So much for freedom for veterans and VA employees. Based on this article, political belief/affiliation and marital status can be basis for denial of care or employment. If I am reading it correctly, it goes beyond Democrats and unmarried vets (featured in the headline) being potentially harmed by this. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/16/va-doctors-refuse-treat-patients

Offline, LA residents report normalcy. Trump says there’s mass carnage. This article is good - it describes the alternate realities on divergent platforms. The feeling of not being able to trust your eyes. But it uses the word “misinformation” and that’s not it. www.cnn.com/2025/06/10/m...

Social media algorithms boost ...

This is the authoritarian ratchet.

If Trump can, in defiance of the Supreme Court, arbitrarily "disappear" non-citizens in El Salvador, anyone else could be next — including journalists who report on his administration.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/president-el-salvador-wont-return-deported-man-kilmar-abrego-garcia-rcna201136

Tonight I am a fan of Harvard U. Acquiescence to this admin’s demands will never be enough (as Columbia U learned). https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/14/harvard-university-trump-federal-grants-00289619

Bring. Him. Home.

Flexport's CEO, who handles international logistics, says some clients it works with have already *stopped plans to build factories in the US* because tariffs have made buying equipment to expensive

A reminder that if the government can send migrants to a prison camp without any due process, it can send U.S. citizens there, too. I know because this happened to me and my family in 1942.

5.9 billion dollar contract to SpaceX?!? I wonder how long until DOGE cancels that contract. (sarcasm)
#conflictofinterest #corruption

DOGE released data about federal contract savings. It doesn't add up
https://www.npr.org/2025/02/19/nx-s1-5302705/doge-overstates-savings-federal-contracts

"review of the more than 1,100 contracts in that initial release finds that DOGE's "maximally transparent" calculations still overstate its estimated savings totals by billions of dollars...

#NPR analysis found that... #DOGE has cut just $2 billion in spending — less than three hundredths of a percent [0.03%] of last fiscal year's federal spending."

#Musk #Lies #Propaganda #Disinformation #News #USA

Spent time this morning at the #publiclibrary. Comfortable place to read, people working at computers, person tutoring and student in math, young parents with their kids exploring the world. Events recently highlight the importance of appreciating such public spaces and tge public employees who work so these space can function. #appreciation #publicservants #governmemt

My wife and many of her friends are sociologists. She forwarded me this text that one of her friends found. Apparently it was also written by a sociologist. I found it helpful. Maybe you will too.

"As a sociologist, I need to tell you that your being overwhelmed is the goal.
1/ The flood of 200+ executive orders in Trump's first days exemplifies Naomi Klein's "shock doctrine" - using chaos and crisis to push through radical changes while people are too disoriented to effectively resist. This isn't just politics as usual - it's a strategic exploitation of cognitive limits.
2/ Media theorist McLuhan predicted this: When humans face information overload, they become passive and disengaged. The rapid-fire executive orders create a cognitive bottleneck, making it nearly impossible for citizens and media to thoroughly analyze any single policy.
3/ Agenda-setting theory explains the strategy: When multiple major policies compete for attention simultaneously, it fragments public discourse. Traditional media can't keep up with the pace, leading to superficial coverage.
The result? Weakened democratic oversight and reduced public engagement.
What now?
1/ Set boundaries: Pick 2-3 key issues you deeply care about and focus your attention there. You can't track everything - that's by design. Impact comes from sustained focus, not scattered awareness.
2/ Use aggregators & experts: Find trusted analysts who do the heavy lifting of synthesis. Look for those explaining patterns, not just events.
3/ Remember: Feeling overwhelmed is the point. When you recognize this, you regain some power. Take breaks. Process. This is a marathon.
4/ Practice going slow: Wait 48hrs before reacting to new policies. The urgent clouds the important. Initial reporting often misses context
5/ Build community: Share the cognitive load. Different people track different issues. Network intelligence beats individual overload.
Remember: They want you scattered. Your focus is resistance.”

UPDATE: it seems that this Threads post is the origin of the above sentiment: https://www.threads.net/@itsjenniferwalter/post/DFIu3Q2q-5P

While I don't love linking to Threads, I think it's important to give credit where credit is due.

#resist #trump

Price of gas went up last week. Eggs not available this week in grocery. Freedom of speech deteriorating. Citizens and noncitizens both worried about deportation by ICE. We should judge Trump based on his results. #trumpfailures

Pop quiz: Is the red line (at the beginning of the large surge in mass shootings):

- When mental health problems began?
- When violent video games started being published?
- Or when the Republicans allowed the assault weapon ban to expire?

Vote for sensible gun laws in every election, and #vote Democrat at every level.

Auto translation on IG suddenly translates an Arabic phrase on Palestinian profiles as “terrorist”, and Meta describes as a bug (which they corrected). Another example that we need more reflection on auto translation and how the programmers and staff have influence over the translation, as well as the algorithms that determine what we see and what can be said. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/oct/20/instagram-palestinian-user-profile-bios-terrorist-added-translation-meta-apology