Jill Piggott
@jillpiggott.bsky.social
Philosophy & lit professor, now disabled by migraine & ME/CFS. Cofounder, headsUPmigraine. Volunteer prison educator, Equal Justice Initiative. Progressive activist.
Half-time Mainer, half-time Canadian Maritimer
Half-time Mainer, half-time Canadian Maritimer
Pinned
Jill Piggott
@jillpiggott.bsky.social
· Jul 19
!["[W]hen those who have dedicated their careers to teaching & commemorating the Holocaust insist on ignoring or denying Israel’s genocidal actions in Gaza, they threaten to undermine everything that Holocaust scholarship & commemoration have stood for in the past several decades." -- Holocaust scholar Omer Bartov (NYT 15 July 2025)](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:qoewv4sal6ftjn3gwcrzyn4g/bafkreibe2ice5lx5kvoxe7netuxo374feda4pbrbaiesdwszh56if7q57i@jpeg)
I can't recommend Prof. Omer Bartov's NYT opinion piece on the genocide in Gaza more highly. Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/07/15/o...
Reposted by Jill Piggott
When are folks going to learn that nothing will ever shake some peoples’ support for this man? Like, stop asking what the breaking point is—there isn’t one.
Not 34 felonies, 40,000 lies, an attempted coup, a jury finding him liable for sex abuse-nothing.
Because to admit any of it means 1/2
Not 34 felonies, 40,000 lies, an attempted coup, a jury finding him liable for sex abuse-nothing.
Because to admit any of it means 1/2
November 14, 2025 at 2:36 PM
When are folks going to learn that nothing will ever shake some peoples’ support for this man? Like, stop asking what the breaking point is—there isn’t one.
Not 34 felonies, 40,000 lies, an attempted coup, a jury finding him liable for sex abuse-nothing.
Because to admit any of it means 1/2
Not 34 felonies, 40,000 lies, an attempted coup, a jury finding him liable for sex abuse-nothing.
Because to admit any of it means 1/2
"[Vance] did appear to understand the absurdity in his statement as he prefaced his opinion by explaining that he’s just 'one of these crazy people.'" Well, he's got that right. www.thedailybeast.com/crazy-jd-van...
‘Crazy’ JD Vance Calls Common Pain Medication ‘Useless’
“It’s not anti-medication, it’s anti-useless-medication,” the vice president tried to argue.
www.thedailybeast.com
November 14, 2025 at 9:50 PM
"[Vance] did appear to understand the absurdity in his statement as he prefaced his opinion by explaining that he’s just 'one of these crazy people.'" Well, he's got that right. www.thedailybeast.com/crazy-jd-van...
House Rs rebuke GOP Senators like Collins who voted for retroactive payouts of at least $500,000 to 10 Senators investigated by DOJ re Jan 6: "There’s actually a list of people that know they will get paid as soon as this thing is signed.” Some Sens could get 6 x 500k. rollcall.com/2025/11/12/s...
November 14, 2025 at 5:21 PM
House Rs rebuke GOP Senators like Collins who voted for retroactive payouts of at least $500,000 to 10 Senators investigated by DOJ re Jan 6: "There’s actually a list of people that know they will get paid as soon as this thing is signed.” Some Sens could get 6 x 500k. rollcall.com/2025/11/12/s...
Reposted by Jill Piggott
A bad thing is unfolding at NIH this week: It looks like the Trump administration is trying to replace key civil servant scientific leaders, the Institute Directors, with political hires. These directors control the NIH budget, tens of billions.
A bit of a video explainer here: 1/ 🧪
A bit of a video explainer here: 1/ 🧪
November 13, 2025 at 10:31 PM
A bad thing is unfolding at NIH this week: It looks like the Trump administration is trying to replace key civil servant scientific leaders, the Institute Directors, with political hires. These directors control the NIH budget, tens of billions.
A bit of a video explainer here: 1/ 🧪
A bit of a video explainer here: 1/ 🧪
Reposted by Jill Piggott
They’ve laid off so many people that the government is now getting its economic data from DoorDash.
November 12, 2025 at 1:09 AM
They’ve laid off so many people that the government is now getting its economic data from DoorDash.
Susan Collins was the decisive vote to allow T to continue his Venezuelan killing spree w/o Congressional authorization. An AP investigation found men killed were not narco-terrorists or cartel/gang leaders. www.wandtv.com/news/nationa...?
Trump has accused boat crews of being narco-terrorists. The truth, AP found, is more nuanced
One was a fisherman struggling to eke out a living on $100 a month. Another was a career criminal. A third was a former military cadet. And a fourth was
www.wandtv.com
November 8, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Susan Collins was the decisive vote to allow T to continue his Venezuelan killing spree w/o Congressional authorization. An AP investigation found men killed were not narco-terrorists or cartel/gang leaders. www.wandtv.com/news/nationa...?
1 million Americans have MS. Millions upon millions of Americans have lost their lives or the lives of those they love to the disease. My Daddy was 54 when it killed him.
Calling itself MS NOW, MSNBC will remind those viewers at every station break of the worst pain in their lives. I won't watch.
Calling itself MS NOW, MSNBC will remind those viewers at every station break of the worst pain in their lives. I won't watch.
November 8, 2025 at 1:42 AM
1 million Americans have MS. Millions upon millions of Americans have lost their lives or the lives of those they love to the disease. My Daddy was 54 when it killed him.
Calling itself MS NOW, MSNBC will remind those viewers at every station break of the worst pain in their lives. I won't watch.
Calling itself MS NOW, MSNBC will remind those viewers at every station break of the worst pain in their lives. I won't watch.
Reposted by Jill Piggott
Susan Collins cast the deciding vote today to block a measure that would have required congressional approval for Trump to strike Venezuela. The deciding vote.
www.politico.com/live-updates...
www.politico.com/live-updates...
Senate sinks measure to block military action against Venezuela
Just two Republicans backed the measure, which would have required congressional approval for an attack on the South American nation.
www.politico.com
November 6, 2025 at 11:38 PM
Susan Collins cast the deciding vote today to block a measure that would have required congressional approval for Trump to strike Venezuela. The deciding vote.
www.politico.com/live-updates...
www.politico.com/live-updates...
Here's Teen Vogue's award-winning work on incarcerating kids. No subject is more important to me: I volunteer w/ people who were sentenced to death in prison (no parole, execution) when they were teens, several at age 13. www.teenvogue.com/tag/kids-inc...?
kids incarcerated
Get the latest on Kids Incarcerated from Teen Vogue. Find articles, slideshows and more.
www.teenvogue.com
November 6, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Here's Teen Vogue's award-winning work on incarcerating kids. No subject is more important to me: I volunteer w/ people who were sentenced to death in prison (no parole, execution) when they were teens, several at age 13. www.teenvogue.com/tag/kids-inc...?
Reposted by Jill Piggott
BREAKING: Colorado voters approved a ballot measure that would raise state income taxes on higher-earning households to fund free meals for all public school students.
Follow AP for live updates.
Follow AP for live updates.
Live updates: US voters head to the polls in first general election since Trump's return to power
One year after Donald Trump retook the presidency, 2025 Election Day includes closely watched races for New York City mayor, New Jersey governor and California's Proposition 50.
bit.ly
November 5, 2025 at 3:33 AM
BREAKING: Colorado voters approved a ballot measure that would raise state income taxes on higher-earning households to fund free meals for all public school students.
Follow AP for live updates.
Follow AP for live updates.
Aroostock Dems noting Collins's cozy relationship with the banking industry & her "criticism" of RFK, Jr., for whom she voted. We can't let the D primary take our eyes off the prize: Susan's retirement. #mepolitics
November 4, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Aroostock Dems noting Collins's cozy relationship with the banking industry & her "criticism" of RFK, Jr., for whom she voted. We can't let the D primary take our eyes off the prize: Susan's retirement. #mepolitics
Good piece on Maine Senate candidate Jordan Wood, former chief-of-staff for Rep Katie Porter & VP of End Citizens United. If elected to replace Collins, he'd be ME's 1st openly gay Senator. #MEpolitics
November 4, 2025 at 2:17 AM
Good piece on Maine Senate candidate Jordan Wood, former chief-of-staff for Rep Katie Porter & VP of End Citizens United. If elected to replace Collins, he'd be ME's 1st openly gay Senator. #MEpolitics
Reposted by Jill Piggott
People who received an mRNA-based Covid vaccine — it didn’t matter whether it was Pfizer or Moderna’s — up to 100 days before starting immunotherapy were twice as likely to be alive as those who either didn’t receive the vaccine or got it outside that time window.
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
What If the Covid Vaccine Could Save Cancer Patients Too?
A stunning new study offers early evidence that Covid-19 vaccines might have a secret superpower: a precisely timed mRNA shot could help many cancer patients live longer.
www.bloomberg.com
November 3, 2025 at 2:54 AM
People who received an mRNA-based Covid vaccine — it didn’t matter whether it was Pfizer or Moderna’s — up to 100 days before starting immunotherapy were twice as likely to be alive as those who either didn’t receive the vaccine or got it outside that time window.
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Reposted by Jill Piggott
Nowhere near enough mention of what Q1, if passed, would do to Indigenous voting rights in Maine. I'm guilty, too, of not mentioning it enough in posting I've done around #SaveAbsenteeVoting.
It took Platner's promotion around today's Save Absentee Voting concert & rally to bring attention to it.
It took Platner's promotion around today's Save Absentee Voting concert & rally to bring attention to it.
Wabanaki Alliance urged a NO on 1 Vote for just this reason. Not allowing tribal ID to vote is both insult and injury. @wabanakialliance.bsky.social
November 2, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Nowhere near enough mention of what Q1, if passed, would do to Indigenous voting rights in Maine. I'm guilty, too, of not mentioning it enough in posting I've done around #SaveAbsenteeVoting.
It took Platner's promotion around today's Save Absentee Voting concert & rally to bring attention to it.
It took Platner's promotion around today's Save Absentee Voting concert & rally to bring attention to it.
Trump's Big Balls: "At 90,000 square ft — nearly 2 football fields — the new addition will dwarf the 55,000 square-ft mansion. It's also far more space than would typically be needed for a ballroom for the 1,000 guests Trump has said he wants the new room to hold." www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Trump's 90,000-Square-Foot Ballroom Plan Puzzles the Experts
His planned space would be much larger than luxury banquet halls in the US capital and a departure from traditional presidential style.
www.bloomberg.com
November 1, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Trump's Big Balls: "At 90,000 square ft — nearly 2 football fields — the new addition will dwarf the 55,000 square-ft mansion. It's also far more space than would typically be needed for a ballroom for the 1,000 guests Trump has said he wants the new room to hold." www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Reposted by Jill Piggott
One subcommittee hearing in October. (*Not* an oversight hearing.) Nothing at all on the calendar for November.
No subpoenas have been issued.
At a moment of national peril, Susan Collins is abdicating. #MEpolitics
No subpoenas have been issued.
At a moment of national peril, Susan Collins is abdicating. #MEpolitics
November 1, 2025 at 4:46 PM
One subcommittee hearing in October. (*Not* an oversight hearing.) Nothing at all on the calendar for November.
No subpoenas have been issued.
At a moment of national peril, Susan Collins is abdicating. #MEpolitics
No subpoenas have been issued.
At a moment of national peril, Susan Collins is abdicating. #MEpolitics
Reposted by Jill Piggott
They were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made.
#BoycottUSA
#BoycottUSA
November 1, 2025 at 3:47 PM
They were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made.
#BoycottUSA
#BoycottUSA
Reposted by Jill Piggott
Reposted by Jill Piggott
15 million Americans are going to lose their health care.
October 31, 2025 at 10:04 PM
15 million Americans are going to lose their health care.
ProPublica's 10/16 report identifies 170+ cases of US citizens arrested by ICE, including being "dragged, tackled, beaten, tased and shot" & disappearing for days. www.propublica.org/article/immi...
November 1, 2025 at 1:05 AM
ProPublica's 10/16 report identifies 170+ cases of US citizens arrested by ICE, including being "dragged, tackled, beaten, tased and shot" & disappearing for days. www.propublica.org/article/immi...
Reposted by Jill Piggott
REV. BLACK (who was shot in the head with a pepper ball): “If this is what they’re doing to pastors, journalists, teachers, mothers, and the elderly gathered to sing and pray outside ICE facilities… what might they be doing to our neighbors who are behind those walls?”
October 31, 2025 at 2:33 AM
REV. BLACK (who was shot in the head with a pepper ball): “If this is what they’re doing to pastors, journalists, teachers, mothers, and the elderly gathered to sing and pray outside ICE facilities… what might they be doing to our neighbors who are behind those walls?”
Full text--very quick read--of Reagan's '87 comments on tariffs, proving that Ontario's ad in no way distorted the address. Ontario's lost tens of thousands of jobs to Trump's economic war on Canada & its sovereignty. www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/spe...
Radio Address to the Nation on Free and Fair Trade
042587a
www.reaganlibrary.gov
October 25, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Full text--very quick read--of Reagan's '87 comments on tariffs, proving that Ontario's ad in no way distorted the address. Ontario's lost tens of thousands of jobs to Trump's economic war on Canada & its sovereignty. www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/spe...
Reposted by Jill Piggott
Today, Mike Johnson will keep the House adjourned for the 81st day out of the last 93.
12 days of work in over 3 months.
With full pay and benefits.
The senate has been working, so this is not about the shutdown.
It is about avoiding a vote to release the Epstein files.
12 days of work in over 3 months.
With full pay and benefits.
The senate has been working, so this is not about the shutdown.
It is about avoiding a vote to release the Epstein files.
October 24, 2025 at 10:44 AM
Today, Mike Johnson will keep the House adjourned for the 81st day out of the last 93.
12 days of work in over 3 months.
With full pay and benefits.
The senate has been working, so this is not about the shutdown.
It is about avoiding a vote to release the Epstein files.
12 days of work in over 3 months.
With full pay and benefits.
The senate has been working, so this is not about the shutdown.
It is about avoiding a vote to release the Epstein files.
Reposted by Jill Piggott
Himes: If you've got the capability to blow a boat out of the water, you've got the capability to interdict it, arrest everyone on board, interrogate them, and find out where it was going, where it came from, who the bosses are, and what the distribution networks look like.
October 16, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Himes: If you've got the capability to blow a boat out of the water, you've got the capability to interdict it, arrest everyone on board, interrogate them, and find out where it was going, where it came from, who the bosses are, and what the distribution networks look like.
Mainers need to reject Q1's voter suppression initiative. Passage of the measure's limits on absentee voter will affect disabled voters like me, as well as young voters who go away to college, among others. boltsmag.org/maine-questi...
A Ballot Measure Targets Mail Voting in Maine - Bolts
Question 1, on the November ballot, would set up a barrage of new restrictions on absentee ballots that would considerably affect older voters and people with disabilities.
boltsmag.org
October 17, 2025 at 2:03 AM
Mainers need to reject Q1's voter suppression initiative. Passage of the measure's limits on absentee voter will affect disabled voters like me, as well as young voters who go away to college, among others. boltsmag.org/maine-questi...