Most people don’t know this, but Lincoln’s “house divided” line came at the beginning of a speech where he outlined the conspiracy of slaveholders to contort the politics of the nation to their whims despite being a significant political and popular minority.

Thanks to the great team at GASTROPOD for this wonderful conversation in which I got to do one of the things I love most--talk about Lydia Maria Child's *agricultural activism.* In a nutshell: how to fight slavery by growing beets! How I HATED beets as a child. But now . . .

Again this should inspire wall-to-wall media coverage for months. The crowning achievement of the Civil Rights Movement is dead. Black people just lost all of their remaining political power in the South. This is a monumental moment in American history that simply isn't being treated as such.

Come out to Harvard bookstore tomorrow evening! I'll be chatting with the brilliant and funny @inkfish.bsky.social about her fantastic new book!

I know a lot of people kind of pick and choose which episodes of podcasts they listen to, so if we have listeners on here who don't particularly like beets (I don't!) I still hope you're listen to our beet episode because of LYDIA MARIA CHILD WHO IS AMAZING gastropod.com/feel-the-bee...

In other news, last Friday was the 12yr anniversary of what would turn out to be a momentous email sent to a friend I'd met a yr earlier via Michael Pollan fellowship: hey, I have this idea for a podcast, you have some experience in the space, will you check out my write up? lmk what you think? 1/

I don't have the ear of any exec, and you probably don't either. But if you happen to, I'd love your help to convince them that people still actually *listen* to podcasts. Podcasts, you know, digital *audio.* Not video. And that audience is as valuable as it was just a year ago. 1/

I would just like to say that Rick Steves is a total mensch *and* his mp3 audiotours are a total delight and rich with history and context. I'm late to the Rick Steves fan club, but what a treat! We did Athens walking tour, the Acropolis, and the Athens Natl Archaeology Museum. I recommend all.

In non-world-threatening but still political news, we just put out one of the most complicated episodes we've had to wrangle recently, based on the new government food guidelines from January/the odd new upside down pyramid: gastropod.com/protein-pyra...

I just called my congressperson and senators, asking them to reconvene congress, take back their War Powers immediately, introduce articles of impeachment, and to pressure cabinet officials to invoke the 25th amendment. The president has clearly lost his remaining marbles. Time to act. 5calls.org

🧵Congress 202-224-3121 Find your Senators www.senate.gov Find your Rep www.house.gov "I'm [NAME] from [PLACE, ZIP]. I'm calling to urge the Senator/Rep to contact Adm. Correll & remind him that he has the same legal obligation as any soldier to refuse an illegal order from this Commander in Chief."

I just saw Suffs and I'm sure there are issues, but to watch a rousing, earnest, complicated take on how change happens, the different (at times clashing) approaches nec to make it happen, the fact that it CAN happen even when it seems impossible... Well, I cried, and also it felt like quite a balm.

Incredibly inspiring. (And whew what a time to lead an Israeli university.)

@kerstanley.bsky.social Just wondering if your friend who went to AU is willing to chat? Totally understand if not! but it'd be a huge huge help if so. Thanks!

So climate predictions are coming true and are already horrifying, AND we're going backwards on meeting any climate goals, AND we're in wars for no reason, AND said wars are going to be disastrous around the world and are causing our economy to crash, AND antisemitism is rife in every party - 1/

Okay, now I feel guilty about hating SP day. I don't hate the holiday/celebration *he* describes.

I do not have time to read a court decision but this is both fascinating and weirdly delightful.

I hate SP day. Yes, I live in Boston. Yes, I'm married to someone whose ancestors immigrated from Ireland. (He thinks it's ridic too.) A holiday where people pinch you if you don't wear the team color? (elem school, each year) Or where you're expected to get wasted? (young adulthood) No thanks.

My senator is frigging BRILLIANT.

Anyone know a current/recent college student at American University, ideally this person isn't white? I post frequently about the delightful, fun, smart first gen student I'm mentoring. We're getting college acceptances! AU is one of them, but she really needs to talk to a current student. 1/

Super important reporting. (In a world filled with so many depressing things, this was, yes, also really depressing.) The treatment of these workers is such a violation, and what they're doing is also such a violation - 'digging their graves' feels accurate.

Okay, Mass folks, how do we get this travesty halted immediately?

We have an episode coming out literally next Tuesday about these food assistance programs that are true lifelines for millions of people all around the country (Gastropod on any podcast app). Cutting these programs is, as @rbreich.bsky.social says, devastating. And a deliberate, cruel choice.

I know I chose to live in Somerville and generally I do love it here and I don't generally mind winter but...really, enough already with the snow.

I've seen this multiple times and I feel deeply deeply ill every time. I'm someone who truly loves my religion (w/o believing in anything), so I can understand why people find value in religion, but the state of the US right now makes me...

This is a great video from someone who's consistently pushed for changes that make our community — and will make our state — more accessible to all. I'm a fan, and a supporter of his state senate run.

Me after reading another depressing article about horrible men (at harvard) & Epstein, to spouse: "It's a good thing I have you, I'm not sure how I'd be feeling about men right now." Him, not missing a beat: "It's a good thing I have *you,* I'm not sure how I'd be feeling about Americans right now."

Fri: okay, the storm looks like it might actually hit us, but it won't be too bad, your doctor's office will be open. Sat: Welllll, the storm is definitely getting closer to shore, looks like we'll get hit. Sun: HOLD ONTO YOUR HATS IT'S GOING TO BE A WILD RIDE!" (Readers, the doc did indeed close.)

Huge fan! Locals should follow!

I'm missing something in the 'gen x is the worst generation, least likely to care etc' discourse. I'm gen-x. I was raised on early Earth Days, lots of gender-neutral kids' clothing, Sesame Street, Mr Rogers Neighborhood 1/

Truly, I know I talk about her a lot here, but whenever I'm feeling down, then get to spend a couple of hours (or more, often more these days) with the local first-gen college student I'm mentoring—now working on scholarship apps—I just...feel better. She totally rocks.

Things are so deeply horrifying in the world, & in medicine (vaccines, Moderna, etc), so it's maybe even more moving/beautiful to read stories like this, abt the power of glp-1s to potentially help with addiction (though I'm worried about long-term access!) - www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/12/m...

Super smart, wry, and very very painful.

Just barely functioning these days feels like a full time job.

Democracies can't thrive without informed citizens. Democracy dies in...what was it again? Something like a lack of light? Light that reporting provides?

I couldn't believe this was real and so I clicked on the actual order and saw he did actually write "with a judicial finger in the constitutional dike" and then saw someone also writing out the new testament quotes he referenced and — whew.

Yes, friends, these are lengths we go to make sure we pronounce your name correctly if we refer to you/your work. And for people we interview, this is why I always tell my students to get everyone to say their name into the microphone. (Also why I want to scream when someone mispronounces a name.)

❤️ to my senator.

These videos are THE GREATEST.

This was incredibly painful and difficult and moving to watch, and also, well, ditto to what @polgreen.bsky.social said. Truly inspiring.

We talk about this all the time in my household - we just shoveled, because of course, but also why do cars get their access ways cleared by the city, while pedestrians, which is basically what nearly all of us are here in Somerville, have to rely on regular folks? Are we not an equal priority?

I know the our healthcare *system* is deeply fucked, expensive, unequal, has the potential to lead to all sorts of misery—but I've had truly delightful helpful interactions with different doctors over the past month or so, and I just want to give a shoutout to all of you out there doing amazing work

I can't really say it better than she does, except to say that you should read it—what's going on is both horrifying and truly inspiring.

This is so important to know and understand — why citizen watch groups are working, and that these tactics DO work.

As I frequently write - shouldn't be a surprise, but...holy fuck. And what a piece, my heart is re-broken just reading about her experience trying to cover all of this.

Seems like something we all need to be doing these days... There's a general one for Mass tomorrow at noon, and ones in February for educators miracoalition.org/know-your-ri...

Thank you to my fighting reps @markey.senate.gov and @ayannapressley.bsky.social

Cancelled and they did ask me if it was about ICE and I said yes. Not the hugest traveler but I used Hilton often. Every person who calls, no matter how small their hotels counts. They will be having panicked meetings this week if the trickle turns into a flood.

I re-watched this movie in the theater for a previous milestone and felt like I was in someone's weird fever dream the entire time. It is a *wild* movie, and I love this review.

Reminder: ICE has a budget bigger than most militaries around the world. It has increased its spending on weapons by 700% since Trump took office. Trump is building his own personal military to terrorize American cities, trample on civil rights, and intimidate his opponents.