Erik Davis-Heim

Erik Davis-Heim

@erikdavisheim.bsky.social

Illustrator for books and games Portfolio at: https://cara.app/erikdavisheim

699 followers303 following28 posts

Erik Davis-Heim reposted

dude, you got yourself kicked out of two boarding schools, your Harvard application is rumored to have consisted of two words - "Harvard" and "Kennedy" -, your peers there say you were a dealer in college, your roommate reportedly wrote your senior thesis for you, and you failed the NY bar twice

The Bulwark@thebulwark.com

RFK: "There's five hundred million Arabs in the world. And yet they don't produce science. They don't win the Nobel Prize. They don't win the Fields Prize. They don't win the Wolf Prize. They don't produce literature."

Erik Davis-Heim reposted

The persecution of @repilhan.bsky.social just days before an election is vile and politically-motivated. I'm leading 175 House Democrats in denouncing this. When we retake power, we have to seriously look at how we can stop these abuses of power — starting with the power of the purse.

Erik Davis-Heim reposted

The US is not about to have a free and fair election. The state has put its thumb on the scale to favor the ruling party in multiple ways. It's a mostly free, somewhat unfair election. But still one where the ruling party can be overwhelmed by numbers. Hence the term "competitive authoritarianism."

Asawin Suebsaeng@swin24.bsky.social

It is atrocious we have to operate under this constant credible and explicit threat from one political party, the fact we keep calling it a “free and fair election” needs some light revising

Erik Davis-Heim reposted

Ukraine was winning the war, so Trump kneecapped Ukraine to help Russia. I wish it weren’t that simple, but it is. Our president is in bed with our enemies.

Erik Davis-Heim reposted

Replying to @jamellebouie.net

interestingly this interest in black voters doesn’t extend to the republican effort to deprive them of federal representation, nor do they seem interested in asking whether republican candidates are burdened by the fact that trump talks like a klansman

Erik Davis-Heim reposted

Lula is to my left. Magyar is to my right. And I don’t care in the slightest, because they are the candidates of democracy against autocracy.

Erik Davis-Heim reposted

The global pro-democracy, anti-fascist movement just notched two major wins today, after Students List in Serbia ousted strongman Aleksandar Vučić and Brazilian President Lula defeated the son of the man behind Brazil’s Jan 6 to win reelection! In 9 days, U.S. next!

Erik Davis-Heim reposted

Lula winning is great for the planet, great for Brazil, and great for people who aren't revanchist assholes everywhere in the world, but let's not forget that it's also going to make some of the worst people on Earth extremely sad and mad. We should enjoy that, as a little treat.

Erik Davis-Heim reposted

Two University of Leicester students speak out over ‘absurd’ and ‘Orwellian’ decision by the BBC and ITV Studios to edit out pride pins worn on University Challenge

leicester.newsBBC edits out pride pins on University Challenge in ‘Orwellian’ move* * * This story was published by **The Leicester Gazette** : a local, independent newspaper about Leicestershire. 1,000 people have already joined our community. Just use those buttons below to download our app and **sign up for free**. * * * Astrophysics student Samuel Carlier and History student Emmeline Hague-Wright were shocked to find that their LGBTQ+ pride pins had been edited out of their University Challenge appearance earlier this year. The episode, initially scheduled for BBC Two on 24 August, was delayed twice before airing on 7 September 2026. The pins showed the progressive LGBTQ+ pride flag, the bisexual pride flag and a rainbow feather. Speaking to the Leicester Gazette, Sam said: “Living in a liberal democracy and having the state broadcaster tell you ‘we’re editing how you look’, seems very Orwellian.” Sam described the choice to remove the pins before broadcast as “weird” and “absurd”. He said: “[Censoring] that seemed weird. If I had worn a rainbow shirt, would they have censored that? If the idea is to keep things impartial, where is that line in the sand?” A side by-side image of Sam wearing the pin and with it having been digitally removed. Photograph: supplied Sam contacted the BBC to try to understand why his pins had been edited out. He told the Gazette: “The BBC people said they’d ring me, and I chased them, they just said go to the complaints website and file a complaint there, that’s what I did.” Since then, Sam hasn’t had a response from the BBC as to why his pins were removed. After the episode had aired, Sam noted that his shirt ‘melted’ into itself occasionally, as a result of the editing. Photograph: supplied ## Students believe the decision was made following online transphobia Emmeline was also shocked when she found out that the feather pin she wore was due to be removed from the episode she was in. It was understood by Emmeline that there was online transphobia in response to previous episode of University Challenge, and she had been contacted by the BBC, anticipating support from the broadcaster. When the BBC contacted her, instead of an offer of support, she was told her pin was going to be removed. “At first it was mostly confusion,” she said. “I heard that they had received a lot of nastiness online from people and I thought they were going to call me to say ‘we have support services if needed,’ and that wasn't what I got at all.” Instead, Emmeline was notified that the episodes were going to be delayed. “It was out of left field, I was confused for a while,” she said. “This entire delay has been because of a feather and two badges on a teammate that were basically impossible [for viewers] to see.” Emmeline had expressed her frustrations with the repeated delays from the BBC, spanning from mid-July to early-September. She said: “We were announced on the website and then delayed again, and then announced on the website a second time, and delayed even further. Speaking about the removal, she said: “It takes a lot of time” she said. “Making it [the edit] look good would be even more expensive and time-consuming. It seems like drastically a lot of effort.” ## Join the conversation Our app is more than just a way to keep up – it's a gateway to award-winning journalism and the local community. __Want to support our work?__ Click here for membership__.__ ## Wider criticism on LGBTQ+ support The pins Sam wore during the episode. Photograph: supplied According to leading LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall UK, two in five LGBTQ+ students will hide their identities at university for fear of discrimination. Stonewall has reported that more than 36 per cent of trans students have received hostile conduct from university staff due to their gender identity. Reflecting on the digital removal of the pins, Sam spoke about how disheartening the choice was. He said: “There was maybe like a span of eight years where someone could be uncontroversially out in the open queer – now that’s gone again.” he said. The BBC has also been widely criticised for ‘an attack on the LGBTQ+ community’ by pulling its involvement with the popular show, RuPaul's Drag Race. The broadcaster pulled its involvement in September following “significant financial pressures” as the reason for axing their involvement. The criticism follows another recent controversial edit by the BBC. On its hit show, Strictly Come Dancing, a decision was made to edit out ‘Protect the Dolls’ from contestant Bethany Antonia’s T-shirt. It’s a slogan which has become widely used to support the rights of trans women. The BBC defended their decision, saying the changes were made to meet editorial guidelines. It comes as the LGBTQ+ community has faced challenges amid an increasingly less tolerant political climate. ## What the BBC had to say When we asked them about editing out the pins worn by Leicester’s University Challenge team, a BBC spokesperson said: “In line with our editorial guidelines, we advise that no badges, flags, and emblems or symbols are worn or visible during filming, along with clothing with obvious branding or slogans. If such items are not removed for any reason then a decision is made between the programme makers and the BBC regarding any edits to the programme.” The BBC said the delays to the episode were unrelated to the decision to edit out the pins. A spokesperson for ITV Studios said: “University Challenge is an entertainment quiz show and is made in accordance with the BBC Editorial Guidelines requirements for impartiality.” The University of Leicester refused to comment on the matter. * * * **Before you go…** We’ve recently surpassed 1,000 subscribers, which is amazing considering we’re a small team on a shoestring budget. Now, we’re ready for the next stage of the Leicester Gazette. **Download our new app and get all of our journalism anytime, anywhere.** The app connects with **Bluesky** , **Mastodon** and **Threads** , giving you access to a network of around 60 million people. It’s a safer, more meaningful alternative to mainstream social media – owned by the community. * * *

Erik Davis-Heim reposted

Per a database of discrimination complaints obtained by @propublica.org , Trump's Department of Education is actively ignoring reports of rape and assault on campuses so they can instead focus on transgender athletes. Their obsession with trans people is actively putting women and girls in danger.

Erik Davis-Heim reposted

No RIer can watch this video of a man trying to keep his children safe & think the actions of these federal agents are acceptable. Surely we can acknowledge that traumatizing toddlers on the streets of Providence is a betrayal of our values as Americans.

bostonglobe.comICE agents attempt to arrest father in Providence as his children cling to him - The Boston GlobeA video shows the man holding onto his two toddlers, one who is crying, as ICE agents grab his arms.

Erik Davis-Heim reposted

Trump and Elon can point fingers at each other all they want but this has endangered soldiers and civilians in Ukraine.

No private citizen, let alone a trillionaire, should be able to order or direct vital national security actions to appease a President’s grudges.

CNBC@cnbc.com

Elon Musk ordered the slowdown of a version of SpaceX’s Starlink that Ukraine has relied on in its war against Russia, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, citing U.S. officials and people familiar with the matter. More details: cnb.cx/4sdMvOQ

Erik Davis-Heim reposted

I’ve been released from IDF custody with a “warning,” apparently because of my public profile (I told them I wasn’t even a congressmember yet, just a nominee). But several dozen rabbis & participants harvesting olives with me are still in detention.

Erik Davis-Heim reposted

Right-wing billionaires now own the Washington Post, the LA Times, CNN, CBS News, virtually every local TV station, virtually every news radio station, most local newspapers, X, Facebook, Threads, and TikTok. (Did I miss any?) They own almost the entire information environment.

Alex Gibney@alexgibneyfilm.bsky.social

Note: TikTok - 15% owned by Musk pal Larry Ellison - permanently banned our "Musk" the movie account on the platform. www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/politic...

Erik Davis-Heim reposted

Worth checking they’ve actually passed the bar

shauna@goldengateblond.bsky.social

it was the fuck-aroundest of times, it was the find-outest of times (gift link) www.wsj.com/politics/pol...

Erik Davis-Heim reposted

Mark Cuban: "James Talarico. Let's go. I'm a big fan. He's honest, trustworthy, he cares. He'll do the right thing as opposed to the politically expedient thing. To Texans, do what's best for Texas. You've been voting for Republicans all these years, what have they done for you?" #momsky#sheshed

Erik Davis-Heim reposted

There is absolutely no viable path forward for this country that doesn’t hinge on extreme accountability for everyone involved in this administration. They’re going to whine about politicization and credulous media types will echo them, but the thing is, they’ve committed tons of obvious crimes!

Adam Serwer@adamserwer.bsky.social

I do not think an exec branch led by a man who thinks he is entitled to treat federal agents as an arm of his firm, refers to Somali Americans as “garbage” and has said racist things specifically about Omar is capable of neutrally applying the law to her, to put it mildly apnews.com/article/ilha...

Erik Davis-Heim reposted

Ossoff: "I think Pete Hegseth is frankly a deeply unwell person who seems to relish this kind of brutality all the while he's running a department that is falling into chaos. The guy cannot run the military competently and is spending his time with this kind of obscene medieval spectacle."

Erik Davis-Heim reposted

wild that centrists are doing "are the wacko libs intolerant for cutting off their conservative parents" discourse on the same day we find out a dem congressional candidate got violently raped while campaigning

Erik Davis-Heim reposted

Ken Paxton: The only thing that really saves us is that the Supreme Court came along and allowed Super PACs. Otherwise... I would be sitting here and never have a chance...

Erik Davis-Heim reposted

Every day, this administration continues to target LGBTQIA+ kids. It’s incredibly harmful and does the exact opposite of what our shared goal should be: protecting kids. The LGBTQIA+ community and all our students deserve better.

thehill.comEducation Department formally rescinds Title IX protections for LGBTQ studentsThe Education Department announced Monday it has formally rescinded the Biden-era Title IX interpretation that gave sex-based discrimination protections to students on the basis of sexual orientati…

Erik Davis-Heim reposted

The Trump admin admitted it made a mistake in illegally deporting this man TWICE, but — like it initially did with Kilmar Abrego Garcia — it's defying a court order & refuses to bring him back. This federal judge is right to hold the admin in contempt. There must be a penalty for flouting the law.

Erik Davis-Heim reposted

The White House budget proposal for FY27 slash NSF funding by more than 50% and would drastically reduce support for PhDs, postdocs & investigator-initiated research. Selling something is not the same as doing something. Science is hard. This 'new golden age' won't make it easier.

Erik Davis-Heim reposted

Erik Davis-Heim reposted

I'm back, I missed you all. Since this is an important subject I know too much about, here's a 🧵 explaining that AI Safety Is Mostly A Sex Cult. I don't think these people should make policy. (1/?) (alternative title: Time For Some Cult Theory)

Erik Davis-Heim reposted

Erik Davis-Heim reposted

PATEL: The previous regulation automatically disqualified any individual who participated in either side of it KENNEDY: Either side of beastiality? So you disqualified the animal? P: Well, we have great canines, but we're not going to disqualify them K: I'm trying to understand why you did this.

Erik Davis-Heim reposted

Wreckers and infighters are over-represented on this website. Elsewhere, the vast majority are meeting the moment by doing Popular Front. A good example is Stevens endorsing El Sayed in MI and Hong endorsing Crowley in WI.