Damin Esper
@daminesper.bsky.social
Journalist, musician, broadcaster, media critic or red-headed, lumpy and with a loud voice - Hey, I'm Menelaus! Mr. Rogers was on Letterman on my 16th birthday. Ella Black enthusiast.
Reposted by Damin Esper
"Is there technology the left is excited about?" is the kind of question you only ask if you're wildly naive about technology.
mRNA vaccines. Heat pumps. Offshore wind. Urban mining. Sodium batteries.
But god forbid we're not fawning over every new implementation of Making Computers Bad At Math.
mRNA vaccines. Heat pumps. Offshore wind. Urban mining. Sodium batteries.
But god forbid we're not fawning over every new implementation of Making Computers Bad At Math.
February 18, 2026 at 2:58 PM
"Is there technology the left is excited about?" is the kind of question you only ask if you're wildly naive about technology.
mRNA vaccines. Heat pumps. Offshore wind. Urban mining. Sodium batteries.
But god forbid we're not fawning over every new implementation of Making Computers Bad At Math.
mRNA vaccines. Heat pumps. Offshore wind. Urban mining. Sodium batteries.
But god forbid we're not fawning over every new implementation of Making Computers Bad At Math.
Reposted by Damin Esper
Singer Minnie Riperton was known for her five octave vocal range. Many people probably first heard of her in 1974 when she released her hit album Perfect Angel. But her singing career started long before that.
Read more at the link below.
lorried.substack.com/p/rememberin...
Read more at the link below.
lorried.substack.com/p/rememberin...
Remembering Minnie Riperton
Extraordinary singer and women's health advocate.
lorried.substack.com
February 18, 2026 at 6:22 PM
Singer Minnie Riperton was known for her five octave vocal range. Many people probably first heard of her in 1974 when she released her hit album Perfect Angel. But her singing career started long before that.
Read more at the link below.
lorried.substack.com/p/rememberin...
Read more at the link below.
lorried.substack.com/p/rememberin...
Reposted by Damin Esper
Jackson paved way for Sanders. "Jackson was able to build a wider coalition by his second [presidential] campaign [in 1988], transforming himself... into someone who could bring together labor, white farmers, leftists, peace activists, organizations of color, & more..." jacobin.com/2026/02/jess...
Jesse Jackson Paved the Way for a New US Left
With his two unabashedly left-populist campaigns for president in 1984 and 1988, Jesse Jackson opened the door to Bernie Sanders’s presidential runs — and a reborn American socialist movement.
jacobin.com
February 19, 2026 at 1:50 AM
Jackson paved way for Sanders. "Jackson was able to build a wider coalition by his second [presidential] campaign [in 1988], transforming himself... into someone who could bring together labor, white farmers, leftists, peace activists, organizations of color, & more..." jacobin.com/2026/02/jess...
Reposted by Damin Esper
Thousands of institutions abandoned programs, ended or rewrote scholarships, closed down clubs and publications, all in pre-emptive compliance.
And you know why?
Mostly because they wanted to do it if they thought they could blame someone else for it.
And you know why?
Mostly because they wanted to do it if they thought they could blame someone else for it.
February 18, 2026 at 11:47 PM
Thousands of institutions abandoned programs, ended or rewrote scholarships, closed down clubs and publications, all in pre-emptive compliance.
And you know why?
Mostly because they wanted to do it if they thought they could blame someone else for it.
And you know why?
Mostly because they wanted to do it if they thought they could blame someone else for it.
Reposted by Damin Esper
Story on the news reminded that Jesse Jackson spoke in Buffalo in 2009 to honor the 1958 University at Buffalo Bulls for boycotting their first ever bowl game because they wouldn't let the team's 2 Black players play.
One of those was Willie Evans, one of my old gym teachers.
One of those was Willie Evans, one of my old gym teachers.
February 18, 2026 at 4:16 AM
Story on the news reminded that Jesse Jackson spoke in Buffalo in 2009 to honor the 1958 University at Buffalo Bulls for boycotting their first ever bowl game because they wouldn't let the team's 2 Black players play.
One of those was Willie Evans, one of my old gym teachers.
One of those was Willie Evans, one of my old gym teachers.
Reposted by Damin Esper
After initially rejecting Moderna’s application for review, the FDA will now consider the mRNA flu shot
FDA agrees to review Moderna mRNA flu vaccine in dramatic reversal
After initially rejecting Moderna’s application for review, the FDA will now consider the mRNA flu shot
www.scientificamerican.com
February 18, 2026 at 2:58 PM
After initially rejecting Moderna’s application for review, the FDA will now consider the mRNA flu shot
Reposted by Damin Esper
A South Korean court on Thursday sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of leading an insurrection when he briefly imposed martial law in 2024.
Here’s what to know: nyti.ms/46jedjI
Here’s what to know: nyti.ms/46jedjI
February 19, 2026 at 9:25 AM
A South Korean court on Thursday sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of leading an insurrection when he briefly imposed martial law in 2024.
Here’s what to know: nyti.ms/46jedjI
Here’s what to know: nyti.ms/46jedjI
Reposted by Damin Esper
This is your not so gentle reminder that DEI is NOT illegal.
February 18, 2026 at 10:17 PM
This is your not so gentle reminder that DEI is NOT illegal.
Reposted by Damin Esper
Can we talk a bit about the terms “First Amendment absolutist” and “free speech absolutist,” and whether they have any agreed-upon meaning?
I promise to try, to the utmost of my ability, to Be Respectful Of Other Opinions.
/1
I promise to try, to the utmost of my ability, to Be Respectful Of Other Opinions.
/1
February 18, 2026 at 10:18 PM
Can we talk a bit about the terms “First Amendment absolutist” and “free speech absolutist,” and whether they have any agreed-upon meaning?
I promise to try, to the utmost of my ability, to Be Respectful Of Other Opinions.
/1
I promise to try, to the utmost of my ability, to Be Respectful Of Other Opinions.
/1
Reposted by Damin Esper
It’s a talk show. We’ve reinvented the talk show.
(fwiw I called this whole ecosystem shift in my essay on Spotify for @niemanlab.org a little over eight years ago www.niemanlab.org/2017/12/watc...)
(fwiw I called this whole ecosystem shift in my essay on Spotify for @niemanlab.org a little over eight years ago www.niemanlab.org/2017/12/watc...)
February 19, 2026 at 7:56 AM
It’s a talk show. We’ve reinvented the talk show.
(fwiw I called this whole ecosystem shift in my essay on Spotify for @niemanlab.org a little over eight years ago www.niemanlab.org/2017/12/watc...)
(fwiw I called this whole ecosystem shift in my essay on Spotify for @niemanlab.org a little over eight years ago www.niemanlab.org/2017/12/watc...)
Reposted by Damin Esper
In a midnight statement the WNBA claimed the WNBPA's latest proposal would result in "hundreds of millions" in losses
The WNBA has never shared its financial records or provided clarity on the calculation used to determine these projected losses.
frontofficesports.com/wnbpa-seeks-...
The WNBA has never shared its financial records or provided clarity on the calculation used to determine these projected losses.
frontofficesports.com/wnbpa-seeks-...
WNBPA Seeks 25% of League Revenue in Counterproposal
In its latest counterproposal, the WNBPA is asking for an average of 27.5% of total league revenue over the life of the proposed deal.
frontofficesports.com
February 18, 2026 at 2:14 PM
In a midnight statement the WNBA claimed the WNBPA's latest proposal would result in "hundreds of millions" in losses
The WNBA has never shared its financial records or provided clarity on the calculation used to determine these projected losses.
frontofficesports.com/wnbpa-seeks-...
The WNBA has never shared its financial records or provided clarity on the calculation used to determine these projected losses.
frontofficesports.com/wnbpa-seeks-...
Reposted by Damin Esper
Reposted by Damin Esper
“Is there a technology the left is excited about?”
High-speed rail! MRNA vaccines! New cancer treatments! Solar and wind energy collection! Better and longer-range EVs! That wood that's harder than steel! New apples! Fibermaxxing! Buldak Swicy ramen! Muppets! Muppets are too a technology, shut up!
High-speed rail! MRNA vaccines! New cancer treatments! Solar and wind energy collection! Better and longer-range EVs! That wood that's harder than steel! New apples! Fibermaxxing! Buldak Swicy ramen! Muppets! Muppets are too a technology, shut up!
February 18, 2026 at 1:40 PM
“Is there a technology the left is excited about?”
High-speed rail! MRNA vaccines! New cancer treatments! Solar and wind energy collection! Better and longer-range EVs! That wood that's harder than steel! New apples! Fibermaxxing! Buldak Swicy ramen! Muppets! Muppets are too a technology, shut up!
High-speed rail! MRNA vaccines! New cancer treatments! Solar and wind energy collection! Better and longer-range EVs! That wood that's harder than steel! New apples! Fibermaxxing! Buldak Swicy ramen! Muppets! Muppets are too a technology, shut up!
Reposted by Damin Esper
max unemployment during the Great Depression was 25% and he throws the number 50% around like it wouldn’t be societally catastrophic. If AI takes half the jobs, a consumer-based economy will cease to exist
This article is very strange. While saying this is very unlikely it treats it wholly as an employment problem with no solution, but never contends with the fact that this would lead to an economic depression!
The Worst-Case Future for White-Collar Workers
The well-off have no experience with the job market that might be coming.
www.theatlantic.com
February 19, 2026 at 1:25 AM
max unemployment during the Great Depression was 25% and he throws the number 50% around like it wouldn’t be societally catastrophic. If AI takes half the jobs, a consumer-based economy will cease to exist
Reposted by Damin Esper
As a Giants fan I'm doing some research on our new starter.
Years he puked during a game:
2018: 3.29 ERA
2019: 3.72 ERA
2025: 3.31 ERA
Average: 3.44 ERA
Years he didn't puke during a game:
2020: 5.30 ERA
2021: 3.22 ERA
2022: 4.73 ERA
2023: 4.12 ERA
2024: 5.84 ERA
Average: 4.64 ERA
Years he puked during a game:
2018: 3.29 ERA
2019: 3.72 ERA
2025: 3.31 ERA
Average: 3.44 ERA
Years he didn't puke during a game:
2020: 5.30 ERA
2021: 3.22 ERA
2022: 4.73 ERA
2023: 4.12 ERA
2024: 5.84 ERA
Average: 4.64 ERA
Adrian Houser vomits inside White Sox dugout — and stays in to win game: ‘Puke and rally’
Adrian Houser vomits inside White Sox dugout — and stays in to win game: ‘Puke and rally’
Adrian Houser hurled again — on the mound and off it.
nypost.com
February 18, 2026 at 6:34 PM
As a Giants fan I'm doing some research on our new starter.
Years he puked during a game:
2018: 3.29 ERA
2019: 3.72 ERA
2025: 3.31 ERA
Average: 3.44 ERA
Years he didn't puke during a game:
2020: 5.30 ERA
2021: 3.22 ERA
2022: 4.73 ERA
2023: 4.12 ERA
2024: 5.84 ERA
Average: 4.64 ERA
Years he puked during a game:
2018: 3.29 ERA
2019: 3.72 ERA
2025: 3.31 ERA
Average: 3.44 ERA
Years he didn't puke during a game:
2020: 5.30 ERA
2021: 3.22 ERA
2022: 4.73 ERA
2023: 4.12 ERA
2024: 5.84 ERA
Average: 4.64 ERA
Reposted by Damin Esper
Reposted by Damin Esper
lol my unoriginal thought is bigotry is used as a distraction to keep common folk, from all backgrounds, from unionizing. 🤷🏿♀️
one reset I'd personally appreciate: behind the insistence that we must offer the electorate a little bigotry is the idea that commoners are more bigoted than the richer and more educated, who can be appealed to with high minded policy. but then you Ctrl+F "phrenology" in the Epstein files
What strikes me is that 'the volk' have incredibly incoherent and everywhere ideas, but the people who claim to speak for them in the press are like clerics who think there are two poles for all politics and everything must fit between them. These poles are like, eight inches apart
February 19, 2026 at 2:45 AM
lol my unoriginal thought is bigotry is used as a distraction to keep common folk, from all backgrounds, from unionizing. 🤷🏿♀️
Reposted by Damin Esper
NEW: The FDA has removed a webpage warning about dangerous therapies claiming to treat autism. It’s part of a series of actions the agency has taken under RFK Jr. to discredit long-established science.
By @megomatz.bsky.social
By @megomatz.bsky.social
Chlorine Dioxide, Raw Camel Milk: The FDA No Longer Warns Against These and Other Ineffective Autism Treatments
The FDA has taken down a webpage warning about therapies and products making “false claims” of treating autism. It’s part of a series of actions the agency has taken under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy ...
www.propublica.org
February 18, 2026 at 1:31 PM
NEW: The FDA has removed a webpage warning about dangerous therapies claiming to treat autism. It’s part of a series of actions the agency has taken under RFK Jr. to discredit long-established science.
By @megomatz.bsky.social
By @megomatz.bsky.social
Reposted by Damin Esper
Mercury was only 50 arcminutes (0.8°) above a very young waxing crescent Moon this evening. KAS member Pete Mumbower captured this image from his home in Vicksburg, MI.
February 19, 2026 at 12:44 AM
Mercury was only 50 arcminutes (0.8°) above a very young waxing crescent Moon this evening. KAS member Pete Mumbower captured this image from his home in Vicksburg, MI.
Reposted by Damin Esper
Jerry Morales, Chicago Cubs, 1977 Topps
February 19, 2026 at 6:17 AM
Jerry Morales, Chicago Cubs, 1977 Topps
Reposted by Damin Esper
Tesla dodged a bullet from the California DMV by getting rid of its Autopilot branding.
Now We Know Why Tesla Killed Autopilot
Tesla has discontinued Autopilot after 13 years and the California DMV is taking a victory lap after alleging that Autopilot was deceptively marketed, anyway.
insideevs.com
February 19, 2026 at 2:12 AM
Tesla dodged a bullet from the California DMV by getting rid of its Autopilot branding.
Reposted by Damin Esper
Two female ICE agents popped the hood of their car and knocked on the door of a mechanic born in Mexico. He went out to help.
“A bunch of agents jump out and tackle him, essentially restraining him, and take him away...His six kids are now without their father." www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
“A bunch of agents jump out and tackle him, essentially restraining him, and take him away...His six kids are now without their father." www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
ICE drawdown? Indications point to steady enforcement activity outside the Twin Cities
Some people who observe ICE activity are skeptical about a large scale drawdown of agents in the state. There are indications that activity has decreased in the Twin Cities, but has continued outside ...
www.mprnews.org
February 19, 2026 at 1:42 AM
Two female ICE agents popped the hood of their car and knocked on the door of a mechanic born in Mexico. He went out to help.
“A bunch of agents jump out and tackle him, essentially restraining him, and take him away...His six kids are now without their father." www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
“A bunch of agents jump out and tackle him, essentially restraining him, and take him away...His six kids are now without their father." www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
Reposted by Damin Esper
Austin officer accused of excessive force in punch on 6th Street fired
Austin officer accused of excessive force in punch on 6th Street fired
Last October, someone recorded the moment Officer Andy Garcia punched James Rodriguez in the face on Sixth Street. Rodriguez is now suing the city and Garcia...
www.youtube.com
February 19, 2026 at 12:42 AM
Austin officer accused of excessive force in punch on 6th Street fired
Reposted by Damin Esper
Dozens of Minnesota GOP lawmakers propose bill to criminalize residential protesting
#MN #ICEOUT #1A #FDT #WalterHudson
www.yahoo.com/news/article...
#MN #ICEOUT #1A #FDT #WalterHudson
www.yahoo.com/news/article...
Dozens of Minnesota GOP lawmakers propose bill to criminalize residential protesting
If passed, the bill would allow for misdemeanor charges in demonstrations outside a person's home.
www.yahoo.com
February 18, 2026 at 12:13 AM
Dozens of Minnesota GOP lawmakers propose bill to criminalize residential protesting
#MN #ICEOUT #1A #FDT #WalterHudson
www.yahoo.com/news/article...
#MN #ICEOUT #1A #FDT #WalterHudson
www.yahoo.com/news/article...
Reposted by Damin Esper
Journalists Arrested in Cameroon While Reporting on Trump’s Secretive Deportation Program
www.nytimes.com
February 19, 2026 at 5:42 AM