@spolich.bsky.social
This stinks - support your local NPR station
The Senate voted to approve a $9 billion rescission package aimed at clawing back money already allocated for public radio and television — a major step toward winding down nearly six decades of federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. https://n.pr/44QnXjT
Senate approves cuts to NPR, PBS and foreign aid programs
The Senate voted to approve a $9 billion rescission package aimed at clawing back money already allocated for public radio and television.
n.pr
July 17, 2025 at 11:55 AM
This stinks - support your local NPR station
Grrrrrrrrrrrr
Correction: The $900 million cut is just to NPS operations. They want to cut another $308 million from an NPS Historic Preservation, Construction and Recreation funds.
So, its closer to a 40% cut to the NPS budget.
What kind of weirdos hate our National Parks so much? www.sfgate.com/national-par...
So, its closer to a 40% cut to the NPS budget.
What kind of weirdos hate our National Parks so much? www.sfgate.com/national-par...
May 3, 2025 at 3:01 AM
Grrrrrrrrrrrr
Reposted
Seriously, imagine the idea that Elon Musk and Peter Thiel would get to decide whether the US can defend itself from nuclear missile attack.* Makes our current (insane) reliance on Starlink and SpaceX look like nothing.
*assuming it works, which it probably won't
*assuming it works, which it probably won't
4/ This honestly is perhaps the most insane thing we’ve heard since Jan 20. Musk, Thiel and Luckey want the US to pay for the creation of this network of surveillance and attack lasers and then the Pentagon will become a subscriber to the service. So the US won’t own our own missile defense.
April 20, 2025 at 1:08 AM
Seriously, imagine the idea that Elon Musk and Peter Thiel would get to decide whether the US can defend itself from nuclear missile attack.* Makes our current (insane) reliance on Starlink and SpaceX look like nothing.
*assuming it works, which it probably won't
*assuming it works, which it probably won't
Ummm
The "Jackie Robinson Day background" section of MLB's official press release about Jackie Robinson just notes that he was a first baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers who debuted in 1947. Nothing about the how, the why.
April 16, 2025 at 2:33 AM
Ummm
Reposted
Update: The House just passed the Republican voter suppression measure that threatens voting access for millions of Americans, including 69 million women whose married names don't match their birth certificates.
Make sure your senators know you expect them to stand against it.
Make sure your senators know you expect them to stand against it.
Are you a woman who changed your name when you got married?
Congress is considering a bill that could make it much harder for you to vote.
Call your rep—this is not a drill. indivisible.org/resource/cal...
Congress is considering a bill that could make it much harder for you to vote.
Call your rep—this is not a drill. indivisible.org/resource/cal...
April 10, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Update: The House just passed the Republican voter suppression measure that threatens voting access for millions of Americans, including 69 million women whose married names don't match their birth certificates.
Make sure your senators know you expect them to stand against it.
Make sure your senators know you expect them to stand against it.
Reposted
Donald Trump and Elon Musk are disrupting a breakthrough cancer treatment so they can fund tax cuts for billionaires.
Tell your friends.
Tell your friends.
NIH scientists have a cancer breakthrough. Layoffs are delaying it.
A big step forward in cancer therapy has been slowed by layoffs and new restrictions at the National Institutes of Health, where it was developed.
www.washingtonpost.com
April 6, 2025 at 11:28 PM
Donald Trump and Elon Musk are disrupting a breakthrough cancer treatment so they can fund tax cuts for billionaires.
Tell your friends.
Tell your friends.
This seems quite bad for Americans privacy. But quite good for Elon Musk and Peter Thiel who get to take more taxpayer money and access all of our personal data.
SCOOP: DOGE is hosting a “hackathon” in DC next week with the goal of building one “mega API” for accessing all IRS data.
Palantir has been brought up as a potential partner.
www.wired.com/story/doge-h...
Palantir has been brought up as a potential partner.
www.wired.com/story/doge-h...
DOGE Is Planning a Hackathon at the IRS. It Wants Easier Access to Taxpayer Data
DOGE operatives have repeatedly referred to the software company Palantir as a possible partner in creating a “mega API” at the IRS, sources tell WIRED.
www.wired.com
April 6, 2025 at 1:36 PM
This seems quite bad for Americans privacy. But quite good for Elon Musk and Peter Thiel who get to take more taxpayer money and access all of our personal data.
Reposted
Those trying to understand the tariffs as economic policy are dangerously naive.
No, the tariffs are a tool to collapse our democracy. A means to compel loyalty from every business that will need to petition Trump for relief.
1/ A 🧵 to explain his plan and how we fight back.
No, the tariffs are a tool to collapse our democracy. A means to compel loyalty from every business that will need to petition Trump for relief.
1/ A 🧵 to explain his plan and how we fight back.
April 3, 2025 at 3:29 AM
Those trying to understand the tariffs as economic policy are dangerously naive.
No, the tariffs are a tool to collapse our democracy. A means to compel loyalty from every business that will need to petition Trump for relief.
1/ A 🧵 to explain his plan and how we fight back.
No, the tariffs are a tool to collapse our democracy. A means to compel loyalty from every business that will need to petition Trump for relief.
1/ A 🧵 to explain his plan and how we fight back.
Reposted
TODAY IS ELECTION DAY! Polls are open 7AM-8PM.
Please make sure you have all the information you need.
Resources:
buff.ly/SDHmjhk
Voter Assistance Hotline: 608-336-3232
Please make sure you have all the information you need.
Resources:
buff.ly/SDHmjhk
Voter Assistance Hotline: 608-336-3232
April 1, 2025 at 11:30 AM
TODAY IS ELECTION DAY! Polls are open 7AM-8PM.
Please make sure you have all the information you need.
Resources:
buff.ly/SDHmjhk
Voter Assistance Hotline: 608-336-3232
Please make sure you have all the information you need.
Resources:
buff.ly/SDHmjhk
Voter Assistance Hotline: 608-336-3232
Grrr
Tax SCOOP: Trump administration plans to cut staff at the Taxpayer Advocate Service -- the taxpayer help center -- by more than 25%
These are jobs designed to help people struggling with their finances, identity theft or other tax issues.
These are jobs designed to help people struggling with their finances, identity theft or other tax issues.
Trump administration plans 25 percent staff cut at IRS taxpayer help office
The Taxpayer Advocate Service, which operates as an internal watchdog, would see deeper workforce reductions than the agency overall.
www.washingtonpost.com
March 17, 2025 at 9:53 PM
Grrr
Reposted
A recent report showed that the destruction of just one USAID program, the anti-AIDS PEPFAR initiative, would lead to the deaths of one million people *every year* www.vox.com/future-perfe...
March 10, 2025 at 4:27 PM
A recent report showed that the destruction of just one USAID program, the anti-AIDS PEPFAR initiative, would lead to the deaths of one million people *every year* www.vox.com/future-perfe...
Peanut allergies are controversial now??
The National Cancer Institute (part of NIH) released new guidelines for "controversial, high-profile or sensitive" keywords that require "review prior to publication" if included in a product or materials.
Keywords include abortion, obesity, and peanut allergies.
Keywords include abortion, obesity, and peanut allergies.
March 8, 2025 at 4:45 AM
Peanut allergies are controversial now??
Reposted
We took a deep dive into what contracts DOGE slashed — and what it left untouched. Most of the biggest contractors were unscathed. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
March 5, 2025 at 1:16 PM
We took a deep dive into what contracts DOGE slashed — and what it left untouched. Most of the biggest contractors were unscathed. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Reposted
“Thank you again. Thank you again. Won’t forget it,” Trump says while shaking the hand of Supreme Court Justice John Roberts after the State of the Union.
March 5, 2025 at 5:18 AM
“Thank you again. Thank you again. Won’t forget it,” Trump says while shaking the hand of Supreme Court Justice John Roberts after the State of the Union.
Reposted
To emphasize once again: the vast majority of fentanyl traffickers are US citizens, who get less scrutiny from CBP when they reenter the country at ports of entry.
Here's the U.S. Sentencing Commission noting that in FY 2023, 86.4% of people sentenced for fentanyl trafficking were US citizens.
Here's the U.S. Sentencing Commission noting that in FY 2023, 86.4% of people sentenced for fentanyl trafficking were US citizens.
February 3, 2025 at 4:01 PM
To emphasize once again: the vast majority of fentanyl traffickers are US citizens, who get less scrutiny from CBP when they reenter the country at ports of entry.
Here's the U.S. Sentencing Commission noting that in FY 2023, 86.4% of people sentenced for fentanyl trafficking were US citizens.
Here's the U.S. Sentencing Commission noting that in FY 2023, 86.4% of people sentenced for fentanyl trafficking were US citizens.
Reposted
Bit of an experiment for those of you not deep in the weeds of immigration. I’ve got a question for you.
Imagine a woman from India with an MA degree. She has a job lined up willing to sponsor her for an immigrant visa. How long do you think it will take to get the visa?
Reply below. No googling!
Imagine a woman from India with an MA degree. She has a job lined up willing to sponsor her for an immigrant visa. How long do you think it will take to get the visa?
Reply below. No googling!
January 29, 2025 at 3:33 AM
Bit of an experiment for those of you not deep in the weeds of immigration. I’ve got a question for you.
Imagine a woman from India with an MA degree. She has a job lined up willing to sponsor her for an immigrant visa. How long do you think it will take to get the visa?
Reply below. No googling!
Imagine a woman from India with an MA degree. She has a job lined up willing to sponsor her for an immigrant visa. How long do you think it will take to get the visa?
Reply below. No googling!