Ryan Musser

Me: Siri, how do you say “construction cone” in Spanish?

Siri: “Construction coon” in Spanish is “mapache de constructión”

Ghana, Africa’s top gold producer, has launched its most aggressive mining audit in a decade, targeting top miners to recover lost revenue & tighten oversight.
Gov’ts across W. Africa are intensifying scrutiny of mining firms to enforce compliance & safeguard revenue
www.reuters.com/world/africa...

lol we put baby stuff out on the sidewalk for free weeks ago, and it is now suddenly being sold on Minnesota Ave

5 questions to understand JD Vance’s trip to Kenya - The Africa Report.com Trump’s vice president will find a complicated ally courted by Beijing, tested in Haiti and still the anchor of US security in East Africa.

When JD Vance lands in Kenya, he will inherit one of Washington’s most layered relationships in Africa, an ally too valuable to lose, but increasingly difficult to control. Topics discussed will include US-Kenya trade, security cooperation & Chinese influence
www.theafricareport.com/396509/5-que...

China Pushes to Silence Victims of African Mining Disaster Toxic waste from a Chinese mine in Zambia washed through homes and fields. Compensation offers are tied to nondisclosure.

A Sino Metals dam collapse in Zambia dumped 1.5M tons of toxic waste into the Kafue River. Locals were poisoned, silenced, and harassed. An example of how weak governance and lack of accountability can turn foreign investment into exploitation.

www.wsj.com/world/asia/c...

‘Every day’s a fight’: join the commuters in Africa’s rapidly growing cities With more and more people moving to big cities such as Nairobi and Abidjan, daily commutes are becoming tougher

Public transport has failed to keep up with rapid urban growth in Africa, with hours-long traffic jams a common feature of many metropolises. Carlos Mureithi, @rachelmsavage.bsky.social & @eromoegbejule.bsky.social talk to commuters in Nairobi, Joburg, & Abidjan

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

Some guy posted in the Greater Petworth Facebook group complaining/warning that the zoning commission is considering changing the 10-foot rule for pop-backs to a 16-foot rule and honestly I’m surprised the majority of comments are YIMBY pushback

My toddler is recreating the space of cars vs. bikes meme

How gold-for-arms trade is fuelling terror in Nigeria’s Northwest | The ICIR- Latest News, Politics, Governance, Elections, Investigation, Factcheck, Covid-19 NIGERIA loses over $9 billion annually to illegal mining, with a substantial portion tied to the gold sector. This investigation reveals how a significant share of gold extracted from the northwest is...

“However, since 2022, the artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector has turned into a key source of financing, fuelling large-scale violence and instability and stimulating a demand for firearms and ammunition.”

www.icirnigeria.org/how-gold-for...

How gold-for-arms trade is fuelling terror in Nigeria’s Northwest | The ICIR- Latest News, Politics, Governance, Elections, Investigation, Factcheck, Covid-19 NIGERIA loses over $9 billion annually to illegal mining, with a substantial portion tied to the gold sector. This investigation reveals how a significant share of gold extracted from the northwest is...

“Initially fuelled by farmer-herder conflicts, these groups have evolved into organised criminal networks heavily reliant on cattle rustling, kidnapping for ransom, robbery and extortion to sustain their operations.”

www.icirnigeria.org/how-gold-for...

How gold-for-arms trade is fuelling terror in Nigeria’s Northwest | The ICIR- Latest News, Politics, Governance, Elections, Investigation, Factcheck, Covid-19 NIGERIA loses over $9 billion annually to illegal mining, with a substantial portion tied to the gold sector. This investigation reveals how a significant share of gold extracted from the northwest is...

“For years, Nigeria’s NW region has faced persistent insecurity, driven by bandits who exploit weak governance & porous borders.”

www.icirnigeria.org/how-gold-for...

How gold-for-arms trade is fuelling terror in Nigeria’s Northwest | The ICIR- Latest News, Politics, Governance, Elections, Investigation, Factcheck, Covid-19 NIGERIA loses over $9 billion annually to illegal mining, with a substantial portion tied to the gold sector. This investigation reveals how a significant share of gold extracted from the northwest is...

“Armed bandits terrorise gold-rich communities in the northwest and parts of north central Nigeria, killing locals and forcing artisanal miners such as Isah into near-slavery.”

www.icirnigeria.org/how-gold-for...

How gold-for-arms trade is fuelling terror in Nigeria’s Northwest | The ICIR- Latest News, Politics, Governance, Elections, Investigation, Factcheck, Covid-19 NIGERIA loses over $9 billion annually to illegal mining, with a substantial portion tied to the gold sector. This investigation reveals how a significant share of gold extracted from the northwest is...

Nigeria loses over $9 billion annually to illegal mining, much tied to the gold sector. A recent investigation reveals how a significant share of gold extracted from the northwest is funnelled into terrorism financing.

www.icirnigeria.org/how-gold-for...

Kenya • US Vice President J.D. Vance to visit Nairobi Breaking news published on 24/10/25 at 4:57pm GMT - The US Vice President is expected to visit the Kenyan capital at the end of November, against a backdrop of tepid relations between Washington and

JD Vance is expected to visit Kenya at the end of November, against a backdrop of tepid relations between Washington and Nairobi

www.africaintelligence.com/eastern-afri...

Sudan denies Washington talks as sources confirm indirect negotiations - Sudan Tribune October 23, 2025 (WASHINGTON) – Sudan’s ruling Sovereign Council on Thursday denied reports of new peace talks in Washington with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), contradicting diplomatic ...

Sudan’s ruling Sovereign Council on denied reports of new peace talks in Washington with RSF,
contradicting diplomatic and media sources who said indirect, U.S.-mediated meetings were underway for a humanitarian truce

sudantribune.com/article/306335

Sudan freezes bank accounts of ex-PM Hamdok, dozens of political figures - Sudan Tribune October 23, 2025 (PORT SUDAN) – Sudan’s central bank has ordered a freeze on the bank accounts of dozens of prominent political figures, including former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, over accusation...

Sudan’s central bank has ordered a freeze on the bank accounts of dozens of prominent political figures, including former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, over accusations they support the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces

sudantribune.com/article/306343

The EU needs African resources for its green transition: Can it circumvent China? The EU's green and digital ambitions depend heavily on a stable supply of critical raw materials like lithium, cobalt and graphite. With growing concerns over value chain security and dependence on si...

With growing concerns over value chain security & dependence on single countries like China, the EU has launched the Critical Raw Materials Act to build more resilient supply chains. How can Europe build new partnerships in Africa to achieve this?

Currently out near Dulles. What are some good ethnic restaurants out here that people suggest?

The @washprobs.bsky.social post on Instagram about this tweet is now filled with comments of people talking about how great their local @wmata.com station manager is. Which is also kind of an atypical positive vibe of the Washingtonian Problems commentariat!

Thank you very much for highlighting this thread about one of our @wmata.com fanatic team members. This type of personal touch is why we hit the highest customer satisfaction numbers in Metro’s history.

Some @wmata.com station manager is doing a hell of a job @wmatagm.bsky.social

(Side note: this Facebook page for DC tourists is just constantly full of praise for our city. People are constantly praising our residents, transit, offerings. I never see complaints about crime or anything else)

How many posts do you have to moderate on average? (Now I’m curious to see what they are!)

Oops! I just realized I never included a screenshot of the post!

Oops! I just realized I never included the screenshot of the post (with the name of the poster blacked out)

This wasn’t my post, but it looks like it was at the Huntington station

As the sun was setting, suddenly it hit the clear patch of sky & it went from dull & overcast to brilliantly blindingly orange in a split second. This first picture is after the sun already set, but you can see the difference between the clouds and the patch of clear sky.

Amazing phenomenon yesterday evening. I was out with my toddler and all evening the entire sky was blanketed with clouds, which the sun was hidden behind. But there was this *small* patch of clear sky in the west by the horizon.
1/2

Some @wmata.com station manager is doing a hell of a job @wmatagm.bsky.social

(Side note: this Facebook page for DC tourists is just constantly full of praise for our city. People are constantly praising our residents, transit, offerings. I never see complaints about crime or anything else)

Love the views you can get from my neighborhood Randle Heighlands. These are all street-level views of:
1. The National Basilica behind the DC Armory
2. The Air Force Memorial behind the FDM Bridge
3. Bethesda
4. Capitol Dome, Library of Congress, and National Cathedral