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Mike Benson

@mbensonster.bsky.social

Retired rancher, psychologist, happy to be living in Catalonia and making pipes.

2,833 Followers  |  1,070 Following  |  6,234 Posts  |  Joined: 23.11.2024
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Posts by Mike Benson (@mbensonster.bsky.social)

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Judge blocks Trump admin from rescinding health grants to Democratic-led states The ruling temporarily blocks the Trump Administration from cutting $600 million in public health grants that had already been allocated to four Democratic-led states.

Unbelievable that we still talk about withholding HIV funding as a form of political maneuvering rather than an act of social murder, as if the 80’s + 90’s never happened and we didn’t lose an entire generation to this already.

16.02.2026 01:45 β€” πŸ‘ 1820    πŸ” 573    πŸ’¬ 13    πŸ“Œ 14
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A Tale of Two Seasons at Columbia, and Two Responses to Student Arrests

β€œThe response was quite different. It’s not clear whether this reflects the difference in the public stands these students have taken or a fundamental change in the university’s approach...I hope it will prove to be the latter.”

β€”Michael Thaddeus, Columbia AAUP
@aaupcu.bsky.social

01.03.2026 00:06 β€” πŸ‘ 16    πŸ” 10    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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β€˜The most bitter news’: Iran reels as more than 100 children reportedly killed in school bombing The building appears to be among many devastated in Trump’s β€˜major combat operations’ as long expected attacks arrive

Major outlets covering this as a "mass casualty event" instead of a war crime is beyond jarring. After their chronic failures to report on atrocities in Gaza, Sudan, and elsewhere, it’s hard to have any faith in print journalism.

01.03.2026 04:28 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Fact-Checking Trump’s Justifications for Attacking Iran

Fact-Checking Trump’s Justifications for Attacking Iran.

Trump lied about the immediacy of the threat posed to the United States” by Iran’s missiles program. The suggestion that Iran was trying to build a nuclear bomb was unsupported by facts. MORE..

GIFT ARTICLE

www.nytimes.com/2026/02/28/u...

01.03.2026 03:09 β€” πŸ‘ 13    πŸ” 12    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Stop Trump's Killer Robots Trump wants to build autonomous killer robots - and OpenAI just volunteered. This is a defining moment: either AI is used to help us, or it’s used to kill us.While OpenAI has jumped in with both feet

Trump wants to build autonomous killer robots - and OpenAI just volunteered.

This is a defining moment: either AI is used to help us, or it’s used to kill us. Stop Trump's killer robots: action.eko.org/a/stop-trump...

01.03.2026 04:33 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Post image 28.02.2026 21:48 β€” πŸ‘ 295    πŸ” 122    πŸ’¬ 5    πŸ“Œ 2

meanwhile, war rages on at home.

28.02.2026 22:22 β€” πŸ‘ 4216    πŸ” 1790    πŸ’¬ 58    πŸ“Œ 17
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La llei contra el colΒ·leccionisme de pisos, a la vinyeta de Miquel Ferreres

www.ara.cat/134_566985?u...

01.03.2026 04:15 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Seized Art, Eavesdropping Guards: Parents Describe a Clampdown at Dilley Detention Center as Kids Shared Their Stories Detainees told ProPublica that art supplies have been removed in room searches, immigrants have lost access to Gmail and staff hover within earshot during video calls.

Dilley detainees said art supplies have been removed in room searches, immigrants have lost access to Gmail and staff hover within earshot during video calls.

The Trump administration and private prison operator CoreCivic disputed detainees’ claims.

01.03.2026 04:00 β€” πŸ‘ 393    πŸ” 229    πŸ’¬ 10    πŸ“Œ 13
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🚨 As the U.S. escalates militarily with Iran, it’s worth understanding who has long advocated regime change.

Our reporting shows millions in funding from conservative dark money networks flowing to the think tanks pushing that agenda.

28.02.2026 16:47 β€” πŸ‘ 61    πŸ” 38    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 1
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The U.S. Senate must be clear: no war with Iran.

28.02.2026 17:05 β€” πŸ‘ 19618    πŸ” 5581    πŸ’¬ 1136    πŸ“Œ 352

No evidence "Iran began to work on nukes again".

28.02.2026 16:10 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

The fact that they (performatively) vote to block weapons to Israel ONCE does not mean they are not pro-war. Grow up.

28.02.2026 15:52 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Wealth of the top 0.00001%, as a share of total US wealth
(Top 0.00001% = 19 richest Americans in 2/2026, worth $3.4 trillion out
of $162 trillion in total US household wealth)
Feb 2026*

Wealth of the top 0.00001%, as a share of total US wealth (Top 0.00001% = 19 richest Americans in 2/2026, worth $3.4 trillion out of $162 trillion in total US household wealth) Feb 2026*

#classwar

28.02.2026 13:27 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
IRAN WANTS WAR
rmen
Azerbaljan *Baku
Turkmenistan
Mashhad
Afghanistan
Istanan
or dan
IRAN
Shita
Megioa
Arabia
LOOK HOW CLOSE THEY PUT THEIR COUNTRY TO OUR MILITARY BASES

IRAN WANTS WAR rmen Azerbaljan *Baku Turkmenistan Mashhad Afghanistan Istanan or dan IRAN Shita Megioa Arabia LOOK HOW CLOSE THEY PUT THEIR COUNTRY TO OUR MILITARY BASES

gotta bring this meme back for a second.

28.02.2026 00:22 β€” πŸ‘ 115    πŸ” 41    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 4
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L'Γ¨xit de Xiuxiuejar, la nova xarxa social exclusivament en catalΓ , que supera els 2.000 usuaris actius La xarxa social exclusiva en catalΓ , Xiuxiuejar, vol crΓ©ixer oferint privadesa i reivindica una identitat digital prΓ²pia

www.vilaweb.cat/noticies/exi...

28.02.2026 13:55 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Trump Becomes First President To Bomb 8 Countries In 1 Year

Trump Becomes First President To Bomb 8 Countries In 1 Year

8 Countries In 1 Year

28.02.2026 13:37 β€” πŸ‘ 53    πŸ” 43    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 2

ALL US politicians of both parties are pro-war

28.02.2026 13:44 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

No, perΓ² en Trump farΓ  qualsevol cosa per mantenir el poder. Toca a nosaltres parar-lo.

28.02.2026 13:43 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Fuck Everyone Who Made This War Possible Reading by Tim Foley:

Fuck Everyone Who Made This War Possible

I hate everyone who inflicted this nightmare upon my species. If you stand by this senseless US-Israeli act of depravity, then I consider you an enemy.
www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/fuck-every...

28.02.2026 13:17 β€” πŸ‘ 221    πŸ” 71    πŸ’¬ 5    πŸ“Œ 7
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US β€˜bullying’ could scupper carbon levy on shipping, warn experts Panama joins smaller nations in dropping support for policy aimed at cutting maritime emissions

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

28.02.2026 10:48 β€” πŸ‘ 12    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1
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Human- caused climate change increases rain intensity in Western Europe Humans are now β€˜fighting a humanitarian crisis driven by a changing climate.’ Key findings from a recent World Weather Attribution study concludes that human-caused climate change has increased the…

Amazing how this story disappeared without trace

Humans are now β€˜fighting a humanitarian crisis driven by a changing climate

climatewithbrian.com/2026/02/26/h...

28.02.2026 10:39 β€” πŸ‘ 15    πŸ” 10    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Americans don’t want war.

We want healthcare.

We want good education for all, free of debt.

We want everyone to have housing.

We want livable wages.

The ruling class gets rich off war while the working class dies.

28.02.2026 10:48 β€” πŸ‘ 444    πŸ” 118    πŸ’¬ 6    πŸ“Œ 6

‼️The latest studies have found an increase in CO2 in human's blood‼️

This is extremely alarming and is a direct result of climate change.

Our physiology is actually changing!

Thank you to @climatenews.bsky.social for originally sharing this information.
πŸ”₯🌎πŸ’₯β˜„οΈ

28.02.2026 11:29 β€” πŸ‘ 101    πŸ” 56    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 5

This is DC's money.

If our current CFO is going to refuse to allocate it, we need a new CFO.

28.02.2026 11:41 β€” πŸ‘ 23    πŸ” 7    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Opinion | Why Have You Started This War, Mr. President?

It’s a reasonable question, although the administration has shown time and again that you can’t believe anything they say. We witness an impeachable offense every day from this mob.

www.nytimes.com/2026/02/28/o...

28.02.2026 11:55 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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US and Israel attack Iran: What we know so far The US and Israel bomb multiple Iranian cities, including capital Tehran. Iran hits back, launching missiles at Israel.

US and Israel attack Iran: What we know so far www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/...

28.02.2026 11:33 β€” πŸ‘ 34    πŸ” 24    πŸ’¬ 7    πŸ“Œ 5

I, obviament, els espanyols tenen sang romΓ  i sang goda perΓ² cap gota de sang mora.

28.02.2026 11:58 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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No mystery why the Danish Social Democrats have called an early election.

You can see the Greenland/Trump effect a mile off.

28.02.2026 09:19 β€” πŸ‘ 80    πŸ” 21    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 0
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#OtD 28 Feb 1789 Barcelona govt increased bread prices. Women took to the streets, robbed stalls and set fire to the municipal oven which made bread for the city. The next day, 8000 rioted to demand price reductions for bread, meat, wine and oil stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/9992...

28.02.2026 10:50 β€” πŸ‘ 52    πŸ” 15    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 3