Brian Powell
@bitmapped.net
Transportation geek, computer science PhD, avid geocacher, and WV political junkie.
Started watching "Boots" on Netflix. I was a bit surprised when I saw Norman Lear listed as an executive producer - turns out it was one of his last projects before his passing in 2023 at age 101.
November 27, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Started watching "Boots" on Netflix. I was a bit surprised when I saw Norman Lear listed as an executive producer - turns out it was one of his last projects before his passing in 2023 at age 101.
TIL that The Jacksons song "Blame It on the Boogie" was written by Michael Jackson, but not the Jackson 5 Michael Jackson. The writer was an English singer-songwriter. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blame_I...
Blame It on the Boogie - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
November 25, 2025 at 6:42 PM
TIL that The Jacksons song "Blame It on the Boogie" was written by Michael Jackson, but not the Jackson 5 Michael Jackson. The writer was an English singer-songwriter. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blame_I...
Reposted by Brian Powell
Oh hey, I found the war on christmas
"Agencies within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, including ICE, ERO, and CBP intend to implement a comprehensive plan to target Spanish-speaking churches across the country during the upcoming holiday season between Thanksgiving, Nov. 27, and Christmas, Dec. 25."
Exclusive: Trump DHS Plans Immigration Raids on Churches Over Holidays
The Trump Dept. of Homeland Security is briefing federal agencies on plans for immigration enforcement operations inside churches over holidays.
thisweekinworcester.com
November 18, 2025 at 10:53 AM
Oh hey, I found the war on christmas
Reposted by Brian Powell
Trump arrives in FL for another weekend of parties and golf while his attorneys fight in the Supreme Court to deny food to SNAP beneficiaries despite a court order.
November 8, 2025 at 2:12 AM
Trump arrives in FL for another weekend of parties and golf while his attorneys fight in the Supreme Court to deny food to SNAP beneficiaries despite a court order.
Reposted by Brian Powell
Marge says that Republicans can end the shutdown anytime they want without Democratic votes.
October 3, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Marge says that Republicans can end the shutdown anytime they want without Democratic votes.
JD Vance had the Army Corps of Engineers release water from Caesar Creek Lake so he could go kayaking last weekend. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
JD Vance’s team had water level of Ohio river raised for family’s boating trip
Exclusive: Incident raises questions of exploitation of public services, but Secret Service says it was requested for ‘safe navigation’
www.theguardian.com
August 6, 2025 at 10:41 PM
JD Vance had the Army Corps of Engineers release water from Caesar Creek Lake so he could go kayaking last weekend. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Reposted by Brian Powell
The “deal” that Brown made with the Trump admin is much more extreme than is being reported. It includes government oversight of course evaluations and no barrier to government interference in faculty hiring.
Read it for yourself here:
www.brown.edu/sites/defaul...
Read it for yourself here:
www.brown.edu/sites/defaul...
www.brown.edu
July 30, 2025 at 11:46 PM
The “deal” that Brown made with the Trump admin is much more extreme than is being reported. It includes government oversight of course evaluations and no barrier to government interference in faculty hiring.
Read it for yourself here:
www.brown.edu/sites/defaul...
Read it for yourself here:
www.brown.edu/sites/defaul...
Reposted by Brian Powell
This is an outrage. Other faculty senates need to speak up.
Faculty Support of George Mason’s President Draws Federal Investigation www.nytimes.com/2025/07/28/u...
Faculty Support of George Mason’s President Draws Federal Investigation
www.nytimes.com
July 28, 2025 at 8:40 PM
This is an outrage. Other faculty senates need to speak up.
Union Pacific to Buy Norfolk Southern in $85 Billion Railroad Deal www.nytimes.com/2025/07/29/b...
Union Pacific to Buy Norfolk Southern in $85 Billion Railroad Deal
www.nytimes.com
July 29, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Union Pacific to Buy Norfolk Southern in $85 Billion Railroad Deal www.nytimes.com/2025/07/29/b...
Reposted by Brian Powell
* REUTERS POLL -- NEARLY 90% ECONOMISTS, 89 OF 100, SAY THEY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE QUALITY OF OFFICIAL U.S. ECONOMIC DATA, INCLUDING 41 SAYING VERY CONCERNED
@reuters.com
@reuters.com
July 25, 2025 at 11:48 AM
* REUTERS POLL -- NEARLY 90% ECONOMISTS, 89 OF 100, SAY THEY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE QUALITY OF OFFICIAL U.S. ECONOMIC DATA, INCLUDING 41 SAYING VERY CONCERNED
@reuters.com
@reuters.com
Trump Told Park Workers to Report Displays That ‘Disparage’ Americans. Here’s What They Flagged. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/22/c...
Trump Told Park Workers to Report Displays That ‘Disparage’ Americans. Here’s What They Flagged.
www.nytimes.com
July 23, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Trump Told Park Workers to Report Displays That ‘Disparage’ Americans. Here’s What They Flagged. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/22/c...
Reposted by Brian Powell
I"m really happy to see this. It's also true that this points to a very large population of twentysomething dumbfucks in the United States. (Just keeping it real.)
Trump Approval - 18-29 Year Olds:
February 7, 2025:
🟢 Approve: 55%
🔴 Disapprove: 45%
July 18, 2025:
🔴 Disapprove: 72%
🟢 Approve: 28%
- YouGov -
February 7, 2025:
🟢 Approve: 55%
🔴 Disapprove: 45%
July 18, 2025:
🔴 Disapprove: 72%
🟢 Approve: 28%
- YouGov -
July 22, 2025 at 3:27 AM
I"m really happy to see this. It's also true that this points to a very large population of twentysomething dumbfucks in the United States. (Just keeping it real.)
Reposted by Brian Powell
The Abrego Garcia fiasco keeps getting worse. The way Trump and the WH are bringing the full weight of their propaganda and legal machines to destroying this one day laborer is an extraordinary abuse of power.
I try to take stock of that larger story here:
newrepublic.com/article/1977...
I try to take stock of that larger story here:
newrepublic.com/article/1977...
July 13, 2025 at 12:20 PM
The Abrego Garcia fiasco keeps getting worse. The way Trump and the WH are bringing the full weight of their propaganda and legal machines to destroying this one day laborer is an extraordinary abuse of power.
I try to take stock of that larger story here:
newrepublic.com/article/1977...
I try to take stock of that larger story here:
newrepublic.com/article/1977...
Reposted by Brian Powell
The UVA Faculty Senate has voted to approve a resolution of No Confidence in the Board of Visitors
July 11, 2025 at 7:05 PM
The UVA Faculty Senate has voted to approve a resolution of No Confidence in the Board of Visitors
Reposted by Brian Powell
NEW: Tucked inside the GOP mega-bill is an excise tax for solar and wind.
And Republicans say they have no idea who put this provision in, or why.
"I don't know where it came from," Senate Budget Chair Lindsey Graham, who released the bill, tells NBC News.
www.nbcnews.com/politics/con...
And Republicans say they have no idea who put this provision in, or why.
"I don't know where it came from," Senate Budget Chair Lindsey Graham, who released the bill, tells NBC News.
www.nbcnews.com/politics/con...
A megabill mystery: New solar and wind tax comes as a surprise to Republican senators
"I don't know where it came from," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, told NBC News after he released the 940-page legislation.
www.nbcnews.com
July 1, 2025 at 2:02 AM
NEW: Tucked inside the GOP mega-bill is an excise tax for solar and wind.
And Republicans say they have no idea who put this provision in, or why.
"I don't know where it came from," Senate Budget Chair Lindsey Graham, who released the bill, tells NBC News.
www.nbcnews.com/politics/con...
And Republicans say they have no idea who put this provision in, or why.
"I don't know where it came from," Senate Budget Chair Lindsey Graham, who released the bill, tells NBC News.
www.nbcnews.com/politics/con...
Reposted by Brian Powell
Republicans are about to decimate Medicaid across the country and their top two Senate leaders are trying to get their states exempted from the cuts at the 11th hour.
July 1, 2025 at 3:47 AM
Republicans are about to decimate Medicaid across the country and their top two Senate leaders are trying to get their states exempted from the cuts at the 11th hour.
Reposted by Brian Powell
One of the central achievements of the Affordable Care Act was to *raise* the Medicaid eligibility threshold to 133% of the federal poverty level—because everyone understood that there are plenty of folks who couldn't otherwise afford health care even though they're just over that (arbitrary) line.
Markwayne Mullin: "There are 35 million people that live below the poverty line inside the US. There are over 70 million people signed up for Medicaid. Now you're gonna tell me there's not room to make cuts?"
June 30, 2025 at 5:47 PM
One of the central achievements of the Affordable Care Act was to *raise* the Medicaid eligibility threshold to 133% of the federal poverty level—because everyone understood that there are plenty of folks who couldn't otherwise afford health care even though they're just over that (arbitrary) line.
Reposted by Brian Powell
Wow. Some people are upset about gutting the national endowment for the humanities. But fear not. The Big Beautiful Bill appropriates $40 million for "for the procurement of statues" for the President's "Garden of Heroes" www.budget.senate.gov/imo/media/do...
June 28, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Wow. Some people are upset about gutting the national endowment for the humanities. But fear not. The Big Beautiful Bill appropriates $40 million for "for the procurement of statues" for the President's "Garden of Heroes" www.budget.senate.gov/imo/media/do...
Reposted by Brian Powell
Trump and Stephen Miller want a vast secret police apparatus and they are building it right out in the open.
If the GOP reconciliation bill passes, ICE gets through FY2029:
- $45 billion for detention, on top of the current annual budget of $3.4 billion
- $14.4 billion for transportation and removal, on top of the current annual budget of $750 million
- $8 billion for hiring/retention
- Billions more.
- $45 billion for detention, on top of the current annual budget of $3.4 billion
- $14.4 billion for transportation and removal, on top of the current annual budget of $750 million
- $8 billion for hiring/retention
- Billions more.
‼️‼️
June 29, 2025 at 12:42 AM
Trump and Stephen Miller want a vast secret police apparatus and they are building it right out in the open.
Reposted by Brian Powell
He didn’t like the answers it was giving, so he’s starting over.
June 21, 2025 at 10:36 AM
He didn’t like the answers it was giving, so he’s starting over.
Reposted by Brian Powell
Hegseth is now threatening to send the Marines to LA to suppress protesters against ICE’s brutal assault on immigrant garment workers.
Just process that: Sending in the *military* to crack down on protesters.
We’re now at severe risk of martial law. That’s what they’ve wanted all along.
Just process that: Sending in the *military* to crack down on protesters.
We’re now at severe risk of martial law. That’s what they’ve wanted all along.
June 8, 2025 at 2:56 AM
Hegseth is now threatening to send the Marines to LA to suppress protesters against ICE’s brutal assault on immigrant garment workers.
Just process that: Sending in the *military* to crack down on protesters.
We’re now at severe risk of martial law. That’s what they’ve wanted all along.
Just process that: Sending in the *military* to crack down on protesters.
We’re now at severe risk of martial law. That’s what they’ve wanted all along.
Trump Officials Weaken Rules Insulating Government Workers From Politics www.nytimes.com/2025/04/25/u...
Trump Officials Weaken Rules Insulating Government Workers From Politics
A reinterpretation of the Hatch Act announced by the administration lets officials wear campaign paraphernalia like MAGA hats, and removes an independent board’s role in policing violations.
www.nytimes.com
April 28, 2025 at 2:45 AM
Trump Officials Weaken Rules Insulating Government Workers From Politics www.nytimes.com/2025/04/25/u...
Obama Calls for Universities to Stand Up for Core Values www.nytimes.com/2025/04/04/u...
Obama Calls for Universities to Stand Up to Trump Administration Threats
As the Trump administration threatens universities, the former president suggested schools shouldn’t be intimidated. But he also offered a critique of campus culture, saying it had too often shut out ...
www.nytimes.com
April 5, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Obama Calls for Universities to Stand Up for Core Values www.nytimes.com/2025/04/04/u...
For an organization supposedly staffed by technology wunderkinds, the DOGE website is crap.
April 5, 2025 at 1:25 PM
For an organization supposedly staffed by technology wunderkinds, the DOGE website is crap.
Reposted by Brian Powell
China is “trying to replicate” USAID programs in Africa as the Trump administration dismantles the agency, the commander of the U.S. Africa Command told lawmakers.
Trump administration live updates: Tariffs ravage the stock market; TikTok deadline approaches
Global markets are taking a beating from President Donald Trump's decision this week to announce sweeping tariffs on U.S. trading partners.
nbcnews.to
April 4, 2025 at 12:45 PM
China is “trying to replicate” USAID programs in Africa as the Trump administration dismantles the agency, the commander of the U.S. Africa Command told lawmakers.