Dr. Amy Tiemann

Donald Trump is not a political story, it’s a crime story. And understanding him does not depend on political science, but psychology.

COLBERT: You warned everyone…he would prosecute political enemies, cut Medicaid, alienate our allies, give tax cuts to the rich. I know you're not here to say 'I told you so' but would you like to?

HARRIS: You're correct. I did predict a lot of that. But what I did not predict was the capitulation.

The thesis is that a single election for president - in which Trump didn’t even get a majority of votes - should override forever any other vote, any other arrangement, any other law, past or future, in any other place. This is fascism.

The Voyager Declaration Dear Interim Administrator Duffy, In light of your recent appointment as Interim NASA Administrator, we bring to your attention recent policies that have or threaten to waste public resources, compromise human safety, weaken national security, and undermine the core NASA mission. We, the signatories of this letter, dissent from these policies, and raise these concerns because we believe strongly in the importance of NASA's mission, which we are dedicated to uphold. Major programmatic shifts at NASA must be implemented strategically so that risks are managed carefully. Instead, the last six months have seen rapid and wasteful changes which have undermined our mission and caused catastrophic impacts on NASA's workforce. We are compelled to speak up when our leadership prioritizes political momentum over human safety, scientific advancement, and efficient use of public resources. These cuts are arbitrary and have been enacted in defiance of congressional appropriations law The consequences for the agency and the country alike are dire. Our Shared Commitment to Dissentin� Opinions We share a commitment to dissenting views in accordance with NASA Policy Directive 1000.0C, NASA supports full and open discussion of issues of any nature (e.g., programmatic, institutional), including alternative and divergent views. Diverse views are to be fostered and respected in an environment of integrity and trust with no suppression or retribution. (NPD 1000.0C, Section 3.5.5) Employees across the agency have raised concerns about recent actions to NASA leadership, yet we remain pressured to implement harmful measures. We choose to write to you directly because: (I) as Interim Administrator, you are the final step in the chain of Technical Authority, and (2) the issues we raise are agency-wide, rather than project-specific. As defined in NASA Procedural Requirement 7120 5F, Formal Dissent is "a substantive disagreement with a decision or action that an indiv…

• We dissent to changes to NASA's Technical Authority capacities that are driven by anything other than safety and mission assurance. The culture of organizational silence promoted at NASA over the last six months already represents a dangerous tum away from the lessons learned following the Columbia disaster. Changes to the system of Technical Authority, as suggested would be made in the June 25th NASA Town Hall, should be made only in the interests of improving safety, not in anticipation of future budget cuts. • We dissent to the closing out of missions for which Congress has appropriated funding because it represents a permanent loss of capability to the United States both in space and on Eatlh. Once operational spacecraft are decommissioned, they cannot be turned back on. Additionally, cancelling missions in development threatens to end the next generation of crucial observations. • We dissent to implementing indiscriminate cuts to NASA science and aeronautics research because this will leave the American people without the unique public good that NASA provides. Basic research in space science, aeronautics, and the stewardship of the Earth are inherently governmental functions that cannot and will not be taken up by the private sector. Furthermore, NASA has a nearly threefold return on investment in economic activity, and supports national security by ensuring the United States maintains its lead in science and technology. • We dissent to NASA's non-strategic staffing reductions because they will jeopardize NASA's core mission. Thousands of NASA civil servant employees have already been terminated, resigned or retired early, taking with them highly specialized, irreplaceable knowledge crucial to carrying out NASA's mission. • We dissent to canceling NASA participation in international missions because in doing so, NASA is abandoning America's allies. To date, 55 nations have signed on to the Artemis Accords, and withdrawing support from missions with our long-s…

We stand in solidarity with our colleagues at the NIH and EPA who have released similar statements concerning the administration's actions at their respective agencies. We dedicate this letter to Gus Grissom, Ed White, Roger Chaffee, Dick Scobee, Michael J. Smith, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, Gregory Jarvis, Christa McAuliffe, Rick Husband, Willie McCool, Michael Anderson, Kalpana Chawla, David Brown, Laurel Clark, and Ilan Ramon. Their legacies underpin every conversation about our shared commitment to safety and dissenting opinions at NASA.

NEW: Hundreds of NASA employees have filed a letter of formal dissent.

"We are compelled to speak up when our leadership prioritizes political momentum over human safety, scientific advancement, and efficient use of public resources. The consequences for the agency and the country alike are dire."

One of the first things Vladimir Putin did on becoming president was take over NTV, the TV channel that hosted a satirical puppet show because he didn't like the Putin doll and how he was portrayed. He arrested NTV's owner and only released him when he signed the channel over. #Colbert

“Wired” reporting is awesome! And not all boys.

They are destroying science.

And that will destroy lives.

Yeah, Sam is 100% right: It’s bullshit.

Today was a very bad day for the rule of law. www.lawdork.com/p/scotus-all...

Is Australia's biggest productivity solution hiding in plain sight? At Australian Disability Network, we see a unique opportunity to position disability inclusion as a key driver of productivity growth.

At Australian Disability Network, we see a unique opportunity to position disability inclusion as a key driver of productivity growth.
womensagenda.com.au/latest/is-au...

My “these emails are too intimate and embarrassing to release” tshirt has people asking questions already answered by my shirt

The people whose political predictions were the best in the Trump era were the RESIST women at the Women's March who said we shouldn't elect a rapist president. And the "Never Trump" Republicans who said this man will bring ruin on our country. So many people who looked down on them were wrong.

From Reliable Sources: "CBS News Texas reporter Marissa Armas deserves kudos for her straightforward question to President Trump during the president's visit to flood-ravaged Kerrville yesterday. "Several families we've heard from are obviously upset," Armas said, "because they say that those warnings, those alerts didn't go out in time, and they also say that people could have been saved. What do you say to those families?" Trump claimed "only a bad person" would ask such a question, adding, "I don't know who you are, but only a very evil person would ask a question like that."

Via @brianstelter.bsky.social. This is an example of what I've been trying to explain for the past decade: a dangerous demagogue like Trump is an "unaccountable leader," someone who uses rhetorical tricks to avoid being held accountable. Ask him a question and he calls you "an evil person."

‘These are danger zones:’ Understanding flood risk after disaster in Texas More than a hundred people died because of devastating flash floods in Texas earlier this month. It’s important to understand how floods happen, and what we can do to keep ourselves safe. Ali Velshi speaks with Jim Blackburn, an environmental lawyer and planner who co-directs Rice University’s Severe Storm Prevention, Education, and Evacuation from Disaster (SSPEED) Center. There is “clearly a lesson that we have to learn” in terms of preparedness and communication, says Blackburn. When a flash flood happens, Blackburn explains, “If you’re not prepared to leave in a very short amount of time, you really have nowhere to go.” He adds that more people should be aware of how prone the areas they live in may be to flooding. “These are danger zones, and with climate change, they’re only going to get more dangerous.

After disastrous, deadly floods in Texas, there’s “clearly a lesson that we have to learn” about disaster preparedness, communication, and understanding risks, says Rice Prof. Jim Blackburn. “These are danger zones, and with climate change, they’re only going to get more dangerous." #Velshi

This is Thiel’s vision (and I assume Vance is promoting it)…the idea is that all services become privatized, and then states “compete” (for residents?) based on which of them can offer the best services (while private companies make $). Sort of a U.S. hunger games model

"Whether or not the US can restore democracy depends heavily on the success that Trump’s critics have in tying his failures to disasters like Kerr County. It depends on their ability to remain laser-focused on holding him accountable for the disasters his actions predictably cause."

head of fema David Richardson on the scene in texas wearing a half buttoned shirt like an extra in a 70s porno

the head of fema finally rolled out of bed, grabbed a shirt off the floor, and showed up in texas

🚨 DON’T LOOK AWAY 🚨

U.S. Professor KIDNAPPED and DISAPPEARED by ICE!

He still remains detained.

Yesterday a California Faculty Association union leader, Professor Jonathan Caravello, was dragged away by four masked ICE agents while lawfully observing a raid.

This is NOT normal.

A few things are clear from this:
1. Trump has lost control of the narrative.
2. Trump is panicked about what is in the Epstein files.
3. When the files get released, Trump will say they are forgeries.
4. Trump is going to target Democrats with political prosecutions.

Trump's New Go-To Response: 'I Don't Know' Donald Trump has responded by shrugging his shoulders to questions about everything from posting AI-generated images to military aid to Ukraine.

Commentary: The president has taken to passing the buck when asked about the chaos his administration is unleashing on America and the world.

The military and ICE doing "presence patrols" in your neighborhoods, the same kind of patrols the military routinely did during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, should scare the shit out of everyone

When Moderation Becomes Appeasement If your chief goal is to find a middle ground with the far right on social issues, you’ll end up condoning its values—just ask Keir Starmer.

my latest @thebulwark.com

you can't fight fascism by giving up on immigrant & trans rights, it won't work

www.thebulwark.com/p/when-moder...

Opinion | Something Extraordinary Is Happening All Over the World

An absolutely monumental piece from @polgreen.bsky.social this morning. Appreciate the research, array of sources, and nuanced thinking on the complicated issue of migration.
Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/01/31/o...

If this is substantiated every single justice department attorney who touched the filings denying jurisdiction should be disbarred unless they're individually willing to put in a sworn statement declaring that they were told something different and identifying who lied to them about it

This might seem like a small thing compared to the concentration camps and deportations, but these attempts to make everyone feel isolated and helpless and paranoid are also part of the fascist project.

Join an inspiring conversation on women's leadership with Jacinda Ardern. Sign up now! Join us for an inspiring conversation with former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern about what it means to be an “anti-strongman” leader in today’s political landscape. We’ll discuss why empathy is a strength and the need for more women in power.

Join us tomorrow evening for an inspiring conversation with former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Learn how she united people during moments of crisis, why empathy is a strength, and why we need more women in power.

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Defense Department will stop providing crucial satellite weather data Hurricane forecasters rely on weather data collected and processed by Department of Defense satellites. That data will no longer be available as of Monday, June 30.

Hurricane forecasters rely on weather data collected and processed by Department of Defense satellites. That data will no longer be available as of Monday, June 30. By @rhersher.bsky.social

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, Chile, recently released its first images of the cosmos/deep space. Vera Rubin (1928-2016) was a pioneering US astronomer whose work provided convincing evidence for the existence of unseen "dark" matter in the Universe #WomensArt

As we have seen throughout the world of education and now government, it can take just “a minute” to destroy what took years to build. Including credibility itself.

@nicollewallace.bsky.social please have as guests scientists whose grants were cancelled. Even if their funding is “restored,” how impossible is it to resume research? What was destroyed? Cell lines, animals, data? Students postdocs & staff gone? Love your shows! From a fan & former scientist.

The Constitution is not a minor inconvenience to be ignored at whim but the operating system for our government and the binding covenant of the American people.