R D Thorsett
@rdthorsett.bsky.social
Reposted by R D Thorsett
America's network of democratic alliances was a jewel. Never before had a great power relied on cultivating voluntary relationships, leading to the richest, most powerful country in history, and benefitting the world relative to the alternative.
Then America decided to throw it away. And for what?
Then America decided to throw it away. And for what?
Homan: "I don't think the UK is a friend to this country and friend of the president"
November 14, 2025 at 6:38 PM
America's network of democratic alliances was a jewel. Never before had a great power relied on cultivating voluntary relationships, leading to the richest, most powerful country in history, and benefitting the world relative to the alternative.
Then America decided to throw it away. And for what?
Then America decided to throw it away. And for what?
Reposted by R D Thorsett
One of humanity’s most ubiquitous infectious pathogens, the Epstein-Barr virus, which 19 of 20 people carry, bears the blame for the chronic autoimmune condition called systemic lupus erythematosus or, colloquially, lupus.
med.stanford.edu/news/all-new...
med.stanford.edu/news/all-new...
Stanford Medicine scientists tie lupus to a virus nearly all of us carry
The Epstein-Barr virus can convert B cells it’s infected into diabolical overlords that reprogram myriad other immune cells to attack our tissues, Stanford Medicine scientists have found.
med.stanford.edu
November 13, 2025 at 12:11 PM
One of humanity’s most ubiquitous infectious pathogens, the Epstein-Barr virus, which 19 of 20 people carry, bears the blame for the chronic autoimmune condition called systemic lupus erythematosus or, colloquially, lupus.
med.stanford.edu/news/all-new...
med.stanford.edu/news/all-new...
Reposted by R D Thorsett
Do political science profs have to explain to their students that, for most of American history, it was actually borderline unthinkable that elected officials and their spokespersons would constantly talk like trashy reality show contestants?
After calling Schumer a "Palestinian," Leavitt refers to "Gavin Newscum." So she's just ripping off her boss's smears now.
November 14, 2025 at 1:29 AM
Do political science profs have to explain to their students that, for most of American history, it was actually borderline unthinkable that elected officials and their spokespersons would constantly talk like trashy reality show contestants?
Reposted by R D Thorsett
Meanwhile, here's an example of the horrendous things found in Hillary Clinton's emails—the only story worth covering for any serious news outlet in 2016, apparently.
This email is also regarding a child who suffered abuse from a grown man.
This email is also regarding a child who suffered abuse from a grown man.
November 13, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Meanwhile, here's an example of the horrendous things found in Hillary Clinton's emails—the only story worth covering for any serious news outlet in 2016, apparently.
This email is also regarding a child who suffered abuse from a grown man.
This email is also regarding a child who suffered abuse from a grown man.
Reposted by R D Thorsett
“We had the cure for death from malnutrition, and we took it away.”
Dr. Atul Gawande: Hundreds of Thousands Have Already Died Since Trump Closed USAID
“We had the cure for death from malnutrition, and we took it away.” We speak to surgeon and health policy expert Atul Gawande about the Trump administration’s near-total dismantling of USAID. Gawande,...
www.democracynow.org
November 13, 2025 at 5:01 PM
“We had the cure for death from malnutrition, and we took it away.”
Reposted by R D Thorsett
This is a conversation between a tanning-salon nut who became HHS Secretary, and a shape-shifter who grovels to a man he once called "America's Hitler."
30 years ago, an HHS/VP convo would have meant Donna Shalala and Al Gore.
30 years ago, an HHS/VP convo would have meant Donna Shalala and Al Gore.
JD Vance: "Science as practiced in its best form is that if you disagree with it, then you ought to criticize it and you ought to argue against it."
November 13, 2025 at 9:34 PM
This is a conversation between a tanning-salon nut who became HHS Secretary, and a shape-shifter who grovels to a man he once called "America's Hitler."
30 years ago, an HHS/VP convo would have meant Donna Shalala and Al Gore.
30 years ago, an HHS/VP convo would have meant Donna Shalala and Al Gore.
Reposted by R D Thorsett
Important to understand the Epstein stuff and the fascism and the corruption are, in a lot of ways, really all the same story from different angles: powerful men who can and do abuse vulnerable people around them because they can, and because systems of elite accountability catastrophically failed
November 12, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Important to understand the Epstein stuff and the fascism and the corruption are, in a lot of ways, really all the same story from different angles: powerful men who can and do abuse vulnerable people around them because they can, and because systems of elite accountability catastrophically failed
Reposted by R D Thorsett
Starting to outline/ wishcast a paper or public essay, "Norms not niceness." Yes, the crisis is in large part a crisis of collapsing and broken norms; no, we shouldn't just hope for a Democratic Party or center-left politics that fights *without* norms, but no, "norms" does not mean...
November 11, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Starting to outline/ wishcast a paper or public essay, "Norms not niceness." Yes, the crisis is in large part a crisis of collapsing and broken norms; no, we shouldn't just hope for a Democratic Party or center-left politics that fights *without* norms, but no, "norms" does not mean...
Reposted by R D Thorsett
“If Jeanne Shaheen or Angus King, or ideally just Chuck Schumer, went to the mics and said: We have tried everything we can to make Republicans give you back your health care. They refuse to do so. The only way you’re going to get your health care back is to elect Democrats.”
Now that Dems have capitulated, at the very least they should now make every future extension of funding contingent on Trump following the law. Any lawbreaking must be met with: No more votes from us, period.
My exchange with @brianbeutler.bsky.social on that point:
newrepublic.com/article/2029...
My exchange with @brianbeutler.bsky.social on that point:
newrepublic.com/article/2029...
November 11, 2025 at 5:43 PM
“If Jeanne Shaheen or Angus King, or ideally just Chuck Schumer, went to the mics and said: We have tried everything we can to make Republicans give you back your health care. They refuse to do so. The only way you’re going to get your health care back is to elect Democrats.”
Reposted by R D Thorsett
Am reminded of the former owner of our previous house in the safest neighborhood I've ever known, who showed us where she kept her gun. I asked her if she ever used it and she said, "only once, and I almost shot my best friend." Zero self-awareness.
Still thinking about this story. Imagine how cooked your brain has to be on Fox News -- how terrified you have to be, every day in your isolated suburban castle -- to start *shooting* when you see brown people at your door, before the door is even open. We're such a nation of terrified cowards.
Cleaning worker who mistakenly went to wrong home fatally shot: Police
The shooting victim died from a gunshot wound to the head, the coroner's office said.
abcnews.go.com
November 11, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Am reminded of the former owner of our previous house in the safest neighborhood I've ever known, who showed us where she kept her gun. I asked her if she ever used it and she said, "only once, and I almost shot my best friend." Zero self-awareness.
This👇 !!!
If there's one thing I would like everyone over 25 to know, it's that way more of the government is run by the people who just decided to show up to meetings than you realize.
Attend a couple city commission meetings yourself, and they lose a lot of the mystique.
Attend a couple city commission meetings yourself, and they lose a lot of the mystique.
Right, the answer isn't to abandon the party to these weasels.
The answer is to flood the party with people who will take it over and transform it.
The answer is to flood the party with people who will take it over and transform it.
November 11, 2025 at 5:13 PM
This👇 !!!
Reposted by R D Thorsett
this is a day that literally celebrates the end of war
Trump's Veterans Day speech: "Secretary of War -- we like the sound of that better than the other."
November 11, 2025 at 5:09 PM
this is a day that literally celebrates the end of war
Reposted by R D Thorsett
instead of saying this was good strategy, maybe senate dems should say: "the republicans were going to kill people by starving them to death, and because we aren't monsters, we decided to let this fight go. We'll keep fighting. Stop electing monsters."
November 11, 2025 at 1:42 PM
instead of saying this was good strategy, maybe senate dems should say: "the republicans were going to kill people by starving them to death, and because we aren't monsters, we decided to let this fight go. We'll keep fighting. Stop electing monsters."
Reposted by R D Thorsett
Reposted by R D Thorsett
Pre-ACA, ~45% of the price of individual insurance plans went to marketing, administration, and profits. (The ACA required that to be reduced to 20%.)
Trump: "I want the money to go into an account for people where they buy their own health insurance. It's so good. The insurance will be better. It'll cost less. Everybody is gonna be happy. They're gonna feel like entrepreneurs. They're actually able to go out & negotiate their own insurance"
November 11, 2025 at 3:59 AM
Pre-ACA, ~45% of the price of individual insurance plans went to marketing, administration, and profits. (The ACA required that to be reduced to 20%.)
Reposted by R D Thorsett
SNAP embarrassed him. So now he's against SNAP. SNAP is now the James Comey of government assistance programs.
President Trump criticized the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during a Fox News interview tonight, saying people "get it automatically now so the number is many times what it should be, it's disgraceful."
Trump says "we can reform" SNAP
"SNAP is supposed to be if you are down and out," Trump said on Fox News this evening.
www.axios.com
November 11, 2025 at 4:20 AM
SNAP embarrassed him. So now he's against SNAP. SNAP is now the James Comey of government assistance programs.
Reposted by R D Thorsett
7) If it were me, I wouldn't agree to fund the FSGG approps bill that funds the WH/OMB without policy riders that take away the administration's funding to pursue things like impoundment, etc. Why should Russ Vought have any staff? Saying "no" here is a policy win. If they do it.
November 10, 2025 at 1:55 PM
7) If it were me, I wouldn't agree to fund the FSGG approps bill that funds the WH/OMB without policy riders that take away the administration's funding to pursue things like impoundment, etc. Why should Russ Vought have any staff? Saying "no" here is a policy win. If they do it.
Reposted by R D Thorsett
It’s really important that #Vancouver’s Downtown Business Association, who were originally against bike-lanes, are now among their most vigourous supporters, because of ACTUAL EVIDENCE that they’re better for downtown business than any street parking they replaced.
Safe bike-lanes mean business.
Safe bike-lanes mean business.
November 8, 2025 at 3:51 AM
It’s really important that #Vancouver’s Downtown Business Association, who were originally against bike-lanes, are now among their most vigourous supporters, because of ACTUAL EVIDENCE that they’re better for downtown business than any street parking they replaced.
Safe bike-lanes mean business.
Safe bike-lanes mean business.
Reposted by R D Thorsett
The White House keeps unilaterally taking entirely voluntary actions which it openly says are intended to inflict more pain and then they're I guess surprised - along with most of the DC media - about why they seem to be taking the blame for the shutdown.
November 8, 2025 at 12:45 AM
The White House keeps unilaterally taking entirely voluntary actions which it openly says are intended to inflict more pain and then they're I guess surprised - along with most of the DC media - about why they seem to be taking the blame for the shutdown.
Reposted by R D Thorsett
This was quite an interesting read someone else posted. It’s a view from the perspective of her sister about what happened to Franklin.
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Remembering my sister Rosalind Franklin
Rosalind Franklin died of ovarian cancer in 1958 aged 37 years. Sympathy and feminism
have combined to give us her familiar image as a downtrodden woman scientist, brilliant
but neglected, a heroine t...
www.thelancet.com
November 8, 2025 at 12:59 PM
This was quite an interesting read someone else posted. It’s a view from the perspective of her sister about what happened to Franklin.
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Reposted by R D Thorsett
The Axios boys are giddy about the Ds offer, interpreting it as a big climb down. I'm not sure that interpretation is right. But this is an important moment to make clear to @schumer.senate.gov @schatz.bsky.social et al, that anything less than this offer needs to be rejected out of hand.
November 8, 2025 at 1:01 AM
The Axios boys are giddy about the Ds offer, interpreting it as a big climb down. I'm not sure that interpretation is right. But this is an important moment to make clear to @schumer.senate.gov @schatz.bsky.social et al, that anything less than this offer needs to be rejected out of hand.
Reposted by R D Thorsett
One thing I will say, as a big “affordability” guy, is that it’s interesting how if you want to focus on “kitchen table issues” you’re a hack, consultant brain moron but if your pushing “affordability” you’ve got yr eye on the pulse, have vanquished neoliberalism and r generally killing it.
November 8, 2025 at 12:26 AM
One thing I will say, as a big “affordability” guy, is that it’s interesting how if you want to focus on “kitchen table issues” you’re a hack, consultant brain moron but if your pushing “affordability” you’ve got yr eye on the pulse, have vanquished neoliberalism and r generally killing it.
Reposted by R D Thorsett
every time you think the new WaPo editorial board can't embarrass itself any more, they manage to find a way.
Left: 'Texas gerrymandering is no big deal!', from August.
Right: 'Maryland gerrymandering is an affront to Western civilization!', from today.
Left: 'Texas gerrymandering is no big deal!', from August.
Right: 'Maryland gerrymandering is an affront to Western civilization!', from today.
November 7, 2025 at 6:25 PM
every time you think the new WaPo editorial board can't embarrass itself any more, they manage to find a way.
Left: 'Texas gerrymandering is no big deal!', from August.
Right: 'Maryland gerrymandering is an affront to Western civilization!', from today.
Left: 'Texas gerrymandering is no big deal!', from August.
Right: 'Maryland gerrymandering is an affront to Western civilization!', from today.
Reposted by R D Thorsett
Oh, this is wonderful.
In a similar vein, when she was House Minority Leader in 2005 and W was putting forth a Social Security privatization plan, several Dems asked Pelosi when the party would release an alternate plan. According to aides, her response was always “Never. Does never work for you?”
In a similar vein, when she was House Minority Leader in 2005 and W was putting forth a Social Security privatization plan, several Dems asked Pelosi when the party would release an alternate plan. According to aides, her response was always “Never. Does never work for you?”
November 7, 2025 at 10:52 PM
Oh, this is wonderful.
In a similar vein, when she was House Minority Leader in 2005 and W was putting forth a Social Security privatization plan, several Dems asked Pelosi when the party would release an alternate plan. According to aides, her response was always “Never. Does never work for you?”
In a similar vein, when she was House Minority Leader in 2005 and W was putting forth a Social Security privatization plan, several Dems asked Pelosi when the party would release an alternate plan. According to aides, her response was always “Never. Does never work for you?”
Reposted by R D Thorsett
He has now erased fully 10% of the term to which Grijalva was elected.
Speaker Johnson is officially keeping the House in recess again next week. This will be the eighth consecutive week the House has been out of session. The chamber hasn't met since Sept. 19. Adelita Grijalva, who was elected on Sept. 23, has not been sworn in.
November 7, 2025 at 7:44 PM
He has now erased fully 10% of the term to which Grijalva was elected.