David Nelson
@dtnelson.bsky.social
Former local political guy. Delegate to '08 & '12 GOP Nat'l Conventions; Rules Committee 2012. Retired aeronautical engineer. Purdue alum. Always #NeverTrump. Located in Seattle USA.
Pinned
David Nelson
@dtnelson.bsky.social
· Feb 21
UNITED24 - The initiative of the President of Ukraine
UNITED24 was launched by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the main venue for collecting charitable donations in support of Ukraine. Funds will be transferred to the official accounts of...
u24.gov.ua
Now would be a good time for Americans to donate to United24 (@u24.gov.ua), to show that we support Ukraine. I have been donating throughout the current war and I just made another donation. Please donate. u24.gov.ua
Reposted by David Nelson
hello and welcome to the political genius exam. here is question one. which is a more compelling message:
- the president is sending armies to occupy cities and kidnap and kill people and your town could be next
- a meal at the cheesecake factory that previously cost $100 now costs $104.9
- the president is sending armies to occupy cities and kidnap and kill people and your town could be next
- a meal at the cheesecake factory that previously cost $100 now costs $104.9
Romance alert: Trump's reckless tariffs have Valentine’s Day costs up across the board:
Roses 🌹16.6%
Chocolates🍫 18.7%
Ribeye 🥩 25.4%
Restaurant meals 🍽️ 4.9%
Roses 🌹16.6%
Chocolates🍫 18.7%
Ribeye 🥩 25.4%
Restaurant meals 🍽️ 4.9%
February 14, 2026 at 6:19 PM
hello and welcome to the political genius exam. here is question one. which is a more compelling message:
- the president is sending armies to occupy cities and kidnap and kill people and your town could be next
- a meal at the cheesecake factory that previously cost $100 now costs $104.9
- the president is sending armies to occupy cities and kidnap and kill people and your town could be next
- a meal at the cheesecake factory that previously cost $100 now costs $104.9
Reposted by David Nelson
Inside the Debacle That Led to the Closure of El Paso’s Airspace
www.nytimes.com
February 15, 2026 at 4:07 AM
Reposted by David Nelson
On the one hand, good news. On the other hand, why was this even a question?
Utah Sen. John Curtis shot down Trump nominee Jeremy Carl, who has repeatedly expressed a belief in the white nationalist “great replacement theory,” to serve as assistant secretary of state for international organizations.
Breaking with his party, Utah’s Sen. John Curtis is sinking a Trump State Department pick
Citing “insensitive remarks about the Jewish people,” Utah’s Sen. John Curtis announced Thursday he will oppose a high-level State Department nomination from President Donald Trump, likely crushing it.
www.sltrib.com
February 15, 2026 at 2:32 AM
On the one hand, good news. On the other hand, why was this even a question?
Reposted by David Nelson
The Rubio speech is incoherent and hypocritical. He denounces Soviet communism, the threat and division it sowed in Europe, yet has absolutely nothing to say about Ru's current attempt to restore restore the Soviet empire by re-invading and re-subordinating swaths of Europe. What's worse,...
February 15, 2026 at 2:27 AM
The Rubio speech is incoherent and hypocritical. He denounces Soviet communism, the threat and division it sowed in Europe, yet has absolutely nothing to say about Ru's current attempt to restore restore the Soviet empire by re-invading and re-subordinating swaths of Europe. What's worse,...
Reposted by David Nelson
I always like to tell this story but during WWII, a 23 year old PHD mathematician from Harvard was able to solve the 8th Air Force’s gunnery problem in like 2 months without spending a day in the military (turns out you have to lead your target)
Hegseth to US military: if you get into MIT, we won't let you attend because of the risk that you will be exposed to ideas hostile to MAGA when you study there.
February 14, 2026 at 10:06 PM
I always like to tell this story but during WWII, a 23 year old PHD mathematician from Harvard was able to solve the 8th Air Force’s gunnery problem in like 2 months without spending a day in the military (turns out you have to lead your target)
Reposted by David Nelson
The Rubio speech really is appalling, and if you haven’t read it yet, you should.
www.state.gov/releases/off...
www.state.gov/releases/off...
February 15, 2026 at 12:47 AM
The Rubio speech really is appalling, and if you haven’t read it yet, you should.
www.state.gov/releases/off...
www.state.gov/releases/off...
Reposted by David Nelson
this is an excellent article that breaks down all the ways Trump might try to subvert the election and the practical realities thereof
he will bluster, he will rage, he will spread conspiracy theories that damage trust in our elections… and he will lose
if you’re really worried, read it
he will bluster, he will rage, he will spread conspiracy theories that damage trust in our elections… and he will lose
if you’re really worried, read it
His attacks on the midterms are real and dangerous… and aren’t going to work. Running down the case for an optimistic threat assessment @theunpopulist.net :
Worry, Don't Panic, Over Trump's Efforts to Subvert the Elections
America's system is quite foolproof but he can still try to delegitimize it
www.theunpopulist.net
February 14, 2026 at 5:22 PM
this is an excellent article that breaks down all the ways Trump might try to subvert the election and the practical realities thereof
he will bluster, he will rage, he will spread conspiracy theories that damage trust in our elections… and he will lose
if you’re really worried, read it
he will bluster, he will rage, he will spread conspiracy theories that damage trust in our elections… and he will lose
if you’re really worried, read it
Reposted by David Nelson
February 15, 2026 at 3:41 AM
Reposted by David Nelson
French President Emmanuel Macron slammed Russia at the Munich Security Conference today:
“Russia after the invasion of Ukraine is a weakened country. It has spent enormous sums on a pointless war and has entered a recession. It is economically isolated. It is fully dependent on China.
“Russia after the invasion of Ukraine is a weakened country. It has spent enormous sums on a pointless war and has entered a recession. It is economically isolated. It is fully dependent on China.
February 15, 2026 at 4:04 AM
French President Emmanuel Macron slammed Russia at the Munich Security Conference today:
“Russia after the invasion of Ukraine is a weakened country. It has spent enormous sums on a pointless war and has entered a recession. It is economically isolated. It is fully dependent on China.
“Russia after the invasion of Ukraine is a weakened country. It has spent enormous sums on a pointless war and has entered a recession. It is economically isolated. It is fully dependent on China.
Reposted by David Nelson
Arrogance + disregard for procedure by military were part of backstory of Potomac crash. fallows.substack.com/p/what-weve-...
Now this has been turned up to 11 under preening Hegseth, know-nothing Sean Duffy, and "gee I wonder what this button does?" MAGA team.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/14/u...
Now this has been turned up to 11 under preening Hegseth, know-nothing Sean Duffy, and "gee I wonder what this button does?" MAGA team.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/14/u...
Inside the Debacle That Led to the Closure of El Paso’s Airspace
www.nytimes.com
February 15, 2026 at 12:00 AM
Arrogance + disregard for procedure by military were part of backstory of Potomac crash. fallows.substack.com/p/what-weve-...
Now this has been turned up to 11 under preening Hegseth, know-nothing Sean Duffy, and "gee I wonder what this button does?" MAGA team.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/14/u...
Now this has been turned up to 11 under preening Hegseth, know-nothing Sean Duffy, and "gee I wonder what this button does?" MAGA team.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/14/u...
Reposted by David Nelson
I work in procurement and our vendors have been rolling out AI systems and... it has been a disaster. The AI gets everything wrong and I have to navigate a labyrinthian telephone menu to get to a human to fix it.
This has big "We'll colonize the moon in 10 years!" Musk energy.
This has big "We'll colonize the moon in 10 years!" Musk energy.
February 14, 2026 at 2:03 PM
I work in procurement and our vendors have been rolling out AI systems and... it has been a disaster. The AI gets everything wrong and I have to navigate a labyrinthian telephone menu to get to a human to fix it.
This has big "We'll colonize the moon in 10 years!" Musk energy.
This has big "We'll colonize the moon in 10 years!" Musk energy.
Reposted by David Nelson
Trump is saying that he will disregard Congress and issue an Excutive order that will violate the Constitution.
Here is my promise: If he does that, we will sue and we will win. Just like we did the last time. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
Here is my promise: If he does that, we will sue and we will win. Just like we did the last time. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
Trump: ‘There will be Voter I.D. for the Midterm Elections, whether approved by Congress or not!’
"I have searched the depths of Legal Arguments not yet articulated or vetted on this subject, and will be presenting an irrefutable one in the very near future," wrote Trump, who is not a lawyer.
www.democracydocket.com
February 15, 2026 at 12:15 AM
Trump is saying that he will disregard Congress and issue an Excutive order that will violate the Constitution.
Here is my promise: If he does that, we will sue and we will win. Just like we did the last time. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
Here is my promise: If he does that, we will sue and we will win. Just like we did the last time. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
Reposted by David Nelson
Sort of gives away the lie that they're arresting hardened criminals who are drags on society when they're setting up traps to lure in Good Samaritans
CCTV footage appears to show DHS agents posing as people having car trouble in order to lure a target out of his house before arresting them. The target comes out and starts helping them before 3 vehicles surround the scene. The car "experiencing" trouble then drives off with them.
February 15, 2026 at 1:10 AM
Sort of gives away the lie that they're arresting hardened criminals who are drags on society when they're setting up traps to lure in Good Samaritans
Reposted by David Nelson
Audits in Utah, Idaho, Louisiana, Montana, and Georgia found a few dozen possible noncitizen registrants out of millions—and virtually no voting. Trump’s claim that noncitizens are swinging elections is false, says Cato’s Stephen Richer.
https://ow.ly/1ky450YewC3
https://ow.ly/1ky450YewC3
February 13, 2026 at 7:00 PM
Audits in Utah, Idaho, Louisiana, Montana, and Georgia found a few dozen possible noncitizen registrants out of millions—and virtually no voting. Trump’s claim that noncitizens are swinging elections is false, says Cato’s Stephen Richer.
https://ow.ly/1ky450YewC3
https://ow.ly/1ky450YewC3
Reposted by David Nelson
“In less than a year, DHS has attacked the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 14th amendments to the US Constitution, the writ of habeas corpus, the independent judiciary, and much more,” states David Bier before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee.
Read full testimony: https://ow.ly/z2aT50Yfcri
Read full testimony: https://ow.ly/z2aT50Yfcri
February 13, 2026 at 8:03 PM
“In less than a year, DHS has attacked the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 14th amendments to the US Constitution, the writ of habeas corpus, the independent judiciary, and much more,” states David Bier before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee.
Read full testimony: https://ow.ly/z2aT50Yfcri
Read full testimony: https://ow.ly/z2aT50Yfcri
Reposted by David Nelson
Via @mikescarcella.bsky.social, here's the investor lawsuit against Steve Bannon and Boris Epshteyn for their fraudulent cryptocurrency.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
February 14, 2026 at 8:23 AM
Via @mikescarcella.bsky.social, here's the investor lawsuit against Steve Bannon and Boris Epshteyn for their fraudulent cryptocurrency.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Reposted by David Nelson
At the very last minute, Secretary 'Lil' Marco Rubio cancelled out on a long-planned meeting between European leaders and Ukraine. The message is obvious: the Trump Administration supports Putin and is uninterested in protecting Ukraine, or any other European ally, from attack.
Rubio skips Ukraine meeting with European leaders in Munich
US secretary of state cancels attendance at last minute in move that EU official calls ‘insane’
www.ft.com
February 14, 2026 at 1:46 AM
At the very last minute, Secretary 'Lil' Marco Rubio cancelled out on a long-planned meeting between European leaders and Ukraine. The message is obvious: the Trump Administration supports Putin and is uninterested in protecting Ukraine, or any other European ally, from attack.
Reposted by David Nelson
Look between the perennial benchmark underperformance, shotgun wedding with SpaceX, and mass exodus, I think we can officially declare xAI roadkill, gone the way of Mistral or Facebook as members of the permanent LLM underclass (and without even the benefit of an open source community around them!)
The co-founder exodus at xAI is blamed on Elon’s focus on Grok producing NSFW content and being perennially behind leading labs like OpenAI and Anthropic.
I guess being pioneers in AI generated CSAM and deepfake porn was less exciting than they originally imagined.🤷🏾♂️
I guess being pioneers in AI generated CSAM and deepfake porn was less exciting than they originally imagined.🤷🏾♂️
xAI's founder exodus reportedly tied to safety concerns and frustration over Grok's failure to catch up
Elon Musk's AI company xAI is hemorrhaging talent. Former employees describe a culture of missing safety standards, growing disillusionment, and a constant race to catch up with OpenAI and Anthropic.
the-decoder.com
February 14, 2026 at 2:52 AM
Look between the perennial benchmark underperformance, shotgun wedding with SpaceX, and mass exodus, I think we can officially declare xAI roadkill, gone the way of Mistral or Facebook as members of the permanent LLM underclass (and without even the benefit of an open source community around them!)
Reposted by David Nelson
Can someone remind me who is the majority party? WaPo seems to need help here.
I thought it was the GOP, who despite what the WaPo wants you to think, actually have some agency. Lots, really, tho you’d never get that idea from the media.
I thought it was the GOP, who despite what the WaPo wants you to think, actually have some agency. Lots, really, tho you’d never get that idea from the media.
Note the framing here:
It’s “Democrats have refused to fund” DHS and not “Republicans refused to prohibit face masks” or “the two parties could not agree on how to reform the agency.”
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
It’s “Democrats have refused to fund” DHS and not “Republicans refused to prohibit face masks” or “the two parties could not agree on how to reform the agency.”
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
February 14, 2026 at 3:00 AM
Can someone remind me who is the majority party? WaPo seems to need help here.
I thought it was the GOP, who despite what the WaPo wants you to think, actually have some agency. Lots, really, tho you’d never get that idea from the media.
I thought it was the GOP, who despite what the WaPo wants you to think, actually have some agency. Lots, really, tho you’d never get that idea from the media.
Reposted by David Nelson
Pretty obvious who benefits from Trump being president.
February 14, 2026 at 3:07 AM
Pretty obvious who benefits from Trump being president.
Reposted by David Nelson
This would be a crime even on the battlefield.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: “I was literally begging the agent who was holding me back to let me do CPR,” she told The Intercept.
The Woman Alex Pretti Was Killed Trying to Defend Is an EMT. Federal Agents Stopped Her From Giving First Aid.
One of the women Alex Pretti was killed trying to defend is an EMT. Federal agents stopped her from giving him first aid.
interc.pt
February 14, 2026 at 3:26 AM
This would be a crime even on the battlefield.
Reposted by David Nelson
Repeat after me:
An executive order is not a royal edict; it is not law. It is a direction to the executive branch as to how to carry out the law.
Also:
Key parts of Trump's last EO on elections have been stopped by federal courts, ruling that the President has no role to play in federal elections
An executive order is not a royal edict; it is not law. It is a direction to the executive branch as to how to carry out the law.
Also:
Key parts of Trump's last EO on elections have been stopped by federal courts, ruling that the President has no role to play in federal elections
Trump’s follow up post says he’s going to issue an executive order on voter ID.
“If we can't get it through Congress, there are Legal reasons why this SCAM is not permitted. I will be presenting them shortly, in the form of an Executive Order.”
“If we can't get it through Congress, there are Legal reasons why this SCAM is not permitted. I will be presenting them shortly, in the form of an Executive Order.”
February 13, 2026 at 10:17 PM
Repeat after me:
An executive order is not a royal edict; it is not law. It is a direction to the executive branch as to how to carry out the law.
Also:
Key parts of Trump's last EO on elections have been stopped by federal courts, ruling that the President has no role to play in federal elections
An executive order is not a royal edict; it is not law. It is a direction to the executive branch as to how to carry out the law.
Also:
Key parts of Trump's last EO on elections have been stopped by federal courts, ruling that the President has no role to play in federal elections
Reposted by David Nelson
This is worth reading, but read it with both your eyes open: it’s clearly coming from ICE’s Lyons, CPB’s Scott and Tom Homan to preserve their secret police while marginalizing their bureaucratic rivals
Firing a pilot for leaving Kristi Noem's blanket behind. Berating staff when she's not on TV enough. Inside the constant chaos at DHS.
A Pilot Fired Over Kristi Noem’s Missing Blanket and the Constant Chaos Inside DHS
Secretary faces fire for confrontational immigration crackdown and self-promotional style; White House to wind down Minnesota operations.
on.wsj.com
February 13, 2026 at 12:46 PM
This is worth reading, but read it with both your eyes open: it’s clearly coming from ICE’s Lyons, CPB’s Scott and Tom Homan to preserve their secret police while marginalizing their bureaucratic rivals
Reposted by David Nelson
Reposted by David Nelson
