Bill Lohmann
billlohmann.bsky.social
Bill Lohmann
@billlohmann.bsky.social
Retired newspaper columnist, author of “Backroads and Byways of Virginia”
Reposted by Bill Lohmann
Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa discusses state of U.S. Democracy
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEzb...
March 19, 2025 at 10:55 PM
Reposted by Bill Lohmann
Literally all he did was quote someone. Defining criticism of the government as treason is what authoritarians do. Turning a publicly funded news outlet into a state media propaganda machine is what authoritarians do.
March 1, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Reposted by Bill Lohmann
18F, the federal government’s technology shop, was just demolished by Musk’s team. It was a cost-recoverable org, charging agencies for their expertise, using a consulting model. Its cost to government was negligible, its benefits huge. My team there once saved DoD $500 million.

A thread about 18F:
18F is *precisely* what Musk and team claim should exist within government. But when his team found it, they destroyed it, because it is evidence that government works well (can’t have that!), and because like Zelensky, 18F didn’t bend the knee.
March 1, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Reposted by Bill Lohmann
JUST IN: Another medical horror story in an affidavit from a USAID employee stationed overseas. Says his pregnant wife was not medevac-ed for emergency health care because of directives from DC. Took intervention of a U.S. senator to reverse — but was too late. s3.documentcloud.org/documents/25...
February 18, 2025 at 1:40 AM
Reposted by Bill Lohmann
4pm Monday snow update for RVA.

The odds:

10%: 12 inches or more
15%: 8-12 inches
35%: 4-8 inches
25%: 2-4 inches
15%: less than 2 inches

Writeup below.

Including, yeah I'll say it...

WTF is with those numbers on the weather apps?
Snow within reach for RVA
But why such wild numbers on the weather apps?
seansublette.substack.com
February 17, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Reposted by Bill Lohmann
One of the greatest tricks that Donald Trump and Elon Musk ever pulled is to convince millions of people that DOGE is about government efficiency. It's about narcissistic, resentful destruction: The Death of Government Expertise.

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
The Death of Government Expertise
Why Trump and Musk are on a firing spree
www.theatlantic.com
February 17, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Reposted by Bill Lohmann
If you wanted to cut waste, fraud, and abuse, you would empower the inspectors general.

If you wanted more waste, fraud, and abuse, you would fire them.
February 17, 2025 at 2:17 PM