Samuel Workman | Lightnews

Sam Workman

@sam-workman.bsky.social

2.1K followers 570 following 1.1K posts

🍸cocktails 📜 policy 📊 data

📍Morgantown, West Virginia, Appalachia

🌎 https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-workman
🌎 https://samuelworkman.owlstown.net
🌏 https://open.substack.com/pub/samuelworkman

Videos

Environmental science 41%

Political science 15%

Posts Replies Media Videos

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Sam Workman @sam-workman.bsky.social · 1d

This week at the 𝘼𝙥𝙥𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙮, we discuss the vagaries of impervious cookies and a a Scottish lass with cinnamon lips. 🍸 #Appalachia

Scottish Sandie

Red hair, blue eyes, cinnamon lips

open.substack.com

Sam Workman @sam-workman.bsky.social · 21h

In the minority on this probably, but really love these types of SBs. No desire whatsoever to see pro teams play arena league football. #gohawks

Sam Workman @sam-workman.bsky.social · 1d

You win BlueSky today.

Sam Workman @sam-workman.bsky.social · 3d

The air pollution angle for co-location of power and data centers is playing out in WV. Davis and Thomas are mountain towns whose economic base is tourism and recreation. Likely a substitutive rather than complementary economic development strategy. 💡🔌 🏛️ #Appalachia

Proposed Power Plant Clears Another Hurdle

State board largely rejects complaints about pollution monitoring and other concerns.

open.substack.com

Sam Workman @sam-workman.bsky.social · 4d

Incentives abound. Right now though, the most damning arguments opposing aren't environmental ones, but arguments about ratepayers, infrastructure funding, and grid reliability. They'd much rather have an environmental argument than those.

Sam Workman @sam-workman.bsky.social · 5d

Right now, there are two angles that aren't always coordinated. 1. the environmental/resource angle dealing with these issues. 2. The rate payer and infrastructure angle (which seems more problematic for the industry).

Sam Workman @sam-workman.bsky.social · 5d

There is a torrent of these types of studies coming, re: energy and water use of data centers. Big implications for how opponents frame the debate. The water version was released a few weeks back. I've no doubt there are efficiency gains over time. 🔌💡 🏛️

What's the carbon footprint of using ChatGPT or Gemini? [August 2025 update]

A new study from Google suggests its Gemini LLM uses around 0.24 Wh per text query. That's the same energy as using a microwave for one second.

open.substack.com

Reposted by Mark Lubell

Sam Workman @sam-workman.bsky.social · 6d

Surge of Democrats, women file to run for office in West Virginia’s 2026 primary election

Best showing in a bit. Maybe the canary in the coal mine (pun intended). Whether they win or not it's an indicator of larger shifts. Good coverage from @westvirginiawatch.com and @lorikerseywv.bsky.social.

Surge of Democrats, women file to run for office in West Virginia’s 2026 primary election • West Virginia Watch

Democrats have filed to run for at least 85 seats in the West Virginia House of Delegates and 17 of the 19 seats up for grabs in the Senate.

westvirginiawatch.com

Sam Workman @sam-workman.bsky.social · 6d

Just completely detached from the reality of rural connectedness, or rather, the lack of it. I don't think the average person can even conceive of the level to which rural areas here are not a part of the "gig"/"knowledge"/"tech" economy. #Appalachia

Vyvyan Basterd @vyvyanbasterd.bsky.social · 6d

i will believe him if he comes with me to Cherry Grove, WV (pop: can't find an exact ref but under 200) and explain to them how "AI-based avatars" are gonna work when they can't get any high-speed internet at all

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 7d

Dr Oz on rural healthcare: "There's no question about it, whether you want it or not -- the best way to help some of these communities is gonna be AI-based avatars"

Sam Workman @sam-workman.bsky.social · 6d

Grab the West Virginia Weakly for an update on the legislature and important issues around the Mountain State. @gilessnyder.bsky.social also does a great job at a lifestyle brand rooted in place, community, and Appalachian identity.

The Daily West Virginia Weakly: February 3, 2026

Democrats energized, campaign finance reports, school funding recommendations and an interview with Senate President Randy Smith (R-Preston)

open.substack.com

Reposted by Samuel Workman

Vyvyan Basterd @vyvyanbasterd.bsky.social · 6d

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 7d

Dr Oz on rural healthcare: "There's no question about it, whether you want it or not -- the best way to help some of these communities is gonna be AI-based avatars"

Reposted by Will Jennings, Ruth Dassonneville, Jon Green , and 7 more Will Jennings, Ruth Dassonneville, Jon Green, Justin H. Kirkland, Chris Hanretty, Samuel Workman, Jack Lucas, Claudia Landwehr, David Darmofal, Roman Senninger

Lior Sheffer @liorsheffer.bsky.social · 6d

New and open access, in @psrm.bsky.social: What happens when we make politicians draw distributions? Nic Dias, @jacklucas.bsky.social and I explore whether the large errors politicians make about public opinion are artificially inflated by how researchers ask them to estimate it /1
cup.org/4kltoyE

Sam Workman @sam-workman.bsky.social · 6d

I feel you. And I agree. But, is the problem the discipline or journalistic norms? Incentives matter.

Sam Workman @sam-workman.bsky.social · 6d

1. The Beatles
2. The Beatles
3. The Beatles
4. The Beatles
5. The Beatles.

Dave @daveamp.bsky.social · 8d

1. Radiohead
2. Father John Misty
3. Bon Iver
4. LCD Soundsystem
5. Dave Matthews Band

Gurt Sherm @gurtsherm.bsky.social · 9d

I want five bands you can't fucking stand

1. Blink 182
2. Fall Out Boy
3. Panic At The Disco
4. I Hate Billy Joel So Much
5. That I Will List Billy Joel Twice

Sam Workman @sam-workman.bsky.social · 7d

The title of my biography.

William Shakespeare @shakespeare.lol · 7d

The picture of an angry chafing boar

Reposted by Samuel Workman

William Shakespeare @shakespeare.lol · 7d

The picture of an angry chafing boar

Sam Workman @sam-workman.bsky.social · 8d

Long lost siblings, I'd say.

Sam Workman @sam-workman.bsky.social · 8d

We are one.

Sam Workman @sam-workman.bsky.social · 8d

This week at the 𝘈𝘱𝘱𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘺, we we're panning for nuggets and celebrating the great North. Take a peek at a cocktail for the last frontier. #cocktails 🍸🍹

Alaska Cocktail

A golden beacon for the long night

open.substack.com

Reposted by Samuel Workman

Dave @daveamp.bsky.social · 8d

1. Radiohead
2. Father John Misty
3. Bon Iver
4. LCD Soundsystem
5. Dave Matthews Band

Gurt Sherm @gurtsherm.bsky.social · 9d

I want five bands you can't fucking stand

1. Blink 182
2. Fall Out Boy
3. Panic At The Disco
4. I Hate Billy Joel So Much
5. That I Will List Billy Joel Twice

Sam Workman @sam-workman.bsky.social · 8d

Yep

Sam Workman @sam-workman.bsky.social · 8d

Great that RAND is carrying the water here. But the fact that they have to just highlights the dreadful position higher education is in by way of polarization. Lots of experts here, but not a lot of trust. Thanks to @mtnstspotlight.bsky.social for the coverage. WV 🏛️

As public schools face a financial crisis, consultants urged lawmakers to rethink school funding

RAND consultants hired by the House of Delegates recommended lawmakers cap the Hope Scholarship and rethink the public school funding formula.

mountainstatespotlight.org

Sam Workman @sam-workman.bsky.social · 9d

Yep!

Sam Workman @sam-workman.bsky.social · 9d

In order of my edification:

Sociology of Women
Trigonometry
Statistics for Engineers
Drama - Set Building
Calculus I and II (sorry)

Dan Vock @danvock.bsky.social · 10d

Never mind the jobs you had, tell me five classes you took in college

Calc II
Irish drama
Bertolt Brecht auf deutsch
Poetry writing
Race in America

Trish Greenhalgh @trishgreenhalgh.bsky.social · 10d

Never mind the jobs you had, tell me five classes you took at university.

Political philosophy
Women’s studies
Sociology of education
Psychoanalysis
Water polo

Reposted by Samuel Workman, Nathan P. Kalmoe

Dan Vock @danvock.bsky.social · 10d

Never mind the jobs you had, tell me five classes you took in college

Calc II
Irish drama
Bertolt Brecht auf deutsch
Poetry writing
Race in America

Trish Greenhalgh @trishgreenhalgh.bsky.social · 10d

Never mind the jobs you had, tell me five classes you took at university.

Political philosophy
Women’s studies
Sociology of education
Psychoanalysis
Water polo

Travis Pashak @profpash.bsky.social · 10d

Never mind the jobs you had, tell me five classes you took at university.

1. Polish
2. Ice Ages
3. Marching Band
4. Physics of Music
5. Sociology of Family

(Plus loads of psych, but that goes without saying. These seemed the five most interesting to mention in retrospect.)

Reposted by Rosemary A. Joyce, Samuel Workman, David Darmofal

E.J. Fagan @ejfagan.com · 10d

People are reading this way wrong. Schumer detached DHS from the other five bills in return for a two week CR on the DHS bill. Now Democrats can make demands on DHS spending without having to shut down agencies covered in the other five bills. They have way more leverage to get real concessions.

John @johnlk.bsky.social · 11d

People just going out here saying the literal opposite of what happened. Thune caved! Thune did! This is a cave by Thune and Senate Republicans, any possible way you cut it.

Reposted by Ian Campbell, Samuel Workman, David Darmofal

John @johnlk.bsky.social · 11d

People just going out here saying the literal opposite of what happened. Thune caved! Thune did! This is a cave by Thune and Senate Republicans, any possible way you cut it.

Sam Workman @sam-workman.bsky.social · 11d

Great piece by @donmoyn.bsky.social here. I think there should be serious attention to cost-benefit analysis with the same frame. Some of its good, some is meant to obscure the benefit of government doing things. Much farmed out to consultants.

The Means-Testing Industrial Complex

The vendors getting rich from putting administrative burdens on the poor

open.substack.com

Reposted by Philip N. Cohen, Jussi T. Eronen, David R. Miller , and 6 more Philip N. Cohen, Jussi T. Eronen, David R. Miller, Samuel Workman, Bessma Momani, Lisa Diedrich, Ann Bartow, Clark Gray, David Darmofal

Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 13d

one of the least-appreciated own-goals happening right now is the deliberate sabotage of our knowledge/research sector www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Texas Halts Hiring of H-1B Workers at State Colleges, Agencies

Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered state agencies and public universities to immediately freeze new H-1B visa petitions, curtailing a program that has also been overhauled by President Donald Trump.

www.bloomberg.com

Sam Workman @sam-workman.bsky.social · 14d

Thanks Tammy!

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