Eric Michael Johnson
@ericmjohnson.bsky.social
Academic, award-winning writer, editor, TTRPG creator, AuDHD, primate. Not necessarily in that order. He/him. Unceded territory of Vancouver, BC. 🏳️⚧️🇵🇸
Production Designer at #BlackwaterDnD
https://linktr.ee/EricMichaelJohnson
Production Designer at #BlackwaterDnD
https://linktr.ee/EricMichaelJohnson
Reposted by Eric Michael Johnson
Went to a great talk the other day where the speaker referred to "Watson, Crick, and Franklin" nucleotides & let's all adopt that terminology
November 10, 2025 at 11:03 PM
Went to a great talk the other day where the speaker referred to "Watson, Crick, and Franklin" nucleotides & let's all adopt that terminology
Reposted by Eric Michael Johnson
this is incredibly lucid and valuable research.
Please take a minute to scroll through this—and share it.
It's the story of our time.
The Authoritarian Stack: How Tech Billionaires Are Building a Post-Democratic American—And Why Europe Is Next.
www.authoritarian-stack.info
It's the story of our time.
The Authoritarian Stack: How Tech Billionaires Are Building a Post-Democratic American—And Why Europe Is Next.
www.authoritarian-stack.info
The Authoritarian Stack
How Tech Billionaires Are Building a Post-Democratic America — And Why Europe Is Next
www.authoritarian-stack.info
November 7, 2025 at 11:54 PM
this is incredibly lucid and valuable research.
Reposted by Eric Michael Johnson
"Faced with this dilemma—where do you get a trillion dollars quick?—OpenAI is getting ready to run hat in hand to the taxpayer for subsidies, like every great Ayn Randian self-created entrepreneur, pulling themselves up by their bootstraps." prospect.org/2025/11/07/o...
OpenAI Is Maneuvering for a Government Bailout - The American Prospect
For artificial intelligence to ever pencil out, some truly enormous revenue streams will be required. And if you need trillions of dollars for data centers forever, there’s only one entity to turn to:...
prospect.org
November 7, 2025 at 4:26 PM
"Faced with this dilemma—where do you get a trillion dollars quick?—OpenAI is getting ready to run hat in hand to the taxpayer for subsidies, like every great Ayn Randian self-created entrepreneur, pulling themselves up by their bootstraps." prospect.org/2025/11/07/o...
Reposted by Eric Michael Johnson
"biological pronouns" is an insane phrase
BREAKING: The Sixth Circuit, in a 10-7 en banc decision, holds that an Ohio school district's anti-bullying policy that requires students to use children's preferred pronouns is likely unconstitutional on these facts.
Judge Murphy, a Trump appointee, writes the court's decision.
Judge Murphy, a Trump appointee, writes the court's decision.
November 7, 2025 at 4:22 AM
"biological pronouns" is an insane phrase
Reposted by Eric Michael Johnson
One analytical model shows that, as of November 5th, the dismantling of U.S.A.I.D. has already caused the deaths of 600,000 people, two-thirds of them children. https://newyorkermag.visitlink.me/jUzNSc
The Shutdown of U.S.A.I.D. Has Already Killed Hundreds of Thousands
The short documentary “Rovina’s Choice” tells the story of what goes when aid goes.
newyorkermag.visitlink.me
November 6, 2025 at 9:00 PM
One analytical model shows that, as of November 5th, the dismantling of U.S.A.I.D. has already caused the deaths of 600,000 people, two-thirds of them children. https://newyorkermag.visitlink.me/jUzNSc
Reposted by Eric Michael Johnson
“We’re not fighting against the individual man under the uniform,” Olivia Ikey said. “We’re fighting against the system behind this man with the uniform and how we can improve the reality of this person that will come to serve and protect our community.”
www.aptnnews.ca/national-new...
www.aptnnews.ca/national-new...
Marches for Inuit killed by police in 11 Nunavik communities
Memorial marches for Inuit killed in confrontations with the Nunavik Police Service spread to 11 of 14 Nunavik communities
www.aptnnews.ca
November 6, 2025 at 10:19 PM
“We’re not fighting against the individual man under the uniform,” Olivia Ikey said. “We’re fighting against the system behind this man with the uniform and how we can improve the reality of this person that will come to serve and protect our community.”
www.aptnnews.ca/national-new...
www.aptnnews.ca/national-new...
Reposted by Eric Michael Johnson
A large majority of U.S. adults now get news digitally, but nondigital news consumers are less likely to say they extremely often or often encounter inaccurate news.
Read more on Americans’ views of information accuracy and distinguishing truth from fiction:
Read more on Americans’ views of information accuracy and distinguishing truth from fiction:
Many Americans say they often come across inaccurate news – and have a hard time knowing what’s true
Those who report often encountering inaccurate news are more likely than those who rarely or never do to say it’s hard to know what is true (59% vs. 31%).
www.pewresearch.org
November 3, 2025 at 1:00 PM
A large majority of U.S. adults now get news digitally, but nondigital news consumers are less likely to say they extremely often or often encounter inaccurate news.
Read more on Americans’ views of information accuracy and distinguishing truth from fiction:
Read more on Americans’ views of information accuracy and distinguishing truth from fiction:
Reposted by Eric Michael Johnson
📽️ WATCH: The U.S. government doesn’t track how often immigration agents detain citizens. So ProPublica did.
We found more than 170 incidents since the start of Trump’s second term. Americans have been kicked, dragged and held for days without access to lawyers.
➡️ Full story: propub.li/3LjuAVS
We found more than 170 incidents since the start of Trump’s second term. Americans have been kicked, dragged and held for days without access to lawyers.
➡️ Full story: propub.li/3LjuAVS
November 3, 2025 at 2:02 AM
📽️ WATCH: The U.S. government doesn’t track how often immigration agents detain citizens. So ProPublica did.
We found more than 170 incidents since the start of Trump’s second term. Americans have been kicked, dragged and held for days without access to lawyers.
➡️ Full story: propub.li/3LjuAVS
We found more than 170 incidents since the start of Trump’s second term. Americans have been kicked, dragged and held for days without access to lawyers.
➡️ Full story: propub.li/3LjuAVS
Reposted by Eric Michael Johnson
Scientists long thought the plant cell wall to be dead, but it's an active, even chatty participant in cellular growth, reproduction and responses to infection
go.nature.com/4oK8xWu
go.nature.com/4oK8xWu
Plants have a secret language that scientists are only now starting to decipher
Nature - Signals from the plant cell wall help to orchestrate growth, reproduction and immune function. Can harnessing this molecular cross talk help in creating better crops?
go.nature.com
November 2, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Scientists long thought the plant cell wall to be dead, but it's an active, even chatty participant in cellular growth, reproduction and responses to infection
go.nature.com/4oK8xWu
go.nature.com/4oK8xWu
Reposted by Eric Michael Johnson
The lives of Indigenous women in Kashmir’s mountains reveal a silent crisis: Climate change is a profound mental health emergency for women whose survival depends on mobility and resilience, Safina Nabi writes.
The Women Carrying Water—and the World
The complicated life of women struggling with climate change—and cultural change—in Kashmir’s mountains.
foreignpolicy.com
November 2, 2025 at 12:30 PM
The lives of Indigenous women in Kashmir’s mountains reveal a silent crisis: Climate change is a profound mental health emergency for women whose survival depends on mobility and resilience, Safina Nabi writes.
Reposted by Eric Michael Johnson
When buying books, you can’t always tell if you’re supporting Canadian businesses. But the Certified Canadian Publisher program is changing that. 📚🇨🇦
How Certified Canadian Publishers Keep Our Stories Close to Home | The Tyee
A new national program helps readers easily spot and support Canadian-owned book publishers.
thetyee.ca
November 1, 2025 at 1:31 AM
When buying books, you can’t always tell if you’re supporting Canadian businesses. But the Certified Canadian Publisher program is changing that. 📚🇨🇦
Reposted by Eric Michael Johnson
This graph never fails to be shocking: "The US has experienced the earliest and greatest slowdown in life expectancy improvements among higher-income countries, reported Eileen Crimmins. “We have horrible life expectancy—and it’s getting worse and worse”"
www.prb.org/resources/se...
www.prb.org/resources/se...
October 31, 2025 at 7:08 PM
This graph never fails to be shocking: "The US has experienced the earliest and greatest slowdown in life expectancy improvements among higher-income countries, reported Eileen Crimmins. “We have horrible life expectancy—and it’s getting worse and worse”"
www.prb.org/resources/se...
www.prb.org/resources/se...
Reposted by Eric Michael Johnson
I’ve said this before but white guilt is useless. I don’t want people to feel guilty for things they had no part in, and guilt easily curdles into resentment. But everyone regardless should feel an obligation to correct injustice, especially if you somehow benefit. bsky.app/profile/mich...
I found this piece sad too, but mostly because it is part of a years-long effort by progressives to understand what "really" animates Trump voters.
We already know! It is racism, misogyny and misinformation. I know that sounds condescending or whatever but it's simply what all evidence suggests.
We already know! It is racism, misogyny and misinformation. I know that sounds condescending or whatever but it's simply what all evidence suggests.
October 31, 2025 at 11:12 AM
I’ve said this before but white guilt is useless. I don’t want people to feel guilty for things they had no part in, and guilt easily curdles into resentment. But everyone regardless should feel an obligation to correct injustice, especially if you somehow benefit. bsky.app/profile/mich...
Reposted by Eric Michael Johnson
Under Trump, the draconian future of homelessness policy is coming into focus: mass internment. Utah is building a 16-acre site to detain up to 1,300 homeless people inside locked "accountability centers." This is profoundly alarming.
Vital reporting from @ellenbarry.bsky.social and Jason DeParle:
Vital reporting from @ellenbarry.bsky.social and Jason DeParle:
In Utah, Trump’s Vision for Homelessness Begins to Take Shape
www.nytimes.com
October 29, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Under Trump, the draconian future of homelessness policy is coming into focus: mass internment. Utah is building a 16-acre site to detain up to 1,300 homeless people inside locked "accountability centers." This is profoundly alarming.
Vital reporting from @ellenbarry.bsky.social and Jason DeParle:
Vital reporting from @ellenbarry.bsky.social and Jason DeParle:
“The sand in and around the city of approximately 400,000 is so caked with blood that you can see evidence of the RSF’s war crimes via satellite imagery, according to Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab.” @hrl-yalesph.bsky.social #Darfur
🚨🇸🇩 The Blood is Visible From Space
Peter Rothpletz on the genocide in Sudan, Trump’s latest weaponization of the DOJ, and 'journalists' from The Free Press wreaking havoc on both sides of the Atlantic.
zeteo.com
October 30, 2025 at 5:48 PM
“The sand in and around the city of approximately 400,000 is so caked with blood that you can see evidence of the RSF’s war crimes via satellite imagery, according to Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab.” @hrl-yalesph.bsky.social #Darfur
Reposted by Eric Michael Johnson
From me: Trump is trying to bully Warner Bros. Discovery into accepting a merger bid from the MAGA-fied Paramount. There's a problem for him though: any state Attorney General can sue to block such a deal, which under current law is presumptively illegal.
prospect.org/2025/10/30/f...
prospect.org/2025/10/30/f...
The Flaw in Trump’s MAGA Media Empire Plot - The American Prospect
Warner Bros. Discovery has announced that it is for sale, and Trump is trying to force the company to agree to a merger with Paramount, consolidating media with his allies the Ellisons. But states can...
prospect.org
October 30, 2025 at 1:32 PM
From me: Trump is trying to bully Warner Bros. Discovery into accepting a merger bid from the MAGA-fied Paramount. There's a problem for him though: any state Attorney General can sue to block such a deal, which under current law is presumptively illegal.
prospect.org/2025/10/30/f...
prospect.org/2025/10/30/f...
Reposted by Eric Michael Johnson
If Eris Nyx and Jeremy Kalicum, founders of the Drug User Liberation Front, are found guilty, they plan to appeal the decision and hope that there is an outpouring of public support. “After all, who can be against saving lives?”
On Trial for a Radical Approach to Reducing Drug Overdoses in British Columbia
The Vancouver duo behind the Drug User Liberation Front faces 40 years behind bars for drug trafficking. But this is no ordinary case.
www.thenation.com
October 27, 2025 at 8:15 PM
If Eris Nyx and Jeremy Kalicum, founders of the Drug User Liberation Front, are found guilty, they plan to appeal the decision and hope that there is an outpouring of public support. “After all, who can be against saving lives?”
George Santos may still face justice for his many confessed crimes. New York shut the “Manafort loophole” in 2019, ensuring that a presidential pardon no longer shields grifters from state prosecution. The law was signed into effect by then-Governor Andrew Cuomo.
The Good
News: Scummy George Santos Isn’t Out of the Woods Just Yet
Trump’s commutation of his sentence was a disgrace. But under a new law, New York State can still pursue justice here.
newrepublic.com
October 27, 2025 at 1:25 AM
George Santos may still face justice for his many confessed crimes. New York shut the “Manafort loophole” in 2019, ensuring that a presidential pardon no longer shields grifters from state prosecution. The law was signed into effect by then-Governor Andrew Cuomo.
“The changes to Oklahoma’s curriculum rules don’t just touch on national issues around race and gender. Here, teachers aren’t supposed to tell students that the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 — a defining incident of racial violence in Oklahoma history — was perpetrated by racists.”
Oklahoma’s social studies standards, written with the help of the right-wing group behind Project 2025, now include roughly 40 points about Christianity that students should learn as well as skepticism about the 2020 election and COVID-19’s origins.
By @jsmithrichards.bsky.social
By @jsmithrichards.bsky.social
This Is Ground Zero in the Conservative Quest for More Patriotic and Christian Public Schools
Oklahoma has spent years reshaping public schools to integrate lessons about Jesus and encourage pride in America’s history. By the time the second Trump administration began espousing its “America Fi...
www.propublica.org
October 26, 2025 at 5:36 PM
“The changes to Oklahoma’s curriculum rules don’t just touch on national issues around race and gender. Here, teachers aren’t supposed to tell students that the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 — a defining incident of racial violence in Oklahoma history — was perpetrated by racists.”
Reposted by Eric Michael Johnson
An AP analysis finds drops in the number of Black freshmen at many elite colleges in the two years since the Supreme Court’s decision ending affirmative action.
apnews.com/article/affi...
apnews.com/article/affi...
October 26, 2025 at 2:46 PM
An AP analysis finds drops in the number of Black freshmen at many elite colleges in the two years since the Supreme Court’s decision ending affirmative action.
apnews.com/article/affi...
apnews.com/article/affi...
I love a good data analysis: The NYT’s claim that moderates win more often crumbles under scrutiny. As @adambonica.bsky.social shows, once you control for money and incumbency, the greater “electability” of moderates disappears entirely. It’s less about policy and more about the PACs that fund them.
The New York Times’ “Moderation Advantage” Is a Statistical Illusion
After accounting for money and incumbency the supposed electoral bonus for moderate candidates vanishes entirely.
data4democracy.substack.com
October 26, 2025 at 1:07 PM
I love a good data analysis: The NYT’s claim that moderates win more often crumbles under scrutiny. As @adambonica.bsky.social shows, once you control for money and incumbency, the greater “electability” of moderates disappears entirely. It’s less about policy and more about the PACs that fund them.
Reposted by Eric Michael Johnson
Reposted by Eric Michael Johnson
Here’s the original clip of Ronald Reagan from April 25, 1987, where he delivered a complete and total rebuke against tariffs. Trump's calling Reagan’s words here “FAKE” and “fraudulent.” They’re 100% real. And the original clip is actually far worse for Trump, as much is left out of the ad:
October 24, 2025 at 3:51 AM
Here’s the original clip of Ronald Reagan from April 25, 1987, where he delivered a complete and total rebuke against tariffs. Trump's calling Reagan’s words here “FAKE” and “fraudulent.” They’re 100% real. And the original clip is actually far worse for Trump, as much is left out of the ad:
The ad was accurate and only involved using a direct quote from Reagan. This is similar to the individuals who were punished for accurately quoting Charlie Kirk’s words.
Breaking News: President Trump said he would raise tariffs on Canada by 10% over an ad, paid for by the province of Ontario, that used Ronald Reagan’s words to denounce tariffs. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/25/w...
October 25, 2025 at 9:42 PM
The ad was accurate and only involved using a direct quote from Reagan. This is similar to the individuals who were punished for accurately quoting Charlie Kirk’s words.
Reposted by Eric Michael Johnson
