excruciating read but so, so vulnerable and human.

“Every American should be worried about the state of play right now for journalists worldwide if democracy matters to them. Ahmed is an American citizen, but importantly, he is a journalist who should not be detained for the act of being a journalist.” www.ms.now/opinion/kuwa...

If they're portraying Trump as Jesus, it's only one inevitable step from there to "the Lügenpresse are the Jews of the modern age."

Love it.

In Vermont to give a Holocaust lecture this evening, but first: long walk down by Lake Champlain this morning. All part of our world, and this is the space I prefer.

"Justice dies when dehumanized, no matter how exactly it may be exercised. Justice dies when deified, for beyond all justice is God's compassion. The logic of justice may seem impersonal, yet the concern for justice is an act of love." Abraham Joshua Heschel

I love how the early redbud leaves are red hearts.

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

That was beautiful.

Incredible to watch the earth come into view.

Relatedly: It's worth noting that the emerging war theology (and, arguably, theologies) coming from the Trump administration have spurred a growing list of rebukes from an array of faith leaders that range from local clergy to the pope himself. For more: religionnews.com/2026/04/08/p...

Afternoon walk, green shadows.

Just feeling an enormous amount of anger and disgust right now.

He was your enemy, ever spake against Your liberties and the charters that you bear I’ th’ body of the weal; and now, arriving A place of potency and sway o’ th’ state, If he should still malignantly remain Fast foe to th’ plebeii, your voices might Be curses to yourselves

I can't do much about anything but I could do this. Get some (specifically requested) books into the hands of incarcerated folks at Rikers & support an indie bookstore at the same time. (+ I ordered @chanda.blacksky.app's The Edge of Space-Time for me bc why not have faith that tomorrow will come)

Muriel Rukeyser, always but especially today. Full text at www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47657/...

We are hurtling toward catastrophe--if not this evening, then at some point. This should be the only headline, the only question GOP leaders get asked (& journalists should be confronting them today). Grateful for the clarity of @sulliview.bsky.social: open.substack.com/pub/margaret...

This planet — with all its troubles — is worth caring for. That should be our single purpose, as a species: To be stewards of this magnificent world, ensuring it thrives long into the future.

(RNS) — In the last week, faith leaders were offered some of their first glimpses into ICE facilities, making use of a degree of access denied to most people — even members of Congress.

Afternoon walk, one of my favorite places (Great Falls, Virginia side)

Afternoon walk, redbud tree in full bloom.

Two-year-old Kaleth is being locked away at the Dilley trailer prison. He is getting sicker with each passing day. He will not eat the food CoreCivc serves, which detainees have said sometimes has mold and worms. He now has a fever.

ICYMI - The incredible cover for Robert Thompson's forthcoming "After Belsen" has just dropped! But wait, there's more at the @cornellupress.bsky.social book page - praise, info, and how to pre-order. All the really important things, basically. www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501...

A new survey of Minneapolis residents on the aftermath of Operation Metro Surge. 38 percent who had encounters with immigration agents said agents “already had their guns drawn when they approached them"

Melania said to envision a future with robot teachers and… I have never written anything so quickly

Meanwhile. The earth.

I know I've plugged this incessantly this week, but if you haven't, you really should listen to my interview with @julieingersoll.bsky.social about Pete Hegseth's religion. Illuminates his obsession with maximum lethality as a religious imperative, and more --> redcircle.com/shows/fbed71...

I guess it’s character building (but on the other hand, the characters who *need* improvement aren’t out here)

I have been very concerned by recent decisions by my university administration to ban pride flags from windows. The reason given have been wholly unsatisfactory. I'm attaching a link to a petition in defense of our free speech rights which you might consider signing.

One of my favorite poems.

Good article, but Progressive faith group involvement in the Civil Rights movement fed directly into religious opposition to the Vietnam War (e.g., Clergy & Laity Concerned), the anti-Apartheid movement, & broader human rights activism in the 1970s/80s. W/many of the same ppl (e.g., Jesse Jackson).

I spent the past few days visiting gardens & galleries in the Brandywine valley (SE Pennsylvania), a Christmas gift from my daughter. This is at Winterthur. As I tell my kids, I don’t need more stuff but I love spending time with them! So the long uninterrupted conversations were the real gift…

Tony Buba and I need your help to spread the word about the world premiere of our new documentary film, *Becoming Benjamin Lay*, Saturday, April 11, 2026, 4:00 pm. We have a huge venue and need to fill it! Carnegie Library, 419 Library St., Braddock, PA. Tickets: www.eventbrite.com/e/becoming-b...

Even in a world of extremes, some events still stand out to me. This is one. All-time monthly records are being shattered. The size of this ridge across the western U.S. is truly striking for March, and we see a very clear climate change connection. Explore: csi.climatecentral.org/climate-shif...

Taylor and Francis royalty statement out. I get around 40 cents per epub. C'mon guys, let's start next year's coffee fund 😂

I am conducting research into how autistic pupils experience Holocaust education as part of my doctoral research. If you're a secondary history teacher of autistic and non-autistic pupils, I'd appreciate it if you took the time to complete the following survey: qualtrics.ucl.ac.uk/jfe/form/SV_...

I am so fed up with all this.

So dark. Kushner raises billions for his fund while the family of a soldier killed in Truml’s war gets help on Go Fund Me: www.gofundme.com/f/major-alex...

The 2022 watershed. Apparently some AI models are not being trained on research generated after 2022 because of the risk that it has been polluted by AI. So I was told, anyway.

The Speed of Darkness, Muriel Rukeyser When I wrote of the women in their dances and wildness, it was a mask, on their mountain, god-hunting, singing, in orgy, it was a mask; when I wrote of the god, fragmented, exiled from himself, his life, the love gone down with song, it was myself, split open

Umbrella Jump (Elliott Erwitt, 1989, Paris, France)

I was thinking about that statement "we are going meter intelligence just like water and energy"....and that's why nothing should be a commodity. We shouldn't be metering water, we should be celebrating, sharing, and stewarding it.

Our country is being driven over the cliff by pubescent men whose only life skill is bullying.

The temperature outside is 78 degrees and today I saw the first forsythia and cherry blossom buds. By tomorrow noon it's supposed be down in the 30s with snow showers...time for a German weather quote!

Jewish Studies Director Jennifer Geddes recently published an article examining multiple different forms of antisemitism. Learn more and read the article: jewishstudies.as.virginia.edu/people/jenni...