2/2 ... I've posted about before: 3 ways to get to Nov 2026 w/ something left to vote for: 1. Gut it out. Mostly in the courts. Maybe enough if we get more wins soon. Maybe not. 2. Take up arms. Violent. Let's avoid this. 3. Shut it down. Painful. Probably necessary. Hope it's not too late.

In these times, our celebrity-obsessed culture has never been more inane. If it has any value at all, it's in the possibility that by giving these few people disproportionate resources and influence, we might also invest some moral authority in a few unexpected and unelected leaders. ...

Heads up @shakespeare.lol , they could be coming for you. But I bet I know what you'd say: "a college of wit-crackers cannot flout me out of my humour."

The first best time for university presidents to make everyone realize that all the things were in danger of disappearing was the NCAA 🏀 tournament. The second best time was at any point since then. The least worst time is now, while the NCAA 🏈 championship is going on. Better late than never.

I’m begging Democratic leaders to understand that outlining and forcefully articulating their vision for accountability now is an electoral strategy.

1/ Quoting this because I do NOT want to dunk on this project or on MPT Saltzman's post. But I want to point out that this AFFORDABLE SENIOR HOUSING is walking distance from the Hayward fault but is being designed with the same seismic criteria as a fast food restaurant or a strip mall.

I follow LAT because once in a while they post breaking CA news. Having this celebrity garbage in my feed is the price, I guess. Every one of these reminds me of that Steve Martin joke: How to be a millionaire: Step 1. Get a million dollars.

Wow – legalizes single-stair up to six stories *and* wheelchair-sized elevators (cuts the stretcher requirement). Does anybody have any contact with the legislators or their staffers? I'm interested in talking to them...

Hey @princeton.edu , you should bump this.

1/6/21, 8:17 am ET: President Trump tweets allegations of voter fraud ahead of DC Rally.

I'm not one for anniversaries, but it feels fitting to mark the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack, if only to preserve clarity amongst ourselves about what that day represents: the starkest fork in the road that this country had faced since its civil war. talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...

Recent events have made it undeniable, but throughout 2025 it became increasingly clear (as I have lamented several times) that we no longer live in the same country we lived in just 14 months ago. Successful strategies going forward will need to be different from even those that worked in 2020.

Thanks for posting. Two sentences stand out to me: 1., re existing buildings: "Tosca said regulations take effect in February 2026 for new construction and February 2027 for existing homes." So ... mandatory mitigation? Or only if triggered by a major alteration, etc.? 2. ...

2/2 And the complicity of 53 GOP Senators, 200+ US Reps, 6 members of Roberts/Taney Court Plus Musk/Bezos/Zuckerberg/Thiel/Ellison tech allies. The law firms, universities, corporations, etc that cowered. And ICE thugs. There are more of us than of them. But for now they have the controls.

1/2 Remember that the great disruptions of past 11 1/2 months are from the WHIM OF ONE MAN: —Upheaval of world economy via tariffs —Effective dissolution of longest-standing Western alliances (NATO, North Amer partners, cultural-scientific-educ-aid institutions, US "soft power" overall.) —Now this.

Ivy season starts tomorrow! Lots of unusual but interesting stats in this piece -- WAB, anybody? Belker's quote echoes my observation: this team is special because the starting 5 is solid as a unit AND as individuals. In particular, the two big pre-season ?s have been answered by Tall & Hutcherson.

Do yourself a favor and go read @mattglassman312.bsky.social 's post and substack on Talking Rule Spoons (which was new to me). No idea if he intended this, but I'm calling it now: Talking Rule Spoons v. regular Spoons is The Best Analogy for U.S. politics and discourse post- v. pre-2016, but fun.

I work with old buildings, but I still know almost nothing about MEP systems. John's threads, like this one, are terrific explainers of the parts of our built environment that mostly go unseen and, if they work, are simply taken for granted.

Another Project 2025 tracker that doesn't include FEMA. Don't worry -- I have you covered: disasterology.substack.com/p/disasterol...

A thread for those interested in housing construction economics & regulation/codes.

William Branson Donahue—president of College Republicans of America—says that he is promoting “integralism, not theocracy,” but his post misleadingly omits that “integralism” is shorthand for “Catholic integralism” & that the doctrine seeks to “integrate” Church & state. 1/ x.com/realwilldona...

One last fucked up 2025 scoop—FEMA has begun issuing termination notices to CORE staff (appointed under the Stafford Act, ordinarily extended for 2 years) effective Jan 2, agency sources tell me. Sr leadership was asked if they could be given more notice but Acting Administrator Karen Evans said no.

Yes, there's substance to the argument that a radically aggressive movement eventually breaks apart, but do note the mechanism here: "civil resistance movements incite ..." That is, this thing ain't gonna collapse on its own. I mean ...

Endorsement: This typically thoughtful piece from Jamelle is NOT just a movie review. Do get to the second half about the perils of nostalgia. He even points to a joke the movie makes (and I had never really noticed) about my suggested 2026 Dem slogan -- Liberty & Justice FOR ALL.

A call (and an opportunity, and a test) for the good people of Minneapolis. It's hard to put your body in front of a group of ICE thugs who have police authority. But it should be easy for every church and synagogue to muster volunteers to stand at these daycare centers, schools, mosques, etc.

Hello. I've never done a *sale* for my newsletter to the general public because I am bad at business. Anyway, I'm now offering 25% off an annual subscription to The Long Game so you can see what our community of kind-hearted baseball sickos is all about: <3 mollyknight.substack.com/p/flash-sale...

Thanks for this link. Now, how to get my maga sister to read it? I'm wary that her change is grounded in a malleable faith, but to me, the most important bit comes near the top: "Greene told me she no longer watched [Fox News] because she found it factually unreliable." If true, that's progress.

1/ This is a worthwhile piece (with a little teaser about AI at the end). Don't be misled by the headline and cover photo, however -- a luxury SFH on fire and an emphasis on "survival." The actual piece properly focuses more on RECOVERY, with good if familiar examples: ...

Of all the dirty tricks: juking USPS rules so that the postmark of mail-in ballots won't reflect the date they were put in the hands of the Postal Service, creating a pretext to throw out the votes.

These two images of Chinese train driver Han Junjia were taken less than 30 years apart. Transformative change is possible when it is relentlessly pursued.

Not sure why AA chose to illustrate this piece w/ the poptarts, but intentional or not, it's a dig at the hyper-seriousness of "bowl season." What makes the Poptarts Bowl great is that it's subversive, much more so than the Globetrotters (who have an important history) or even the Savannah Bananas.

Another hugely interesting and informative thread. Our currently boiling pot was heating and simmering for at least a century.

Oh, also: If you want to help us prove this model works, please chip in any small dollar amount! This is a grassroots campaign and we can only do all of this with your support: secure.actblue.com/donate/abu-b...

Earlier in 2025, I discussed with members of European Parliament how organized crime syndicates seem to have hijacked nation states to collusively deploy cognitive hybrid war tactics to undermine sovereignty, democracy, and potential accountability. youtu.be/y3QKtwFis-o?...

Smith (and Asa Carter's) central insight was that the best way to message American fascism, was to call oneself a Christian Patriot who hated Communism, and who was a brave and persecuted truth teller about the vast conspiracy in the media, education, and gov't that was about to destroy America.

Thank you for spotlighting local businesses. Disaster planners & researchers: Mission Local has given you the head start, but this should also be documented academically for comparison with similar events in So Cal, planned power shutoffs, etc. Many opportunities here. bsky.app/profile/dbon...

Use, if frustrating, survey data going into 2026. Also, a little hard to parse. If I understand, 10% for "Stand Ground" does NOT mean only 10% of Dems think this. It means this was actually one of the top answers, and 10% put it in their top 2 or 3, right?

OMG, history and disaster-themed candles. Went here looking for the Great Chicago Fire ... and was Not Disappointed. Could have used these in last week's SF blackout. (Also Cuyahoga & Nakatomi, lol. Not seeing San Francisco 1906 or Loma Prieta 1989, which I admit could burn a little close to home.)

oh, now THIS is interesting ...

For sports-politics fans, this is excellent -- a smarter take than the old "T fell into wrestling because he failed as a pro football owner." Elrod shows it's less about sport, more aligned w/ other dishonest hallmarks of new conservatism: male supremacy & grifting, n.b.: bsky.app/profile/dani...

Hey @shakespeare.lol , do you have a side hustle you're not telling us about? bsky.app/profile/scie...

See realtimecrimeindex.com

The blackout is officially over: PG&E said Tuesday morning that power was fully restored. And it's making amends: Residential customers will get $200 bill credits, automatically. Businesses, $2,500. For more, you can file a claim. missionlocal.org/2025/12/sf-p...

America does not need -- or anymore want! -- the death penalty. GIFTS ARE QUADRUPLED. I'm giving $180. (Disclosure: yes, it's my brother's org.)

This is a big opportunity for a natural experiment in housing recovery & resilience planning: who is staying put, who is taking the voucher, and why? What is the tipping point -- heat? comms/internet? food? kids? elderly or disabled residents? cost of hotel? Who stuck it out for 1 night, but not 2?

Trump denies disaster declarations for Colorado fires, flooding: ‘We won’t stop fighting’ trib.al/wfmTdLL

This is a big opportunity for a natural experiment in housing recovery & resilience planning: who is staying put, who is taking the voucher, and why? What is the tipping point -- heat? comms/internet? food? kids? elderly or disabled residents? cost of hotel? Who stuck it out for 1 night, but not 2?

What are earthquake swarms? I explain in this short video. 🧪