Click here to access it! doi.org/10.1016/j.av...

submitted 25 days ago • 1 comment

Elections have consequences. That's true for presidential ones, but also for those of the senators and congresspeople who collectively have the power to authorize and appropriate funds. Trump can't just unilaterally go around them - he is really going mad king with all this.

submitted 28 days ago • 0 comments

Yes, Democrats need to embrace law and order, but we should do it with evidence-informed strategies that maximize results and minimize collateral consequences. We should also remember that Americans want less crime AND more justice, not one or the other. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

submitted 29 days ago • 0 comments

Sad. I chaired the nonpartisan working group that developed this map, which included law enforcement officials, CVI leaders, academics and more. It was evidence- and community-informed. Fortunately, you can still find it here: counciloncj.org/10-essential...

submitted 31 days ago • 0 comments

Daniel Webster, one of the nation's leading firearm policy experts, and distinguished research scholar at the Center tells ABC News, “gun part kits have created a huge backdoor that lets kids and criminals evade the law.” Watch: abcnews.go.com/Politics/cra...

submitted 32 days ago • 0 comments

Just Security is doing important work. This is must-read, especially for federal workers. www.justsecurity.org/107094/defer...

submitted 33 days ago • 9 comments

The most common question I receive is how everyday citizens can help in the fight for democracy. My advice, take the first step, start with something small and see what works for you. Here are ten things all of us can do. www.democracydocket.com/opinion/10-t...

submitted 33 days ago • 230 comments

I was proud to start the GIVE program in 2013 with DCJS' Mike Green. I'm obviously biased, but it has been cited many times as an example of a successful statewide effort to reduce gun violence. giffords.org/lawcenter/re...

submitted 34 days ago • 0 comments

Ok. Impoundment. Some links to relevant authorities and commentary, and then thoughts of my own. What Trump is proposing potentially amounts to an upending of the separation of powers, and while that's not inherently bad, in this case it's bad. Very bad. 1/ 🧵

submitted 34 days ago • 21 comments

I was proud to start the GIVE program in 2013 with DCJS' Mike Green. I'm obviously biased, but it has been cited many times as an example of a successful statewide effort to reduce gun violence. giffords.org/lawcenter/re...

submitted 34 days ago • 0 comments

Disappointing, but not surprising.

submitted 35 days ago • 0 comments

This is just the beginning - this administration will continue do enormous damage to the Justice department, undermining the rule of law. Hard to watch. www.nytimes.com/2025/01/27/u...

submitted 35 days ago • 0 comments

Quotas have a long and dark history, leading to indiscriminate enforcement against those easiest to find, not those committing the worst crimes. A very bad decision by the new administration. www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...

submitted 35 days ago • 0 comments

I ran @USAID health programs for the last 3 years. Trump’s 90 day Stop Work Order on foreign assistance does serious damage to the world and the US. Examples:🧵

submitted 36 days ago • 105 comments

I've spent the last couple of years w/ young people in Chicago for research on illegal gun carrying. Here're reflections from them (& seasoned experts) and how they've reshaped my thinking on gun research and policy. vitalcitynyc.org/articles/a-better-conversation-on-guns @vitalcitynyc.bsky.social

submitted 39 days ago • 1 comment

In less than one week, Trump has established that there will be no accountability inside the government, and that political violence on his behalf will not be punished. I’m really not a believer in the more darkly authoritarian scenarios, but at this point the probability is not zero…

submitted 37 days ago • 4 comments

Congratulations @nancylavigne.bsky.social! This is a great step for you and for Rutgers. Looking forward to what's next. www.ncja.org/crimeandjust...

submitted 38 days ago • 0 comments

Evergreen point about gun violence: it is highly concentrated, geographically and demographically. www.vitalcitynyc.org/articles/clu...

submitted 38 days ago • 0 comments

Kudos to @vitalcitynyc.bsky.social for these analyses - have city should have something like this. H/t @moskos.bsky.social. www.vitalcitynyc.org/articles/vit...

submitted 38 days ago • 0 comments

www.nytimes.com/2025/01/24/o...

submitted 38 days ago • 0 comments

Register to attend a Congressional Briefing in D.C. on 2/25 where CVP’s Veronica Pear and Garen Wintemute will speak about reducing gun violence. This is a unique in-person opportunity to hear some of the field’s leading scholars share their insight. cebcp.org/outreach-sym...

submitted 40 days ago • 1 comment

Breaking: DOJ freezes all cases in civil rights division. "It’s unprecedented. We’ve never seen this before at this scale with any transfer of power, regardless of the ideology of any incoming president or administration." Story w/ @perrystein.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

submitted 40 days ago • 190 comments

The Council on Criminal Justice is reporting that in 2024, crime rates fell in 12 of 13 categories. Homicides (-16%), gun assaults (-15%), agg. assaults (-4%), robberies (-10%) and carjackings (-32%) all declined last year. Shoplifting (+14%) is the only outlier. counciloncj.org/crime-trends...

submitted 39 days ago • 0 comments

Lots of bad news right now, but here's one bright spot. In 2024, Camden, NJ saw a 40 year low in homicides. In 2012, the city was dubbed the "Murder Capital of the World." Remarkable case of the police and the community working together to create lasting change. www.tapinto.net/towns/camden...

submitted 40 days ago • 0 comments

President Trump granted a pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the creator of the Silk Road drug marketplace. Ulbricht was serving a life sentence for creating a site in a shady corner of the internet to sell heroin, cocaine and other illicit substances.

submitted 41 days ago • 152 comments