Matthew Brousil
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mbrousil.bsky.social
Matthew Brousil
@mbrousil.bsky.social
180 followers 660 following 9 posts
Lead Data Scientist for Radical Open Science Syndicate at Colorado State University. Interested in ecology. Views own. he/him
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Reposted by Matthew Brousil
genandgenes.bsky.social
Are you located in the DC-Baltimore-Philadelphia-New York corridor?

Have you always wanted to have your very own 11 foot long papier-mâché hammerhead shark?

Now available for free!

Perfect for museums, community centers, or your living room!

Save this lovely creature from imminent destruction!
Picture of shark sculpture by MICA student Mayali Geyling. Picture of shark sculpture by MICA student Mayali Geyling.
November 14, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Reposted by Matthew Brousil
inaturalist.bsky.social
We're very much arachnid-fans at iNaturalist. Consider this your sign to stop scrolling and go look for some! 👀🕷️🦂
October 30, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Reposted by Matthew Brousil
jsweetli.bsky.social
WGN, this woman’s employer, is now reporting she was not charged with any crimes and was released.

DHS said earlier she was arrested for assault for throwing objects at agents.
October 10, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Reposted by Matthew Brousil
anthonymkreis.bsky.social
How is this not a crime?
clancyny.bsky.social Eileen Clancy 🧿 @clancyny.bsky.social · Oct 3
Logan Square neighborhood, Chicago. Man wearing a balaclava in a white, unmarked vehicle, pulls the pin on a tear gas canister and tosses it in the road.

"Just trying to grab some lunch and these fucking losers showed up. FUCK ICE!"
source: www.reddit.com/r/LoganSquar...
October 3, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Reposted by Matthew Brousil
bobnichollsart.bsky.social
It's marine reptile Monday!
Okay, that's not a thing, but here's an old acrylic painting from 1999. It depicts a #Liopleurodon breaching with an unfortunate #Metriorhynchus in its jaws. It was commissioned for a TV series that was never made.

#SciArt #PaleoArt #Dinosaurs #Pliosaurs #JurassicWorld
September 29, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Reposted by Matthew Brousil
anthonymkreis.bsky.social
RIP Corporation for Public Broadcasting (1967-2025) cpb.org/pressroom/Co...
Corporation for Public Broadcasting Addresses Operations Following Loss of Federal Funding
WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 1, 2025) – The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced today that it will begin an orderly wind-down of its operations following the passage of a federal rescissio...
cpb.org
August 1, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Reposted by Matthew Brousil
tylermcbrien.com
The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations estimates that DOGE "generated at least $21.7 billion in waste across the federal government, despite its ostensible goal of eliminating government waste," noting this amount could've covered the rescissions package twice—with $2.9 billion to spare
July 31, 2025 at 1:30 PM
mbrousil.bsky.social
@heroforgeminis.bsky.social
sarahtaber.bsky.social Sarah Taber @sarahtaber.bsky.social · Jul 28
We've found a lot of Neanderthals who got serious injuries, healed because their ppl took care of them, & lived long disabled lives.

Check out Shanidar 1: a Neanderthal who had 1.5 arms, fractured vertebrae, a skull fracture that left him deaf & blind on one side, & leg issues with a painful limp.
An illustration of Shanidar 1 as they may have looked in life. It's an older guy with shoulder-length hair & a beard, sitting on a rock and holding a staff in his left arm. His right arm is missing below the elbow; right left is bandaged; and his left eye is white to show blindness from injury. He's wearing skins & has some fancy stitching on it; he looks sore but majestic.
July 29, 2025 at 7:51 PM
mbrousil.bsky.social
Don't forget to celebrate on @inaturalist.bsky.social!
benjaminwittes.lawfaremedia.org Benjamin Wittes @benjaminwittes.lawfaremedia.org · Jul 19
Happy National Moth Week to all who celebrate.
July 19, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Reposted by Matthew Brousil
mmasnick.bsky.social
I've had this headline rattling around in my brain since January and I finally wrote it. Been hearing too many people in the startup world buying into the neoractionary nonsense that maybe a little light fascism is good for silicon valley. It's not. It's very, very bad.
techdirt.com Techdirt @techdirt.com · Jul 17
Fascism For First Time Founders

Over the last year or so I've seen a disturbing tendency in tech/startup/VC worlds to buy into the neoreactionary view that for startups to be successful they need to get on board the Trump train. Yes, there are the big name folks who everyone knows about and who…
Fascism For First Time Founders
Over the last year or so I've seen a disturbing tendency in tech/startup/VC worlds to buy into the neoreactionary view that for startups to be successful they need to get on board the Trump train. Yes, there are the big name folks who everyone knows about and who didn't really surprise anyone—Peter Thiel, Marc Andreessen, David Sacks, Elon Musk (pre-fallout)—but the more troubling trend has been watching younger entrepreneurs and VCs listen to their podcasts, read their posts and books, and slowly nod along to the idea that democracy is holding back innovation.
www.techdirt.com
July 17, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Reposted by Matthew Brousil
secretsandlaws.bsky.social
"The cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program alone would eliminate 6 billion to 9 billion meals annually."

Jesus wept.

www.politico.com/news/2025/07...
Millions more Americans could turn to food banks soon. Food banks are simply not ready.
Republicans are slashing more than $1 trillion from federal safety net programs, which leaves already struggling food banks to fill in the gap.
www.politico.com
July 7, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Reposted by Matthew Brousil
annabower.bsky.social
I rarely post personal things. But I need to talk about my 4-year-old niece, Hope.

She has a rare disease. A drug called elamipretide has helped her survive.

But the FDA recently denied its approval.

Now, her health hangs in the balance.

Please share her story & urge the FDA to reconsider. 🧵
June 23, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Reposted by Matthew Brousil
ericcolumbus.bsky.social
www.science.org/content/arti...
Trump’s ‘fear factor’: Scientists go silent as funding cuts escalate
Many worry about retribution. But for others, speaking out is worth the risk
www.science.org
May 13, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Reposted by Matthew Brousil
maggieastor.bsky.social
RFK Jr. said autism "destroys" children and families. Autistic people beg to differ.

I'm so grateful to the people who talked to me and my colleagues — and to the literally 200+ more people who offered to share their stories.

I hope you'll read to the end for a mic drop of a final quote.
Kennedy Claimed Autism ‘Destroys’ Lives. Autistic People Disagree.
People in the community called the remarks dehumanizing and warned they could perpetuate harmful stigma.
www.nytimes.com
April 18, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Reposted by Matthew Brousil
vanhollen.senate.gov
I said my main goal of this trip was to meet with Kilmar. Tonight I had that chance. I have called his wife, Jennifer, to pass along his message of love. I look forward to providing a full update upon my return.
Photo of Senator Chris Van Hollen with Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
April 18, 2025 at 1:02 AM
Reposted by Matthew Brousil
scottjshapiro.bsky.social
Some personal news: I’ve paused the car factory I started building yesterday.
April 9, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Reposted by Matthew Brousil
neillewisjr.bsky.social
I hope other university alliances start pooling resources and engaging in the kinds of collective action Rutgers is proposing here for the Big Ten.

senate.rutgers.edu/report/resol...
Whereas, the Big Ten Academic Alliance represents not only athletic competition but also a longstanding tradition of academic collaboration, research excellence, and commitment to democratic values and shared governance; Whereas, the Big Ten Academic Alliance includes 18 universities with thousands of instructors serving over 600,000 students; Whereas, the preservation of one institution’s integrity is the concern of all, and an infringement against one member university of the Big Ten shall be considered an infringement against all; Be it resolved that, the Rutgers University Senate urges the President of Rutgers University to formally propose and help establish a Mutual Academic Defense Compact (MADC) among all members of the Big Ten Academic Alliance; Be it further resolved that, under this compact, all participating institutions shall commit meaningful funding to a shared or distributed defense fund. This fund shall be used to provide immediate and strategic support to any member institution under direct political or legal infringement; Be it further resolved that, participating institutions shall make available, at the request of the institution under direct political infringement, the services of their legal counsel, governance experts, and public affairs offices to coordinate a unified and vigorous response, including but not limited to: Legal representation and countersuit actions; strategic public communication; amicus briefs and expert testimony; legislative advocacy and coalition-building; related topical research as needed.
April 7, 2025 at 12:29 AM
Reposted by Matthew Brousil
60minutes.bsky.social
60 Minutes could find no criminal records for 75% of the Venezuelans the U.S. sent to a notorious mega-prison in El Salvador. https://cbsn.ws/4clubLP
Trump administration deports gay makeup artist to prison in El Salvador
A gay man with no known criminal record sought asylum in the U.S. He's since become one of 238 Venezuelan migrants deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador by the Trump administration.
cbsn.ws
April 7, 2025 at 12:34 AM
Reposted by Matthew Brousil
annabower.bsky.social
“The past was erased, the erasure was forgotten, the lie became the truth.”

www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...
Washington Post story: For years, a National Park Service webpage introduced the Underground Railroad with a large photograph of its most famous "conductor," Harriet Tubman. "The Underground Railroad - the resistance to enslavement through escape and flight, through the end of the Civil War — refers to the efforts of enslaved African Americans to gain their freedom by escaping bondage," the page began. Tubman's photograph is now gone. In its place are images of Postal Service stamps that highlight “Black/White cooperation" in the secret network and that feature Tubman among abolitionists of both races. The introductory sentence is gone, too. It has been replaced by a line that makes no mention of slavery and that describes the Underground Railroad as "one of the most significant expressions of the American civil rights movement." The effort "bridged the divides of race," the page now says. The executive order that President Donald Trump issued late last month directing the Smithsonian Institution to eliminate "divisive narratives" stirred fears that the president aimed to whitewash the stories the nation tells about itself. But a Washington Post review of websites operated by the National Park Service - among the key agencies charged with the preservation of American history - found that edits on dozens of pages since Trump's inauguration have already softened descriptions of some of the most shameful moments of the nation's past. Some were edited to remove references to slavery. On other pages, statements on the historic struggle of Black Americans for their rights were cut or softened, as were references to present-day echoes of racial division. The Post compared webpages as of late March to earlier versions preserved online by the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine. Changes in images, descriptions and even individual words have subtly reshaped the meaning of notable moments and key figures
April 6, 2025 at 9:09 PM
Reposted by Matthew Brousil
wired.com
NEW: The doctor behind breakthrough Parkinson’s research was among the scientists purged from the National Institutes of Health, the US’s leading medical research agency. www.wired.com/story/doctor...
Doctor Behind Award-Winning Parkinson’s Research Among Scientists Purged From NIH
Leading scientists at the National Institutes of Health, the US’s leading medical research agency, were swept up Tuesday in the Trump administration's latest firing blitz.
www.wired.com
April 2, 2025 at 12:13 AM
Reposted by Matthew Brousil
anthonymkreis.bsky.social
Disagreeing with the state is now a crime.
chadbourn.bsky.social Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · Mar 27
Kseniia Petrova, a Russian scientist at Harvard Medical School, was detained at Logan Airport after returning from France and sent to an ICE detention in Louisiana, The Insider reports.

A big critic of Putin and the war in Ukraine, she may now be deported to Russia.
March 27, 2025 at 9:57 PM
Reposted by Matthew Brousil
johnpelwood.bsky.social
Third: This directs agency heads to allow access to all unclassified data, including "unfettered access to comprehensive data from all State programs that receive Federal funding," including data "maintained in third-party databases." Seems to centralize access to LOTS of data. 5/x
March 22, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Reposted by Matthew Brousil
ericcolumbus.bsky.social
“Dartmouth College on Monday announced it had hired the Republican National Committee’s former chief counsel — an outspoken critic of birthright citizenship — as the college’s top lawyer and leader of its immigration office.”

www.politico.com/news/2025/03...
Universities are caving to Trump with a stunning speed and scope
Some of the nation’s oldest and wealthiest institutions are swiftly bending to President Donald Trump, who is acting on longstanding conservative criticisms of universities as elitist and progressive.
www.politico.com
March 21, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Reposted by Matthew Brousil
annabower.bsky.social
sry I didn’t text u back, I was in international waters
March 18, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Reposted by Matthew Brousil
anthonymkreis.bsky.social
Disappearing people from the jurisdiction of a court is authoritarian and corrupt to the core.
chrisgeidner.bsky.social Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner.bsky.social · Mar 10
It was only *after* the habeas petition was filed, per Khalil's lawyers, that the efforts to transfer Khalil began in earnest — without notice to those lawyers in the pending habeas petition.
Hours after the petition challenging its detention authority was filed, however, ICE began efforts to transfer Mr. Khalil out of the region and to a Louisiana detention facility a thousand miles away, without providing him any access to his counsel, and without providing counsel of record on his pending habeas petition any advance notice of this transfer or any information with respect to any justification for his detention. This seemingly retaliatory action is particularly troubling given that a central basis for Mr. Khalil's claim for habeas relief is that his very arrest and detention were in retaliation for Mr. Khalil's constitutionally protected advocacy on behalf of Palestinian human rights. Respondents' retaliatory and punitive motives have since been confirmed.[1] 1 / The President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, stated on social media that "ICE proudly apprehended and detained Mahmoud Khalil, a Radical Foreign Pro-Hamas Student on the campus of Columbia University." Baseless and inflammatory though it is, this rhetoric at the highest level of government reflects the improper motives animating Respondents' actions towards Petitioner. Moreover, according to Tricia McLaughlin, a DHS spokesperson: "On March 9, 2025, in support of President Trump's executive orders prohibiting anti-Semitism, and in coordination with the Department of State, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student. Khalil led activities aligned to [sic] Hamas, a designated terrorist organization. ICE and the Department of State are committed to enforcing President Trump's executive orders and to protecting U.S. national security." Though the legality of detention because of speech supporting Palestinian human rights, which Respondents believe is "aligned to Hamas," will ultimately be at issue in Mr. Khalil's habeas petition, it need not be adjudicated in the context of the limited relief sought in this motion. What these statements taken together make immediately clear, however, is that the role of the Court in protecting Petitioner from unlawful detention is paramount.
March 10, 2025 at 10:33 PM