joplant.bsky.social
@joplant.bsky.social
Reposted by joplant.bsky.social
What the KENNEDY Center used to be…
Remember that time Aretha Franklin performed at the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors, paying tribute to Carole King, who co-wrote “You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman,” and it brought a tear to Obama’s eye and everyone to their feet? And Carole King’s reaction. Wow.
Remember that time Aretha Franklin performed at the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors, paying tribute to Carole King, who co-wrote “You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman,” and it brought a tear to Obama’s eye and everyone to their feet? And Carole King’s reaction. Wow.
January 1, 2026 at 5:04 AM
What the KENNEDY Center used to be…
Remember that time Aretha Franklin performed at the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors, paying tribute to Carole King, who co-wrote “You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman,” and it brought a tear to Obama’s eye and everyone to their feet? And Carole King’s reaction. Wow.
Remember that time Aretha Franklin performed at the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors, paying tribute to Carole King, who co-wrote “You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman,” and it brought a tear to Obama’s eye and everyone to their feet? And Carole King’s reaction. Wow.
Reposted by joplant.bsky.social
Is there a way to get an injunction to stop the destruction at NASA Goddard?
The destruction of knowledge and history is haphazard & breathtaking.
NASA’s Largest Library Is Closing Amid Staff and Lab Cuts.
NASA’s Largest Library Is Closing Amid Staff and Lab Cuts.
NASA’s Largest Library Is Closing Amid Staff and Lab Cuts
www.nytimes.com
December 31, 2025 at 10:34 PM
Is there a way to get an injunction to stop the destruction at NASA Goddard?
Reposted by joplant.bsky.social
leave it to John Roberts to bring up Lincoln's 1857 speech decrying the majority opinion in Dred Scott - without acknowledging that the real point of the speech was to decry an opinion using originalist methods, and to question the deference due the court
www.supremecourt.gov/publicinfo/y...
www.supremecourt.gov/publicinfo/y...
![Perhaps the finest explanation for the Declaration’s continuing influence comes from one of our greatest Presidents, Abraham Lincoln. Speaking shortly after the Supreme Court handed down its infamous decision in the Dred Scott case, Lincoln noted that “[t]he
assertion that ‘all men are created equal’ was . . . placed in the Declaration . . . for future use.”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cwubi5bzl5l7aipwkhiehozj/bafkreicsryjz6r4wlyt6lkfh7etvvmy7sizxkrd4u5bu54v4ci4w6tsiqu@jpeg)
January 1, 2026 at 2:37 PM
leave it to John Roberts to bring up Lincoln's 1857 speech decrying the majority opinion in Dred Scott - without acknowledging that the real point of the speech was to decry an opinion using originalist methods, and to question the deference due the court
www.supremecourt.gov/publicinfo/y...
www.supremecourt.gov/publicinfo/y...
Reposted by joplant.bsky.social
My old pal @eniiler.bsky.social with a killer story. What we save defines us as a culture—the archive is our memory and our future. And we’re throwing it away? Madness.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/c...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/c...
NASA’s Largest Library Is Closing Amid Staff and Lab Cuts
www.nytimes.com
December 31, 2025 at 8:05 PM
My old pal @eniiler.bsky.social with a killer story. What we save defines us as a culture—the archive is our memory and our future. And we’re throwing it away? Madness.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/c...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/c...
Reposted by joplant.bsky.social
Scientific research is a pillar of American prosperity. Trump is trying to destroy it. We must stop him. California must also step up & lead — doubling down on our science leadership. I’m working with a broad coalition to advance a 2026 ballot measure to get that done.
The Trump Administration’s Most Paralyzing Blow to Science
Cuts to research may have spoiled the country’s appetite for bold exploration.
www.theatlantic.com
December 30, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Scientific research is a pillar of American prosperity. Trump is trying to destroy it. We must stop him. California must also step up & lead — doubling down on our science leadership. I’m working with a broad coalition to advance a 2026 ballot measure to get that done.
Reposted by joplant.bsky.social
Trump's DOJ was monitoring all the movements of the Miami Herald reporter who was covering the Epstein case.
December 28, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Trump's DOJ was monitoring all the movements of the Miami Herald reporter who was covering the Epstein case.
Reposted by joplant.bsky.social
More on the continuing purges at #NIH. Now 13 out of 27 institute directors have been gotten rid of. This is not normal. @jonathanwosen.bsky.social www.statnews.com/2025/12/27/n...
Director of NIH neurological disorders institute is ousted, adding to leadership churn
Walter Koroshetz, director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, will soon be leaving his role, STAT has learned. His departure
www.statnews.com
December 27, 2025 at 7:05 PM
More on the continuing purges at #NIH. Now 13 out of 27 institute directors have been gotten rid of. This is not normal. @jonathanwosen.bsky.social www.statnews.com/2025/12/27/n...
Reposted by joplant.bsky.social
Super low hanging safety fruit. US regulators have had a decade plus to get manufacturers to make safe door handles and still they haven’t.
www.autoblog.com/news/china-i...
www.autoblog.com/news/china-i...
China Is Banning Tesla-Style Retractable Door Handles Over Safety Concerns
From 2027, cars sold in China must have manual door releases after electronic handles failing during crashes. Tesla and other brands will need design changes.
www.autoblog.com
December 27, 2025 at 11:57 PM
Super low hanging safety fruit. US regulators have had a decade plus to get manufacturers to make safe door handles and still they haven’t.
www.autoblog.com/news/china-i...
www.autoblog.com/news/china-i...
Reposted by joplant.bsky.social
ICE raids appear to be 100% responsible for the current housing crunch in south Texas. Indeed, they have brought residential construction to an end.
South Texas homebuilders say ICE arrests have slowed work
More than 380 people attended an impromptu meeting that industry leaders in the Rio Grande Valley hosted to draw attention to the chilling effect ICE arrests have had on construction.
www.texastribune.org
December 27, 2025 at 9:11 PM
ICE raids appear to be 100% responsible for the current housing crunch in south Texas. Indeed, they have brought residential construction to an end.
Reposted by joplant.bsky.social
we’ve been over this
we just did this in Massachusetts
they’re not gonna leave, they’ll whine and bitch and moan and eventually this will raise more money than expected because nowhere they go is actually like the place they’re leaving
we just did this in Massachusetts
they’re not gonna leave, they’ll whine and bitch and moan and eventually this will raise more money than expected because nowhere they go is actually like the place they’re leaving
Billionaires are considering cutting or reducing their ties to California by the end of the year because of a proposed ballot measure that could tax the state’s wealthiest residents.
A Wealth Tax Floated in California Has Billionaires Thinking of Leaving
It’s uncertain whether the proposal will reach the statewide ballot in November, but some billionaires like Peter Thiel and Larry Page may be unwilling to take the risk.
nyti.ms
December 27, 2025 at 12:49 AM
we’ve been over this
we just did this in Massachusetts
they’re not gonna leave, they’ll whine and bitch and moan and eventually this will raise more money than expected because nowhere they go is actually like the place they’re leaving
we just did this in Massachusetts
they’re not gonna leave, they’ll whine and bitch and moan and eventually this will raise more money than expected because nowhere they go is actually like the place they’re leaving
Reposted by joplant.bsky.social
There are only two offenses the Constitution goes out of its way to specifically say merit impeachment, and this is one of them.
GOP operatives Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman, convicted election fraudsters, were paid $960,000 in the second quarter to secure a pardon for a former nursing-home operator who defrauded the government of $38 million. Trump pardoned the man, Joseph Schwartz, last month.
Inside the New Fast Track to a Presidential Pardon
Even some of the president’s closest advisers have been surprised by a number of the recent series of pardons.
www.wsj.com
December 25, 2025 at 10:47 PM
There are only two offenses the Constitution goes out of its way to specifically say merit impeachment, and this is one of them.
Reposted by joplant.bsky.social
Rep. Josh Gottheimer’s Microsoft trades and Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s Broadcom options exercise were among the notable trades, as bipartisan momentum grows to ban lawmakers from trading individual stocks.
Congress’s Million Dollar Stock Trades In 2025: Nvidia, Microsoft And The Bipartisan Push For A Ban
Rep. Josh Gottheimer’s Microsoft trades and Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s Broadcom options exercise were among the notable trades, as bipartisan momentum grows to ban lawmakers from trading individual stocks.
www.forbes.com
December 24, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Rep. Josh Gottheimer’s Microsoft trades and Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s Broadcom options exercise were among the notable trades, as bipartisan momentum grows to ban lawmakers from trading individual stocks.
Reposted by joplant.bsky.social
The best essay about this film that I've ever read, and I've not only read dozens, I've written a few myself. Hooray for Mary!
This is an almost shockingly wise essay. I'm glad I've finally read it.
There Is No Mary Problem in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’
George’s vision of his wife without him is essential to the film, but critics continue to miss its true—and profound—meaning.
open.substack.com
December 24, 2025 at 12:59 AM
The best essay about this film that I've ever read, and I've not only read dozens, I've written a few myself. Hooray for Mary!
Reposted by joplant.bsky.social
This is an almost shockingly wise essay. I'm glad I've finally read it.
There Is No Mary Problem in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’
George’s vision of his wife without him is essential to the film, but critics continue to miss its true—and profound—meaning.
open.substack.com
December 24, 2025 at 12:34 AM
This is an almost shockingly wise essay. I'm glad I've finally read it.
Reposted by joplant.bsky.social
Year 1 data on congestion pricing in Manhattan…
* Vehicle traffic: -11%
* Foot traffic: +3.4%
* Storefront vacancy: -0.9%
* Pollution: -22%
* Revenue for mass transit: $548M
So YES this has been a huge success.
* Vehicle traffic: -11%
* Foot traffic: +3.4%
* Storefront vacancy: -0.9%
* Pollution: -22%
* Revenue for mass transit: $548M
So YES this has been a huge success.
December 23, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Year 1 data on congestion pricing in Manhattan…
* Vehicle traffic: -11%
* Foot traffic: +3.4%
* Storefront vacancy: -0.9%
* Pollution: -22%
* Revenue for mass transit: $548M
So YES this has been a huge success.
* Vehicle traffic: -11%
* Foot traffic: +3.4%
* Storefront vacancy: -0.9%
* Pollution: -22%
* Revenue for mass transit: $548M
So YES this has been a huge success.
Reposted by joplant.bsky.social
The Daily Northwestern reports on @gowder.io & my legal concerns over NWern's "deal" w Trump admin.
And take note, Bari Weiss: the intrepid student journalists sought comment from the U & the Trump admin. but did NOT spike the story when neither responded.
dailynorthwestern.com/2025/12/21/c...
And take note, Bari Weiss: the intrepid student journalists sought comment from the U & the Trump admin. but did NOT spike the story when neither responded.
dailynorthwestern.com/2025/12/21/c...
Pritzker professors claim NU funding deal violates federal law
Since it was announced in November, Northwestern’s deal with the Trump administration has caused some students, faculty and alumni to express concern surrounding NU’s autonomy after it gave into feder...
dailynorthwestern.com
December 22, 2025 at 6:48 PM
The Daily Northwestern reports on @gowder.io & my legal concerns over NWern's "deal" w Trump admin.
And take note, Bari Weiss: the intrepid student journalists sought comment from the U & the Trump admin. but did NOT spike the story when neither responded.
dailynorthwestern.com/2025/12/21/c...
And take note, Bari Weiss: the intrepid student journalists sought comment from the U & the Trump admin. but did NOT spike the story when neither responded.
dailynorthwestern.com/2025/12/21/c...
Reposted by joplant.bsky.social
Now seems like a swell time to point out that Frontline just released this excellent 11-minute mini-documentary about what happened inside CECOT.
Surviving CECOT (full documentary) | Deported to a Maximum-Security Prison | FRONTLINE + ProPublica
YouTube video by FRONTLINE PBS | Official
m.youtube.com
December 21, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Now seems like a swell time to point out that Frontline just released this excellent 11-minute mini-documentary about what happened inside CECOT.
Reposted by joplant.bsky.social
My god.
From Sharyn Alfonsi’s email to her ‘60 Minutes’ colleagues, posted by the NYT Michael Grynbaum:
From Sharyn Alfonsi’s email to her ‘60 Minutes’ colleagues, posted by the NYT Michael Grynbaum:
December 22, 2025 at 3:49 AM
My god.
From Sharyn Alfonsi’s email to her ‘60 Minutes’ colleagues, posted by the NYT Michael Grynbaum:
From Sharyn Alfonsi’s email to her ‘60 Minutes’ colleagues, posted by the NYT Michael Grynbaum:
Reposted by joplant.bsky.social
“The Supreme Court decided not to have a Christmas party for 12 straight years because the justices couldn’t agree on whether to invite the Court’s Black employees” is about as tidy an encapsulation of the Supreme Court’s whole deal as I can think of
The Alarmingly Racist History of the Supreme Court’s Canceled 1947 Christmas Party
The Court held its first-ever office Christmas party in 1946. The following year, the clerks suggested inviting Black employees. It did not go over well.
ballsandstrikes.substack.com
December 20, 2025 at 9:06 PM
“The Supreme Court decided not to have a Christmas party for 12 straight years because the justices couldn’t agree on whether to invite the Court’s Black employees” is about as tidy an encapsulation of the Supreme Court’s whole deal as I can think of
Reposted by joplant.bsky.social
Huuuuuuuuuuuuuge power grab that makes every instructor’s job directly more dangerous
The UNC system just released its final policy on mandatory syllabi disclosure, stating that syllabi are university (not faculty) IP and certain course info must be posted on new, publicly searchable databases before every semester.
A thread about what's changed from the draft I reported on earlier:
A thread about what's changed from the draft I reported on earlier:
NEW: Public universities in red states, from Texas to Florida, are increasingly required to make their syllabi public. The University of North Carolina may be next. Does "syllabi transparency" help combat distrust in higher ed, or feed ill-informed suspicions of it? www.chronicle.com/article/when...
December 19, 2025 at 10:50 PM
Huuuuuuuuuuuuuge power grab that makes every instructor’s job directly more dangerous
Reposted by joplant.bsky.social
NEW: A Texas district in which Black students were allegedly taunted with monkey noises.
An Arizona school where students admitted saying “slavery is good.”
These are some of the incidents Trump’s Education Department has ignored:
An Arizona school where students admitted saying “slavery is good.”
These are some of the incidents Trump’s Education Department has ignored:
Monkey Sounds, “White Power” and the N-Word: Racial Harassment Against Black Students Ignored Under Trump
Since Trump returned to office, the Education Department’s civil rights office has not resolved a single racial harassment investigation. It sends a message that “people impacted by racial discriminat...
www.propublica.org
December 19, 2025 at 12:34 PM
NEW: A Texas district in which Black students were allegedly taunted with monkey noises.
An Arizona school where students admitted saying “slavery is good.”
These are some of the incidents Trump’s Education Department has ignored:
An Arizona school where students admitted saying “slavery is good.”
These are some of the incidents Trump’s Education Department has ignored:
Reposted by joplant.bsky.social
“OU’s decision to place an instructor on administrative leave following a routine grading dispute—& subsequent failure to defend her from harassment & discrimination…raises serious concerns about the University’s commitment to educational standards, academic freedom, & instructor safety.”
Faculty Want Answers on Oklahoma’s Suspension Policies
After a graduate teaching assistant was put on administrative leave following a grading dispute with a student that went viral, faculty at the University of Oklahoma are asking leaders to better prote...
www.insidehighered.com
December 18, 2025 at 3:26 PM
“OU’s decision to place an instructor on administrative leave following a routine grading dispute—& subsequent failure to defend her from harassment & discrimination…raises serious concerns about the University’s commitment to educational standards, academic freedom, & instructor safety.”
Reposted by joplant.bsky.social
A retired Tennessee policeman who spent more than a month in jail over an anti-Trump Facebook post is suing the authorities responsible for his arrest.
“In America, we do not jail people for political speech,” the lawsuit states. https://wapo.st/4j4NKv6
“In America, we do not jail people for political speech,” the lawsuit states. https://wapo.st/4j4NKv6
December 19, 2025 at 4:30 AM
A retired Tennessee policeman who spent more than a month in jail over an anti-Trump Facebook post is suing the authorities responsible for his arrest.
“In America, we do not jail people for political speech,” the lawsuit states. https://wapo.st/4j4NKv6
“In America, we do not jail people for political speech,” the lawsuit states. https://wapo.st/4j4NKv6
Reposted by joplant.bsky.social
Rather than ensuring their constituents can obtain the same “good insurance” that House Republicans have, they are refusing to extend healthcare tax credits and relaxing rules for so-called “junk plans.”
Shameful.
Shameful.
December 16, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Rather than ensuring their constituents can obtain the same “good insurance” that House Republicans have, they are refusing to extend healthcare tax credits and relaxing rules for so-called “junk plans.”
Shameful.
Shameful.
Reposted by joplant.bsky.social
SANDY HOOK SURVIVOR: “I carry this trauma with me every single day… we deserve to live in a nation where you value children more than guns.” 🇺🇸
(H/T @marchforourlives.bsky.social )
(H/T @marchforourlives.bsky.social )
December 15, 2025 at 1:40 PM
SANDY HOOK SURVIVOR: “I carry this trauma with me every single day… we deserve to live in a nation where you value children more than guns.” 🇺🇸
(H/T @marchforourlives.bsky.social )
(H/T @marchforourlives.bsky.social )