I want the media to understand just how close what happened today is to where George Floyd was murdered. 0.8 miles.

New from @candicebernd.bsky.social: At a time when the globe is warming at alarming rates, Venezuela's oil reserves represent a "climate bomb" waiting to go off. Here are the Gulf Coast companies hoping to tap into that blood money ...

Whether we are participating in local discussions making decisions for our communities or writing for broad audiences we share a responsibility to create and use empowering metaphors rather than misleading language that embeds tech companies’ marketing pitches, write Emily M. Bender and Nanna Inie.

Is today an act of piracy or what? Interdiction in international waters? I really get that there are no rules, but other folks might fight back at some point soon, and idk what then. I guess we will soon learn.

Trump’s White House has a webpage about January 6, 2021. Its distorted narrative is filled with lies and falsely claims: “In truth, it was the Democrats who staged the real insurrection by certifying a fraud-ridden election, ignoring widespread irregularities, and weaponizing federal agencies…”

The Vietnam War Era origins of parachute play in PE class What’s so interesting is SO much fitness culture comes out of the military - this came out of the antiwar movement

The Georgian Lords welcomes in the new year with a post by Robin Eagles on the likely identification of new Black voters in 18th-century London and Hertfordshire: historyofparliament.com/2026/01/05/s... #HistParl #skystorians

This from @johntrterry.bsky.social in @liberalcurrents.com is really good www.liberalcurrents.com/to-my-studen...

Somebody go rescue those books if they aren’t shredded.

If the estimates are right, it puts water consumption of chat gpt for one month at greater than the city of Atlanta's water consumption for a YEAR.

There's an app called Watch Duty that does realtime wildfire tracking. It started in California, and now does tracking in all 50 states. It was bulit and is run as a non-profit and relies a volunteer network of trackers. I highly recommend it if you are interested in wildfire tracking. #HATM

As Hurricane Helene barreled toward Yancey County, North Carolina, the predictions were grim. But there were no evacuation orders, even for the people living in homes along these steep mountainsides and creeks. Few grasped what was coming. (Published May 2025)

QUERY FOR HISTORIANS (Not directly on preoccupying current events): I’m making tweaks to syllabi. I want to show students in a Craft of History class how to analyze academic articles (& talk about what AI summaries miss or mangle). What’s your favorite article, esp. in terms of compelling writing?

Looking to understand the long history behind the US attack on Venezuela? Here are a few introductory-level reading recommendations from a professor and historian of US-Latin American Relations: (1/5) 🗃️ #history 1. Kyle Longley's "In the Eagle's Shadow: The United States and Latin America"

New Interview: www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a...

“Insofar as LLMs are used to avoid reading, thinking, and writing, their use is incompatible with liberal education. It is not more complicated than that.” open.substack.com/pub/mattdina...

hitting 2026 running with @victorerikray.bsky.social @liberalcurrents.com "Many of MAGA’s forebears—including the Heritage Foundation—laid the groundwork with decades of curated discourse that recast desegregation as anti-white racism." www.liberalcurrents.com/promoting-a-...

Story 2: www.interruptingcriminalization.com/resources-al...

uh holy SHIT?

For fans of colour and of 19th C natural history, this is a rather glorious read. www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Smol

Good morning, kids. Be safe out there. 🥰

All meaningful forms of resistance boil down to radical love of self and others, even when it’s inconvenient, and stubborn belief that change is possible, even when systems loom large and powerful. Don’t let the bastards convince you otherwise.

🐈‍⬛🤍

Yorkshire's mermaids: www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/heritage-and... #folklore #mermaid #yorkshire

"These New Year’s meals can't be separated from their role in physically sustaining people during enslavement. The recipes are believed to ward off the poverty and family separation. We remember harsh realities of the past and pray over the dangers that lay ahead." #BlackSky 🌱 #HappyNewYear #Haiti

We could use your support staying housed and gaining financial stability in the year ahead. Despite best efforts, our situation remains critical. All reposts and donations are deeply appreciated. GoFundMe: gofund.me/84dc0534 PayPal: www.paypal.com/paypalme/lea... Venmo: venmo.com/u/leahmcelrath

Absolutely fascinating piece on the effects of LLMs on hiring. Once again, the problem with this tech is how it can erode actual communication between real people. And when that happens, we fall back on status and hierarchy. Gift link here: www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...

🚨BREAKING: A new court filing suggests the Department of Justice (DOJ) may have pressed criminal charges against Kilmar Abrego Garcia in retaliation for a court victory that ultimately brought him back to the United States. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...

I really enjoyed being a reader for 2025 and have already signed up for 2026. Free books to read. What's not to love! Sign up!

Statement Re: OU Discrimination Investigation Today, my client, Mel Curth, submitted her appeal of the University's Institutional Equity Office finding that she engaged in arbitrary and capricious grading of a student's assignment in violation of that student's religious liberty.

The CIA carried out a drone strike earlier this month on a port facility on the coast of Venezuela, sources familiar with the matter told CNN, marking the first known US attack on a target inside that country.

Can anyone recommend scholarly work on human rights crimes (mass atrocities) with a forensic science angle? This is for a "jigsaw discussion" in my undergrad History of Forensic Science course. I'm seeking case studies from places other than Poland, Guatemala & Chile #ForensicScience #HumanRights

I wasn’t sure they were going to publish this. So good for them.

This year felt like a decade. I wanted to highlight some of the immigration reporting I've done over the past 12 months: In January, I wrote about the big money fueling the right's plot to end birthright citizenship.

Apparently I'm doing this -- my open letter to that open latter about AI in writing and publishing. I emerged from Hibernation Week to write it, so god only knows how much sense it makes. But at least a human wrote it, so that's nice. Bonus: picture of my "cat," sweet baby Boomba.

Rose quartz and tiger's eye fidget pendants still up for grabs! Get 20% off now: oishiny.etsy.com/listing/1604... #Fidget #Stim #Meditation

So much love to all of my fellow radical left scum…

December 28, 2025

It’s uncanny.

You ready for our 2026 Valentines?? The art is ready for ya 😍 As with everything on our shop, sales of these valentines support @skypeascientist.bsky.social! This year's cards were designed by Philly artist @aprilfinfrock.bsky.social! Obsessed with how these turned out. order at SquidFacts.net

Why is universal healthcare so important? Everyone should have equal access to life-saving medicinal technology like this.

Well now, would you look at that? A massive, 4-YEAR-LONG study of NEARLY 30 MILLION people in France found that individuals who received a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine had a 74% LOWER risk of death from severe COVID-19 compared to unvaccinated individuals and ZERO increased risk of all-cause mortality.

Just so much BS that this planet has to put up with. Tech is out of control.

"I don't have an additional $900 lying around…” Millions of middle-class Americans who have ACA health plans are facing soaring premiums in 2026 — and tough coverage choices after the new rates kick in Jan. 1. And it often falls to women to figure out a family's insurance puzzle.”

I've seen this going around today and it's beautiful, so here's a gift link.