Alex Hiniker

NYC’s 'snow hot tubs' have already melted 23 million pounds of snow Giant snow melters are turning truckloads into water across the five boroughs, easing the post-storm cleanup as cold weather keeps piles from shrinking on their own.

It would be great if donors in Pittsburgh could rent some of these snow hot tubs now.

NYC’s 'snow hot tubs' have already melted 23 million pounds of snow share.google/SJAlsGNJoTie...

Which private companies profit most from ICE operations?

What are their connections to global security and arms production?

I think a lot of us get hope wrong. Hope, I do not believe, is an emotion. In fact, hope makes space for lots of emotions to exist alongside it. You can DO hope scared, angry, sad etc...

Hope doesn't find us. We make hope through action and struggle. It's a practice of living and is re-made daily.

Pittsburgh friends, I'll be there. And so should you!

view from a plane of three rivers meeting, a skyline, and bridges (it's Pittsburgh if you know it)

Six years ago, I moved from NYC to Pittsburgh. I'll never tire of these views from the plane, no matter how gray the sky is.

Don't forget non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations! I've worked for all four types and fully agree with the point to focus on those in charge and their incentives.

🧵Collection of concerns expressed about US actions in #Venezuela today (Jan 3, 2026) -- from Congress, civil society, and others.
Feel free to share and add on.
(The Forum does not take responsibility for these statements. It does share them for public awareness)

Should add that working with Laotians and Cambodians to address these legacies there and in the US is what keeps me going. We're in this together.

Yep, I lived for years in Cambodia and Laos which continue to suffer today from Vietnam War era US bombs dropped 5 decades ago. Plus those communities resettled in the US now face terrible injustices. I get blank stares when telling USians. Yet here we are again (and again). Let this radicalize you.

The administration counts on USians' very short attention spans especially as it relates to people and issues outside its borders.

For years, I worked to educate people about Laos, the most heavily bombed country per capita due to the Secret US War from 64-73. It was a secret! Five decades later, the US bombs Venezuela openly while 80 million unexploded US bombs continue to kill and main civilians in Laos.

legaciesofwar.org

Also, I am not from here so I am calm about it, but leaving the h off of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, can rile up many a Yinzer. Be careful!

A simple fix! Reminds me of one of the first minefield clearance sites I visited in Cambodia. Clearing a minefield saved kids three hours on their way to and from school because they didn't have to go around it. A bridge of sorts. I will look for photos.

Its the Bolivar Bridge in Peru. I just posted details. I could play this game forever. I have countless photos of bridges around the world. I was destined to move to Pittsburgh! Thank you for sharing yours. What's the story?

The Bolivar Bridge was built in 1869 to relocate the railway linking the Arequipa coast with Puno in Peru.

In 1920 it was transformed into a road and pedestrian bridge.

Uses Fink Truss system and Phoenix Columns.

Currently for pedestrian use and wheels like bicycles, skateboards, etc. (Wikipedia)

See a bridge, post a bridge

I'm still surprised Mayor Mamdani hasn't created a Deputy Mayor for International Affairs, as Los Angeles did back in 2017.

I worked for the NYC Mayor's Office for International Affairs (under de Blasio) and believe this designation would rightly elevate such issues.

You need to up that goal! I know lots of people who care about this unexpected shutdown of the Pittsburgh City Paper and want to find ways to support you (and we no longer need to support the Pittsburgh Post Gazette strikers).

Donate to Support former Pittsburgh City Paper staff, organized by Colin Williams R.I.P. Pittsburgh City Paper, 1991-2025. After over three decades, Block… Colin Williams needs your support for Support former Pittsburgh City Paper staff

I set up a GoFundMe for former @pghcitypaper.com staff. This will be used to help us submit last year's stories for awards, defray loss of income and insurance, and support laid-off single moms with childcare. Chip in if you'd like:

Still a few hours to go. 🤡

mashable.com/article/elon...

I know there are reasons to question the safety and legality of robotaxis, but I am still am stuck on the why. What is the benefit in the first place? Same amount (or more) cars sitting in traffic?

The only benefit I see is for venture capitalists (like the one who wrote this terrible op-ed).

Perhaps 2026 will be the year when everyone who thinks they can do something better than what's on offer will just go ahead and do it themselves.

Thailand is bombing Battambang, over 100 km from the border with Cambodia.

I visited Banon district countless times while working on UN landmine and bomb clearance programs 15 plus years ago. Devastating that the area's being recontaminated due to senseless violence. Civilians will suffer the most.

The U.S. Has Killed More than 100 People in Boat Strikes. We’re Tracking Them All.

@theintercept.com is keeping count of all U.S. attacks on boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean.

theintercept.com/2025/11/17/t...

The obsession with seeing the Epstein photos hasn't sat right with me but I couldn't say exactly why. Senate Gabe lays it out. Why does everyone want to see the photos that retraumatize the victims and also are (should be!) disturbing for everyone else?

At the same time that the US Department of Defense calls for a new landmine policy that removes geographic barriers, the Department of State says Cambodia and Thailand should cease use.

I guess Rubio didn't read Hegseth’s memo?

www.state.gov/releases/off...

My bad for double replying. Hard to contain myself when it comes to this topic.

For Trump, I found this ACLU piece that said he reportedly wants to emulate Israel and South Korea, citing their landmines on the border. Having lived in Lebanon to work on this issue, I know firsthand that is a terrible idea.

bsky.app/profile/hini...

So much to say on this! Briefly, for Ukraine it's because the US (under Biden) and the Baltic states plus Poland wanted to say they were doing something and this was the easiest thing even though they all admit in private that it is terrible and will make things worse. And now Trump is Trump.

"The border will become a more dangerous place...Trump'll...attempt to militarize the border. Trump's wanted to treat the border as a war zone, and reportedly sought to emulate Israel and South Korea, citing the latter’s barbed wire and landmines."

ACLU on immigration

www.aclu.org/trump-on-imm...