John Sorensen
@johncsorensen.bsky.social
Doc filmmaker, I make podcasts and nonfiction stuff, usually about #policy, #history, #defense, #natsec, #cocktails, #movies. Snark is my own. Dog is my copilot.
Reposted by John Sorensen
“Russia realizes it’s not just about taking territory. It’s about breaking a nation’s will—not the Ukrainians’, but ours. And will, once broken, is a very difficult thing to repair.”
My latest from the @thebulwark.com
www.thebulwark.com/p/if-we-dont...
My latest from the @thebulwark.com
www.thebulwark.com/p/if-we-dont...
If We Don’t Stand With Ukraine, What Do We Stand For?
The decision to cancel a weapons shipment is a sign of weakness.
www.thebulwark.com
July 7, 2025 at 12:35 PM
“Russia realizes it’s not just about taking territory. It’s about breaking a nation’s will—not the Ukrainians’, but ours. And will, once broken, is a very difficult thing to repair.”
My latest from the @thebulwark.com
www.thebulwark.com/p/if-we-dont...
My latest from the @thebulwark.com
www.thebulwark.com/p/if-we-dont...
Reposted by John Sorensen
NYT found the “big beautiful bill” would be the largest transfer from the poor to the rich in a single law since at least 1990.
In fact, it would be the largest transfer *ever.*
Reagan’s low-income cuts were MUCH smaller - and his tax cuts were done separately. And before him, nothing comes close.
In fact, it would be the largest transfer *ever.*
Reagan’s low-income cuts were MUCH smaller - and his tax cuts were done separately. And before him, nothing comes close.
June 13, 2025 at 4:15 PM
NYT found the “big beautiful bill” would be the largest transfer from the poor to the rich in a single law since at least 1990.
In fact, it would be the largest transfer *ever.*
Reagan’s low-income cuts were MUCH smaller - and his tax cuts were done separately. And before him, nothing comes close.
In fact, it would be the largest transfer *ever.*
Reagan’s low-income cuts were MUCH smaller - and his tax cuts were done separately. And before him, nothing comes close.
Significantly better and smarter discussion on #therestispolitics of the US China trade war than just about anywhere else podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
Trump, Xi, and how China outsmarted America
Podcast Episode · The Rest Is Politics · 04/15/2025 · 57m
podcasts.apple.com
April 23, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Significantly better and smarter discussion on #therestispolitics of the US China trade war than just about anywhere else podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
Reposted by John Sorensen
Reposted by John Sorensen
#BlackHistoryMonth: Since the National Park Service wants to erase the T from Stonewall, let's spill the T through the Stonewall Community Foundation. The first story here is of Frances Thompson, a trans black activist born in 1840.
Hidden figures in queer Black history — Stonewall Community Foundation
Throughout February, in honor of Black History Month, we’ve been busy on Stonewall’s Instagram highlighting some of the lesser-known figures in queer Black history. These bold individuals lead with br...
www.stonewallfoundation.org
February 14, 2025 at 1:53 AM
#BlackHistoryMonth: Since the National Park Service wants to erase the T from Stonewall, let's spill the T through the Stonewall Community Foundation. The first story here is of Frances Thompson, a trans black activist born in 1840.
Reposted by John Sorensen
As the Trump administration pushes forward on downsizing the federal government, our recent explainer has stats on:
–the current and historical number of federal workers
–their geographic location
–demographics
–job descriptions
–average pay
–average tenure
–civil service protections
–more
–the current and historical number of federal workers
–their geographic location
–demographics
–job descriptions
–average pay
–average tenure
–civil service protections
–more
What the data says about federal workers
As President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House, here are answers to some common questions about the federal workforce.
www.pewresearch.org
January 29, 2025 at 12:52 PM
As the Trump administration pushes forward on downsizing the federal government, our recent explainer has stats on:
–the current and historical number of federal workers
–their geographic location
–demographics
–job descriptions
–average pay
–average tenure
–civil service protections
–more
–the current and historical number of federal workers
–their geographic location
–demographics
–job descriptions
–average pay
–average tenure
–civil service protections
–more
Reposted by John Sorensen
Scientists at the National Institutes of Health have been told the communications pause announced by the Trump Administration earlier this week includes a pause on ALL purchasing — including supplies for their ongoing research to treat cancer, Alzheimer’s, heart disease and many infectious diseases.
Scientists at NIH can’t purchase supplies for their studies after Trump administration pauses outside communications | CNN
Scientists at the National Institutes of Health have been told the communications pause announced by the Trump Administration earlier this week includes a pause on all purchasing, including supplies f...
www.cnn.com
January 26, 2025 at 1:48 PM
Scientists at the National Institutes of Health have been told the communications pause announced by the Trump Administration earlier this week includes a pause on ALL purchasing — including supplies for their ongoing research to treat cancer, Alzheimer’s, heart disease and many infectious diseases.
Reposted by John Sorensen
Wow. Trump fired the first woman to lead a division of the armed forces within 24 hours of getting sworn in as president. loom.ly/aizZjbQ
Admiral Fagan Is Fired as Coast Guard Commandant (Gift Article)
The first female officer to lead a branch of the armed forces was relieved of command within 24 hours of President Trump’s inauguration.
loom.ly
January 24, 2025 at 11:16 PM
Wow. Trump fired the first woman to lead a division of the armed forces within 24 hours of getting sworn in as president. loom.ly/aizZjbQ
Reposted by John Sorensen
"Harvard University has laid off its staff in the Harvard Slavery Remembrance Program, the unit of its $100 million Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery initiative tasked with identifying the direct descendants of those enslaved by Harvard affiliates."
Harvard just fired me and all of my colleagues. www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...
Harvard Outsources Program to Identify Descendants of Those Enslaved by University Affiliates, Lays Off Internal Staff | News | The Harvard Crimson
Harvard University has laid off staff in the Harvard Slavery Remembrance Program, the unit of its $100 million Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery initiative tasked with identifying direct descendants of ...
www.thecrimson.com
January 23, 2025 at 6:39 PM
"Harvard University has laid off its staff in the Harvard Slavery Remembrance Program, the unit of its $100 million Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery initiative tasked with identifying the direct descendants of those enslaved by Harvard affiliates."
Reposted by John Sorensen
👀
New database alert! "A national data set of historical US sundown towns for quantitative analysis", based on work by @rigbydavid.bsky.social and many Landscapes Labs collaborators is now available! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A national data set of historical US sundown towns for quantitative analysis - Scientific Data
Scientific Data - A national data set of historical US sundown towns for quantitative analysis
www.nature.com
January 23, 2025 at 9:45 PM
👀
Reposted by John Sorensen
A lot of people are throwing the phrase "manifest destiny" around right now. It does not mean what they think it means. In my book "Stories Are Weapons," I talk about the guy who coined the term, and what he was all about. wwnorton.com/books/978039...
January 23, 2025 at 9:48 PM
A lot of people are throwing the phrase "manifest destiny" around right now. It does not mean what they think it means. In my book "Stories Are Weapons," I talk about the guy who coined the term, and what he was all about. wwnorton.com/books/978039...
Reposted by John Sorensen
Not now, Taiwan. I can only follow so many constitutional crises at one time.
Taiwan is on the brink of a constitutional crisis. I detail how it got so bad, so fast, here:
www.kharistempleman.com/blog/taiwan-...
www.kharistempleman.com/blog/taiwan-...
January 20, 2025 at 4:25 AM
Not now, Taiwan. I can only follow so many constitutional crises at one time.
Reposted by John Sorensen
There are two kinds of people. The kind that don't like david lynch movies because they don't make sense and the kind that fucking love david lynch movies because they don't make sense
January 17, 2025 at 1:18 AM
There are two kinds of people. The kind that don't like david lynch movies because they don't make sense and the kind that fucking love david lynch movies because they don't make sense
Compelling case for describing the phenomenon as “male flight”
[clears throat] as research shows, when large numbers of women begin entering a profession, men flee it. like embodying the masculine virtues
celestemdavis.substack.com/p/why-boys-d...
celestemdavis.substack.com/p/why-boys-d...
January 16, 2025 at 9:54 PM
Compelling case for describing the phenomenon as “male flight”
Reposted by John Sorensen
the crazy part is this means the facebook we’ve all been experiencing for the past 5 years was the *good* version
NEW: Meta has quietly dismantled the system that prevented misinformation from spreading in the United States. Machine-learning classifiers that once identified viral hoaxes and limited their reach have now been switched off, Platformer has learned www.platformer.news/meta-ends-mi...
January 15, 2025 at 2:44 AM
the crazy part is this means the facebook we’ve all been experiencing for the past 5 years was the *good* version
Reposted by John Sorensen
Writing that, I looked at IRS data and learned that in 2021 (the most recent year for which there was data) LA County paid more in income taxes than all but four states.
January 14, 2025 at 4:06 AM
Writing that, I looked at IRS data and learned that in 2021 (the most recent year for which there was data) LA County paid more in income taxes than all but four states.
Reposted by John Sorensen
Solid coverage from @brianstelter.bsky.social : www.cnn.com/2025/01/13/m...
Jen Rubin exits Washington Post, joins Norm Eisen to launch new outlet countering ‘authoritarian threat’ | CNN Business
Veteran opinion columnist Jennifer Rubin is becoming the latest in a long list of Washington Post figures to leave the troubled institution.
www.cnn.com
January 13, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Solid coverage from @brianstelter.bsky.social : www.cnn.com/2025/01/13/m...
Thinking about my old college prof the celebrated Czech author Arnost Lustig who escaped on his way to Auschwitz, defied the Communists, wrote beautiful prose, and told dirty jokes. I wish he were here to help us see through all this mishegoss. Here’s a Becherovka Old Fashioned in his honor.
January 9, 2025 at 4:40 AM
Thinking about my old college prof the celebrated Czech author Arnost Lustig who escaped on his way to Auschwitz, defied the Communists, wrote beautiful prose, and told dirty jokes. I wish he were here to help us see through all this mishegoss. Here’s a Becherovka Old Fashioned in his honor.
Reposted by John Sorensen
Reminder that LLMs and generative "A.I." are garbage and no responsible institution should use them.
"In 2023 Elsevier began using AI during production without informing the board, resulting in many style and formatting errors, as well as reversing versions of papers that had already been accepted and formatted by the editors."
very innovative, very cool
very innovative, very cool
Evolution journal editors resign en masse
Board members expressed concerns over high fees, editorial independence, and use of AI in editorial processes.
arstechnica.com
January 2, 2025 at 2:37 AM
Reminder that LLMs and generative "A.I." are garbage and no responsible institution should use them.
Reposted by John Sorensen
20-yr-old US Army soldier stationed in South Korea arrested for massive hack of AT&T customer call records reported earlier this year, including call logs for Trump and VP Kamala Harris. Cameron John Wagenius worked on radio signals and network comms for Army. @briankrebs.bsky.social has the story
U.S. Army Soldier Arrested in AT&T, Verizon Extortions
Federal authorities have arrested and indicted a 20-year-old U.S. Army soldier on suspicion of being Kiberphant0m, a cybercriminal who has been selling and leaking sensitive customer call records stol...
krebsonsecurity.com
December 31, 2024 at 4:40 AM
20-yr-old US Army soldier stationed in South Korea arrested for massive hack of AT&T customer call records reported earlier this year, including call logs for Trump and VP Kamala Harris. Cameron John Wagenius worked on radio signals and network comms for Army. @briankrebs.bsky.social has the story
Reposted by John Sorensen
Someone just sent a photo of their dog, Onions, to an 11,000 person faculty listserv, adorable
December 30, 2024 at 1:43 AM
Someone just sent a photo of their dog, Onions, to an 11,000 person faculty listserv, adorable
This is the kind of thread I’m on this site for. Thanks for a fascinating and seasonally relevant bit of #military #history
I celebrate Xmas by family tradition, but as a military historian of the Hellenistic (c. 300-100 BCE) Mediterranean, Hanukkah is the holiday that falls within my professional bailiwick.
So, a Hanukkah themed military history 🧵
So, a Hanukkah themed military history 🧵
December 29, 2024 at 5:20 AM
This evening’s post-Christmas cocktail is a Midnight Stroll — orange and spice, boozy kick, not too shabby. Feels like it might need some tweaking… work in progress kindredcocktails.com/cocktail/mid...
Midnight Stroll | Kindred Cocktails
kindredcocktails.com
December 29, 2024 at 3:29 AM
This evening’s post-Christmas cocktail is a Midnight Stroll — orange and spice, boozy kick, not too shabby. Feels like it might need some tweaking… work in progress kindredcocktails.com/cocktail/mid...
Awesome.
Happy birthday Theo Kogan, lead singer of the Lunachicks, born on this day in 1969 in Brooklyn, New York City
Lunachicks live at CBGB
#punk #punks #punkrock #womenofpunk #lunachicks #theokogan #history #punkrockhistory #otd
youtu.be/sUsSTkrJZwQ?...
Lunachicks live at CBGB
#punk #punks #punkrock #womenofpunk #lunachicks #theokogan #history #punkrockhistory #otd
youtu.be/sUsSTkrJZwQ?...
Lunachicks live at CBGB
YouTube video by BrendanSFA
youtu.be
December 23, 2024 at 2:07 PM
Awesome.