Bryn Nelson
@seattlebryn.bsky.social
Freelance science, medical + environmental writer and author of “Flush: The Remarkable Science of an Unlikely Treasure.” PhD in microbiology; also post about misinfo, journalism, oddities, good dogs, bad puns, and Seattle. He/him
✍🏻 💩🧪🧫🦠🔬🌲🏳️🌈
✍🏻 💩🧪🧫🦠🔬🌲🏳️🌈
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
Concentration camps:
“For 280 days we haven’t eaten a single piece of fruit, banana, apple, orange, or anything fresh. We are all in one big room with no doors or windows. We can’t see any grass or trees. We are all constantly sick."
“For 280 days we haven’t eaten a single piece of fruit, banana, apple, orange, or anything fresh. We are all in one big room with no doors or windows. We can’t see any grass or trees. We are all constantly sick."
Exclusive: Detention Center Captives Are Throwing Lotion Bottles Wrapped With Notes to Organizers Outside Otay Mesa Facility ~ L.A. TACO
“For 280 days we haven’t eaten a single piece of fruit, banana, apple, orange, or anything fresh," an Otay Mesa captive communicated through handwritten note. "We are all in one big room with no doors...
lataco.com
February 8, 2026 at 2:24 AM
Concentration camps:
“For 280 days we haven’t eaten a single piece of fruit, banana, apple, orange, or anything fresh. We are all in one big room with no doors or windows. We can’t see any grass or trees. We are all constantly sick."
“For 280 days we haven’t eaten a single piece of fruit, banana, apple, orange, or anything fresh. We are all in one big room with no doors or windows. We can’t see any grass or trees. We are all constantly sick."
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
Jeff Bezos makes enough money to fully fund this literally every two minutes.
Former Washington Post journalists have launched a GoFundMe to help repatriate fired staff members who are effectively stranded in foreign countries.
One of the richest men in the world fired them from the paper and didn’t even pay to ensure they got home.
Abolish the billionaire class:
One of the richest men in the world fired them from the paper and didn’t even pay to ensure they got home.
Abolish the billionaire class:
Donate to Support for Washington Post international employees, organized by Michelle Lee
Among the hundreds of journalists laid off by The Washington Post on … Michelle Lee needs your support for Support for Washington Post international employees
www.gofundme.com
February 8, 2026 at 5:13 AM
Jeff Bezos makes enough money to fully fund this literally every two minutes.
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
Please take the time to read this superb @jamellebouie.net column. It establishes a baseline of truth for anyone who wants to think, talk, and write honestly about Trump. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/07/o...
February 7, 2026 at 5:29 PM
Please take the time to read this superb @jamellebouie.net column. It establishes a baseline of truth for anyone who wants to think, talk, and write honestly about Trump. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/07/o...
How is this remotely ok? It would be awful anywhere and yet it - and even worse abuses - are still happening here. In the US. In 2026.
ICE told nurses this Minneapolis man “purposefully ran headfirst into a brick wall.”
What actually happened is that they pulled him from a car, beat him so viciously with a steel baton that he had 8 skull fractures, 5 life-threatening brain hemorrhages, and couldn’t remember he had a daughter.
What actually happened is that they pulled him from a car, beat him so viciously with a steel baton that he had 8 skull fractures, 5 life-threatening brain hemorrhages, and couldn’t remember he had a daughter.
February 7, 2026 at 6:36 PM
How is this remotely ok? It would be awful anywhere and yet it - and even worse abuses - are still happening here. In the US. In 2026.
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
Remember the controversy when Obama was accused of intervening in UK politics? This is the current US government openly seeking to undermine liberal democracy in Europe.
February 6, 2026 at 7:14 AM
Remember the controversy when Obama was accused of intervening in UK politics? This is the current US government openly seeking to undermine liberal democracy in Europe.
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
I'm sorry but this story is bullsh*t. Katie Britt was so worried about Liam Ramos that she did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO HELP HIM? Come on. This section right here shows Britt's true self.
February 5, 2026 at 6:09 PM
I'm sorry but this story is bullsh*t. Katie Britt was so worried about Liam Ramos that she did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO HELP HIM? Come on. This section right here shows Britt's true self.
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
The SAVE Act would block millions of American citizens from voting by effectively requiring a passport or birth certificate to register to vote. More than 21 million Americans lack ready access to those documents. bit.ly/4qS8wBr
The Bad Voting Bill that Refuses to Die
The SAVE Act would stop millions of eligible Americans from voting.
www.brennancenter.org
February 5, 2026 at 2:01 PM
The SAVE Act would block millions of American citizens from voting by effectively requiring a passport or birth certificate to register to vote. More than 21 million Americans lack ready access to those documents. bit.ly/4qS8wBr
So thankful for the Star-Tribune right now. This is a major metropolitan area in the U.S. in 2026. Little different than a war zone.
”I am a prisoner in my apartment,” said the 30-year-old North St. Paul resident. “I am hiding in the shadows, not because I have committed a crime, but because the streets of Minnesota have begun to look terrifyingly similar to the war zone I escaped.” www.startribune.com/minnesota-re... (gift link)
Minnesota refugees and immigrants are hiding in ‘a prison of fear’
Across Minnesota, thousands of immigrants and refugees are staying home from work, church and school to avoid ICE agents.
www.startribune.com
February 5, 2026 at 2:04 PM
So thankful for the Star-Tribune right now. This is a major metropolitan area in the U.S. in 2026. Little different than a war zone.
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
Griffin donated $100 million to help elect Trump in the 2024 election. www.artnews.com/art-news/new...
February 5, 2026 at 2:16 AM
Griffin donated $100 million to help elect Trump in the 2024 election. www.artnews.com/art-news/new...
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
The Washington Post was consistently doing some of the best climate reporting out there in recent years. This is a huge loss (h/t @sammyroth.bsky.social) open.substack.com/pub/climatec...
Breaking: Washington Post gutting its climate team
Clean energy dies in darkness. Courtesy of Jeff Bezos.
open.substack.com
February 4, 2026 at 10:40 PM
The Washington Post was consistently doing some of the best climate reporting out there in recent years. This is a huge loss (h/t @sammyroth.bsky.social) open.substack.com/pub/climatec...
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
The guy who owns Amazon shutting down the books section of the Washington Post is beyond parody
WaPo also closing Books section and downsizing International and Metro sections
February 4, 2026 at 2:05 PM
The guy who owns Amazon shutting down the books section of the Washington Post is beyond parody
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
ICE observers in the Twin Cities suburbs say they fear being injured or killed, but are dedicated to being on the right side of history. They say working together has brought them community and connection. And they're seeing shifts in attitudes among their neighbors. www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
Pursued by federal agents, suburban ICE observers remain resolved
After a frightening pursuit by federal agents, suburban ICE observers say fear hasn’t stopped them from protecting their communities.
www.mprnews.org
February 4, 2026 at 3:49 PM
ICE observers in the Twin Cities suburbs say they fear being injured or killed, but are dedicated to being on the right side of history. They say working together has brought them community and connection. And they're seeing shifts in attitudes among their neighbors. www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
“If I am killed doing this, throw my body at the White House, martyr the shit out of me & raise hell. Do not be sad. Do not think I would do anything differently. I would do it over & over again — this is too important to sit down & shut up and not do anything.” www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
Pursued by federal agents, suburban ICE observers remain resolved
After a frightening pursuit by federal agents, suburban ICE observers say fear hasn’t stopped them from protecting their communities.
www.mprnews.org
February 4, 2026 at 3:45 PM
“If I am killed doing this, throw my body at the White House, martyr the shit out of me & raise hell. Do not be sad. Do not think I would do anything differently. I would do it over & over again — this is too important to sit down & shut up and not do anything.” www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
The suburban observers, heavily women, say they share a personality type.
“Many of us have encountered bullies our entire lives...I think that turns you into somebody that, even if that bully is wearing full tactical gear, I'm not interested in laying down for you.” www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
“Many of us have encountered bullies our entire lives...I think that turns you into somebody that, even if that bully is wearing full tactical gear, I'm not interested in laying down for you.” www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
Pursued by federal agents, suburban ICE observers remain resolved
After a frightening pursuit by federal agents, suburban ICE observers say fear hasn’t stopped them from protecting their communities.
www.mprnews.org
February 4, 2026 at 3:42 PM
The suburban observers, heavily women, say they share a personality type.
“Many of us have encountered bullies our entire lives...I think that turns you into somebody that, even if that bully is wearing full tactical gear, I'm not interested in laying down for you.” www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
“Many of us have encountered bullies our entire lives...I think that turns you into somebody that, even if that bully is wearing full tactical gear, I'm not interested in laying down for you.” www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
Almost like the real goal here was to kill off the paper.
Again, it’s worth pointing out that the Post costs literally 5% of what Bezos is sinking into Blue Origin. The savings here are a rounding error to him.
This isn’t about the money.
This isn’t about the money.
NEWS: The cuts were so severe that at least one department head asked to leave The Post rather than be included in the planning.
Peter Finn, The Post's international editor, requested that he be laid off once he learned about the scope of the cuts to his section.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/b...
Peter Finn, The Post's international editor, requested that he be laid off once he learned about the scope of the cuts to his section.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/b...
February 4, 2026 at 4:01 PM
Almost like the real goal here was to kill off the paper.
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
I wrote about Minnesota and ICE and how average Americans are reclaiming the power that the administration is abusing.
www.pbump.net/o/this-is-wh...
www.pbump.net/o/this-is-wh...
February 4, 2026 at 3:57 AM
I wrote about Minnesota and ICE and how average Americans are reclaiming the power that the administration is abusing.
www.pbump.net/o/this-is-wh...
www.pbump.net/o/this-is-wh...
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
More attention here, please.
Floored by this story. A man wrote a pollite email to a federal prosecutor objecting to the deportation of an Afghan seeking asylum. DHS responded with an administrative warrant to get the man's info from Google, then visited his home to intimidate him.
DHS Hunts Down 67-Year-Old U.S. Citizen Who Criticized Them in Email
The Department of Homeland Security is using a little-known tool to go after its critics.
newrepublic.com
February 4, 2026 at 12:10 AM
More attention here, please.
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
"In my few days in Minnesota, I’ve been witness to countless scenes that remind me of moments I’ve seen during previous trips covering conflicts around the world," photojournalist @cengizyar.com writes. "The wars we’ve carried out as a nation abroad have come home."
More: https://propub.li/4acxEeY
More: https://propub.li/4acxEeY
February 3, 2026 at 2:00 PM
"In my few days in Minnesota, I’ve been witness to countless scenes that remind me of moments I’ve seen during previous trips covering conflicts around the world," photojournalist @cengizyar.com writes. "The wars we’ve carried out as a nation abroad have come home."
More: https://propub.li/4acxEeY
More: https://propub.li/4acxEeY
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
"Photographic evidence from the shooting scene of a Venezuelan man by federal agents last month in Minneapolis supports the account of witnesses there – and appears to undercut the narrative provided by federal officials." www.startribune.com/ice-raids-mi...
Live: Judge orders release of suspects in alleged shovel attack on agent
Department of Homeland Security says agent fired in self-defense after being attacked with a snow shovel and broom.
www.startribune.com
February 3, 2026 at 10:21 PM
"Photographic evidence from the shooting scene of a Venezuelan man by federal agents last month in Minneapolis supports the account of witnesses there – and appears to undercut the narrative provided by federal officials." www.startribune.com/ice-raids-mi...
Huh. It’s almost like immigration is a net positive for the country. 🤔
“Immigrants cut US budget deficits by about a third from 1994 to 2023, and fiscal savings grew to $878 billion in 2023”
February 4, 2026 at 2:13 AM
Huh. It’s almost like immigration is a net positive for the country. 🤔
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
In an interview with NPR, Melinda French Gates confirmed that she ended her marriage with Bill Gates because of allegations contained in the Epstein files.
February 3, 2026 at 5:38 PM
In an interview with NPR, Melinda French Gates confirmed that she ended her marriage with Bill Gates because of allegations contained in the Epstein files.
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
Reminder: Johnson is an election denier and voted against certifying the 2020 election
Mike Johnson on Trump calling for Rs to "nationalize" elections: "We had 3 Republicans who were ahead on election day in last cycle & every time a new tranche of ballots came in they just magically whittled away until their leads were lost. It looks on its face to be fraudulent. Can I prove it? No"
February 3, 2026 at 8:14 PM
Reminder: Johnson is an election denier and voted against certifying the 2020 election
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
NEW: HHS has been using Palantir AI tools since last March to ferret out improper DEI and "gender ideology" from grants for child welfare programs. The observant @carolinehaskins.bsky.social has more:
HHS Is Using AI Tools From Palantir to Target ‘DEI’ and ‘Gender Ideology’ in Grants
Since March of 2025, the Department of Health and Human Services has been using tools from Palantir and the startup Credal AI to weed out perceived alignment with “DEI” or “gender ideology.”
www.wired.com
February 3, 2026 at 5:26 PM
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
One observation: Several senators brought up terminated grants. Bhattacharya kept saying the agency hasn't cut any funds. That is false.
When he says no funds have been cut, he means NIH spent all its allocated money, as required by law. In fact, a watchdog found NIH illegally impounded funds.
When he says no funds have been cut, he means NIH spent all its allocated money, as required by law. In fact, a watchdog found NIH illegally impounded funds.
February 3, 2026 at 5:23 PM
One observation: Several senators brought up terminated grants. Bhattacharya kept saying the agency hasn't cut any funds. That is false.
When he says no funds have been cut, he means NIH spent all its allocated money, as required by law. In fact, a watchdog found NIH illegally impounded funds.
When he says no funds have been cut, he means NIH spent all its allocated money, as required by law. In fact, a watchdog found NIH illegally impounded funds.
Reposted by Bryn Nelson
Under RFK, Jr., the CDC's authority has crumbled: it is no longer updating dozens of health databases, and has abandoned vaccine guidelines. But states and governors are trying to fill the void, @laurenjyoung.bsky.social writes @scifri.bsky.social: www.scientificamerican.com/article/stat...
A ‘shadow CDC’ is scrambling to fill gaps in public health data
Dozens of routinely updated CDC databases have gone quiet. Here’s what states and medical societies are doing to preserve U.S. public health
www.scientificamerican.com
February 3, 2026 at 5:18 PM
Under RFK, Jr., the CDC's authority has crumbled: it is no longer updating dozens of health databases, and has abandoned vaccine guidelines. But states and governors are trying to fill the void, @laurenjyoung.bsky.social writes @scifri.bsky.social: www.scientificamerican.com/article/stat...