jmerke.bsky.social
@jmerke.bsky.social
Reposted
OLD TIMEY POISONS! ☠️🤢

Enjoy some Aqua Tofana, cyanide peach pits, sketchy groundwater, arsenic, old lace, movie myths, tragic mix-ups, and the birth of forensic toxicology with Pulitzer Prize winning Deborah Blum.

It’s been quite a Spooktober, y’all! ☠️

www.alieward.com/ologies/hist...
Historical Toxicology (OLD TIMEY POISONS) with Deborah Blum — alie ward
Metal poisons. Odorless ones. Toxic plants. Iocane powder, arsenic, old lace, poisons as self-defense, black mirrors, Aqua Tofanas, movie myths, and the start of testing for that which ails or kills y...
www.alieward.com
October 29, 2025 at 9:30 PM
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sticker-motivated voter
October 29, 2025 at 10:44 PM
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Susan Collins has never been more vulnerable. This is our chance to retake this U.S. Senate seat and give Maine people a fighter for them in Washington.
October 26, 2025 at 11:25 PM
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Trump's privatization crimes now includes killing the EPA's Office of Research & Development.

Killing agencies like the #EPA kills Americans.

Join up, stand up, fight back with us to #SaveScience from these bastards.
zurl.co/MLcss

#StandUpForScience
#SaveEPA
#StopTrump

zurl.co/ZILjP
Dismantling EPA’s research office jeopardizes environmental safety, public health, and US competitiveness | PNAS
Dismantling EPA’s research office jeopardizes environmental safety, public health, and US competitiveness
zurl.co
June 13, 2025 at 12:45 PM
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An extraordinary story about how scientists in the US are afraid to speak up as the entire science research ecosystem is demolished at the hands of the Republican administration.

Without our voices, how will people understand the scope and generational consequences of the ongoing destruction?
“The lived experience of a scientist right now is terrifying”

My colleague Warren Cornwall spoke to @gregggonsalves.bsky.social, @rebekahtromble.bsky.social, @katestarbird.bsky.social
and others about “the fear and self-censorship coursing through the nation’s scientific establishment today”.
🧪
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 8:12 PM
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Trump’s war on science is an attack against anyone who has ever loved someone with cancer.

The American people do not want us to slash cancer research in order to give more tax breaks for billionaires.
May 13, 2025 at 9:02 PM
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Under court order, the government has released a nearly unredacted copy of the memorandum of understanding between the IRS and Homeland Security revealing how taxpayer data was shared for immigration enforcement.
May 13, 2025 at 9:29 PM
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"fully operational mobile McDonald’s unit" is a phrase that makes me feel like maybe i've passed away and all the news i read is all just the final neurons in my brain racing around making haphazard connections in the moments before darkness
As part of the red-carpet treatment, Saudi officials arranged for a fully operational mobile McDonald’s unit to accompany President Trump during his stay.

According to local reports, the unit was set up near the Saudi Royal Court.
May 13, 2025 at 4:09 PM
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House GOP is pushing a 10yr federal ban on state-level AI regulation. This would override laws in CA, CO, UT & TN, aiming to prevent a mashup of rules. Realistically, this strips states of power to protect their residents. Like when AI *swears* the safe internal temp for 🍗 is 102F [it's 165F, btw]
May 13, 2025 at 10:07 PM
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A 12-year-old boy was left alone on the street in Waltham, MA after ICE agents kidnapped the person he was with. An ICE agent drove his car aggressively onto the sidewalk towards a Waltham City Councilor who was recording the raid on her phone.
12-year-old boy left alone on sidewalk after ICE raid in Massachusetts
A 12-year-old boy was left behind on a street after an immigration raid in Waltham, Massachusetts.
www.cbsnews.com
May 13, 2025 at 10:43 PM
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Did you know there was a 5.2 magnitude earthquake in West Texas and Eastern New Mexico last night?

Did you know it is in the same area where hydraulic fracturing (fracking) has increased the number of wells from 350 in 2010 to 4524 in 2021?

I am sure it is just a coincidence.

@altdoi.altgov.info
May 4, 2025 at 2:14 PM
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The one bit of hope I have about being herded into death camps is that they might be so incompetent they forget to lock the gates or how to turn on the ovens.
BREAKING NYT:

Pete Hegseth shared detailed information about forthcoming strikes in Yemen on March 15 in a private Signal group chat that included his wife, brother and personal lawyer.

The info included the flight schedules for the F/A-18 Hornets targeting Houthis. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/20/u...
Hegseth Said to Have Shared Attack Details in Second Signal Chat
The defense secretary sent sensitive information about strikes in Yemen to an encrypted group chat that included his wife and brother, people familiar with the matter said.
www.nytimes.com
April 21, 2025 at 1:19 AM
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Me after not being online for much of the day, “Well, I’m done with family stuff, let me check the news… OH, COME ON.”
"Unlike the chat in which The Atlantic was included, the newly revealed one was created by Hegseth. Named “Defense | Team Huddle,” it included his wife and about a dozen other people.... He used his private phone, not his government one, to access the Signal chat."
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/20/u...
Hegseth Said to Have Shared Attack Details in Second Signal Chat
The defense secretary sent sensitive information about strikes in Yemen to an encrypted group chat that included his wife and brother, people familiar with the matter said.
www.nytimes.com
April 21, 2025 at 3:02 AM
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HHS Eliminated Programs - Updated

Here is an updated list of all programs eliminated in the 2026 HHS Budget. Reach out if you have information or clarity on the cuts.

These cuts will impact Every Single American.

Email altcdc1@pm.me for PDF and xlsx.
April 21, 2025 at 3:17 AM
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The Texas Senate has approved a new film incentive program that rewards films which are "faith-based," promote "family values" or "portrays Texas in a positive fashion."

I may be new here but that sure sounds like government-funded religious propaganda.

apnews.com/us-news/bill...
Texas Senate approves $500 million infusion for film incentives
The Texas Senate on Wednesday passed a bill that would more than double the amount of money the state spends to lure film and television production to Texas.
apnews.com
April 17, 2025 at 7:40 PM
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More DOGE cut madness being confirmed. Here's a background article on what the loss of AmeriCorps will mean: youthtoday.org/2025/03/endi...

There's also an active Reddit AmeriCorps (National Civilian Community Corps) group discussing the cut:
www.reddit.com/r/AmeriCorps...
April 15, 2025 at 10:54 PM
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Number one takeaway from the insane turnout at fight the oligarchy rallies, while chuck schumer cancels his little book tour and gretchen whitmer hides her face, is that there is zero constituency for bipartisanship
BREAKING: 36k people showed up in LA for Bernie and AOC’s rally. In the off year.

Americans are pissed — and anyone ignoring that is making a big mistake.
April 13, 2025 at 5:32 AM
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Hey, Congress, please stop the people with no authority to do this from doing this.
Scoop: DOGE now controls how grant opportunities get posted across government.

DOGE engineer removed users’ permissions to post to Grants-dot-gov without telling them. Now requests flow thru DOGE-controlled mailbox.

with @carolynyjohnson.bsky.social + @hannahnatanson.bsky.social
DOGE takes over federal grants website, wresting control of billions
A DOGE engineer removed users’ access to grants.gov, threatening to further slow the process of awarding thousands of federal grants per year.
www.washingtonpost.com
April 12, 2025 at 12:56 AM
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Hours ago, @politico.com revealed that DOGE is working with DHS on automating mass deportation efforts — likely explaining why many US citizens, green card holders, and even a Canadian (in Canada) got threatening emails last night terminating “your parole” and telling them to leave the US in 7 days.
April 12, 2025 at 2:53 AM
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I asked the one high ranking policeman I saw on 5th Ave why there were so few police. He said “We did not expect anything like this. Don’t tell anyone but I’ve only got 44 officers out here — and it’s a great crowd, great event, no incidents.”
I have never seen anything like this in NYC. 5th Ave covered from 42nd St well to the 20s. Nobody prepared for this volume. Volunteers are holding the traffic on all the side streets. No police in sight. #handsoff
April 5, 2025 at 8:24 PM
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Now THAT’S some #GoodTrouble. #HandsOff
April 5, 2025 at 11:26 PM
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Adorable. The Boston ducks have protest signs #handsoff
April 5, 2025 at 7:42 PM
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Tens of thousands join #HandsOff rally in Washington DC in rebuke of Trump-Musk. Video and story coverage:
#HandsOffDC
dcmediagroup.us/2025/04/05/h...
April 5, 2025 at 11:50 PM