📚 Social Studies: 4 Economic-Political Systems Communism: state owns major industries and resources Social Democracy (~Democratic Socialism): markets plus strong public services Capitalism: private ownership, markets and competition Fascism: private ownership under authoritarian state direction

But rich people definitely shouldn’t pay their fair share in taxes because they stimulate the economy and the benefits trickle down to the rest of us. 🫠

A cop in Wisconsin used Flock to search his ex’s license plate information 200 times. Months later, the officer assigned to investigate him was criminally charged for doing the same thing. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

I can't breathe the air, I can't eat lettuce, I can't afford gas, and my kids have measles. But at least now our soldiers will have enough testosterone.

American soldiers to receive gender-affirming care www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/...

Decided to look at the classes taught at West Virginia University ’s Washington Center for Civics, Culture and Statesmanship (the one with one enrolled student) and it turns out it’s teaching classes on the wonders of fascism

The U.S.’s top scientific advisory body issued a report on Thursday backing a growing field of science called extreme event attribution that could help governments hold oil, gas and coal companies responsible for the damage caused by extreme weather.

It's wild that all the press keeps emphasizing how the Canadian wildfires are creating air quality problems for some US states, but oddly, the maps show that the USA is also on fire so... Meanwhile GOP lawmakers blame Canada (again) while actively undermining efforts to prevent this exact thing.

The grant that funded my graduate school education came from this directorate at NSF. We should triple it instead of cutting it.

These images of First Nations community members evacuating Collins, Ontario on motorboats are absolutely surreal www.facebook.com/reel/1548244...

My latest on Substack, a parenting story on approaching struggle or conflict with others.

As folks discuss #MitchMcConnell, wanted to point out this actually well done and, believe it or not, really interesting podcast series about McConnell. It certainly puts his thinking and political trajectory in perspective, regardless of what you think of him.

NEW: A 28-year-old man died Tuesday morning following an encounter with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations agents in St. Augustine, marking the third death involving ICE in a week.

Elon Musk's xAI has installed more than double the number of gas turbines than it has publicly acknowledged to power its Colossus 2 data center project, without federal permits, and the pollution is hitting predominantly Black neighborhoods the hardest reut.rs/4bIghEm

My dad is a volunteer for this. It’s a magical program that does a world of good.

MICHIGAN DEMOCRATS: If you have already voted for Mallory McMorrow and wish to change your vote, you can contact your local clerk to have your ballot spoiled and a new ballot issued. 🗳️

“climate change cancels america’s birthday party”

A guy I went to HS with 30 yrs ago sent me this. I can’t stop giggling about it: “all I remember about you is that you sat in the front row to the left of me in grade 11 Biology... You would read thick erotica novels during class but still did well.” That thick erotica was The Mists of Avalon. 📚

Latest on my substack: a reflection on how, as an immigrant, I learned to navigate the US #healthcare system, and a broader analysis of how it compares to other comparable countries.

Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito are full of shit in their dissents in the birthright citizenship case. Give me two minutes, and I'll explain why.

Some thoughts on challenges of teaching global health during these challenging times sciencepolitics.org/2026/04/17/w...

This is bone-chilling. A conservative hedge fund manager wants to require little girls to pass genital inspections for their “safety.” And it’s only for girls’ sports. There’s a clear link between transphobia and child sexual abuse.

Health spending in the US had grown 7.3% in 2025 to a whopping $5.7 trillion. This is the 3rd straight year that growth has been above 7%. Spending is projected to approach $9 trillion by 2034, at which point healthcare will devour 20.6% of the entire U.S. economy. 🧵

Latest on my substack: a reflection on how, as an immigrant, I learned to navigate the US #healthcare system, and a broader analysis of how it compares to other comparable countries.

The U.S. says Africans’ health data shared under humanitarian aid deals will be aggregated and anonymized, but the State Department’s demands have sparked an outcry in Africa and raised concerns that the data could be misused or exploited.

Wrote my first piece on Substack about our approaches to making a difference, and a foundation for thinking through how we might do good in the world, better. Please check it out and subscribe if you feel so inclined! I expect to post somewhat regularly.

🚨 New jobs! 🚨 We're looking for 2 Postdoctoral Research Fellows (1 quant, 1 qual), for a full-time, fixed-term position for up to 4 years! The Fellows will have full control over the nature/direction of their research while here 📝🌏 Deadline: 31 July 2026 🔗 www.sociology.ox.ac.uk/event/postdo...

The Trump administration just paid Invenergy $765 million to cancel four wind projects. That brings the running total to roughly $2.5 billion in taxpayer money spent to stop energy from being built. Think about that. At a time when electricity demand is rising,

secretary pete hegsgeth, everybody

Look, Congress actually did a thing! Now do affordable, high quality, accessible, meaningfully regulated, patient and provider friendly universal healthcare.

update: bsky.app/profile/publ...

Here's our original investigation: www.motherjones.com/criminal-jus...

OK, people. It takes 2 minutes to write a letter to Congress, a few extra if you personalize it. Russ Vought's attempt to take over ALL federal grant funding is anti-democratic and dangerous. We need MORE letters. Let's tip it over 2000 today. actionnetwork.org/letters/oppo...

The number of people enrolled in Medicaid and Affordable Care Act plans fell by more than 5 million in the last 12 months. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

March 9: "We're now totally independent of the Middle East. We don't need their oil." April 1: "It doesn't really affect us. We have so much oil, much more than we need." June 17: If I didn't agree to the MOU, we "would run out of reserves at about 4 weeks..."

Last weekend, 2025 Nobel Prize Laureate for Economics Dr. Joel Mokyr spoke at @weinbergcollege.bsky.social commencement at Northwestern University about #immigration. I urge you to take a look at it, starting at 24:45. It's an impassioned, inspiring 13 minute speech well worth your time.

1000x this. The ease of using AI makes it easy for folks to overlook what they are giving up in so doing. “Dystopian” indeed.

“Everything costs more and that’s a good thing” is a CRAZY economic message from the White House

There is a deep anti-intellectualism at the root of surveillance tech boosters. They don't care about what the evidence is or isn't, or what the potential impact on people's life, rights, or lived experiences is. Instead, they see corporate *domination* as the answer to complex social questions.

Campos: While I want to thank CBS news for funding this generous gift towards my education, I want to acknowledge how the recent direction of the outlet stains the legacy of Mike Wallace, the namesake of this scholarship.

I will never stop banging this drum! 🥁 There 🥁 is 🥁 no 🥁 AI 🥁 in 🥁 the 🥁 predictive 🥁 policing 🥁 in 🥁 Minority 🥁 Report! Its three psychics in a paddling pool!!

NEW: She Faced a Life-Threatening Miscarriage. Under Arkansas’ Abortion Ban, Even Calls to the Governor’s Office Didn’t Help. Emily Waldorf’s case shows how abortion bans have left hospital lawyers, not doctors, deciding who gets care — and how lawmakers and regulators have failed to change that.

Excellent Ebola Outbreak dashboard by the Ministry of Health in the DRC. You can view via link. sante.gouv.cd/epidemie/ebo...

I have been thinking a lot about the dozens of people ICE has sent to what is now the Ebola outbreak zone, especially Adriana Zapata, and I really appreciate @melodyschreiber.com reporting this out. 🙏🙏🙏

“.. We spotted nine Polymarket accounts .. who made collectively $2.4 million betting almost exclusively on U.S. Military operations. .. “.. Now, here is the crazy part. 98% win rates.” @mediaite.com www.mediaite.com/media/news/6...

Well, would ya look at that! NSF is going to send >10% of its current budget to industry (read: tech start ups) instead of universities…it’s as if the admin is trying to dismantle our basic science mechanism and use it as a start up fund for private companies 💁🏻‍♀️ www.nsf.gov/tip/updates/...