Shawn Christensen

Business Leaders Affirm Universities Are Critical to America’s Competitiveness — Leadership Now Project 200+ CEOs warn that federal attacks on universities threaten U.S. competitiveness. Read the open letter urging Congress to restore funding and visa access.

Wow! HUNDREDS of business leaders are urging Congress to stand up against Trump’s attack on higher ed

Research universities are the bedrock of U.S. innovation—we can’t let the Trump admin shred them over petty grievances

Add your name to defend the vital role of our nation’s universities

Supreme Court rules to keep Tennessee’s gender-affirming care ban in place This 6-3 ruling may embolden more states to ban gender-affirming care as the Trump administration prioritizes restricting it.

The Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday to keep Tennessee’s gender-affirming care ban in place which may have watershed consequences for all transgender Americans.

Breaking: The Trevor Project received a stop-work order last night on its contract with the national 988 suicide prevention hotline. The Trump administration is eliminating the option for LGBTQ callers to the hotline to press 3 and connect with someone who specializes in LGBTQ mental health.

Impossible to communicate to people that once you decide that a group more vulnerable than you can be sacrificed in the name of your own safety or interests that you have already entered into an tacit agreement that you can also be sacrificed in the interests of a group less vulnerable than you.

Cory Booker

History made

Senator Cory Booker concludes his record-breaking Senate Floor speech after 25 hours

Massive applause for Booker

Liberal wins Wisconsin Supreme Court race in blow to Trump Conservatives were unable to topple the 4-3 liberal majority in the most expensive judicial contest in U.S. history.

WashPo [Apr 2] -- In a key referendum on Trump/Musk influence, liberals won a majority on the WI Supreme Court in a lopsided 55-45 landslide. At $100m it was the costliest court race in history, with Musk giving $1m prizes to voters. The race will decide abortion in WI. @rikiwilchins.bsky.social

Elon Is A Bigger Loser Today Than He Was Yesterday. You Did That, Wisconsin. Let's do it some more, America!

Elon Is A Bigger Loser Today Than He Was Yesterday. You Did That, Wisconsin. www.wonkette.com/p/elon-is-a-...

Walz: I think they hate public education because it’s easier to run an authoritarian government if you don’t have a population that knows.

More:

“Schumer & the rest of those that have enabled this week's fiasco need to be replaced immediately with those who understand the depth & urgency of this constitutional crisis.”

They're moving to classify constitutionally protected speech as terrorism. This is a five alarm fire.

A screenshot of a social media post from Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) dated March 4, 2025, at 4:30 AM. The post states: “All Federal Funding will STOP for any College, School, or University that allows illegal protests. Agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came. American students will be permanently expelled or, depending on on the crime, arrested. NO MASKS! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

When Donald Trump threatens student protests, consider why: throughout modern history, student movements have repeatedly been the catalyst that toppled dictatorships. Authoritarian leaders fear campus activism precisely because it works. Below is a list of 36 student-led pro-democracy movements.🧵

Yeah they are really fast-tracking the ten stages of genocide.This proposal is essentially step 8. It’s terrifying

History doesn’t repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme.

Mad magazine published this in 1969.

THERE WILL BE BLOOD Just WHEN IN THE HELL will our Democratic leaders understand the peril we are in?

dearlstephens.substack.com/p/there-will...
Rather than bringing Ping-Pong paddles and groovy, little signs to a fascist hate-fest disguised as a State of the Union speech, it would be helpful if our meek, out-of-touch Dems pretended they understood the perilous moment we are standing in right now.

I think a lot of Democratic politicians tell themselves that when the history of this era is written, they will be remembered as valiantly, nobly adhering to principles and dignity—when, at this rate, they will be remembered for having done nothing at all.

See #4...
bsky.app/profile/erin...

🟡🟠🔴 When does the danger of staying in the US outweigh the uncertainty and pain of Getting The F*ck Out Before Its Too Late? (GTFO-BITL, for short). 🔴🟠🟡

Below are stages + warning signs for #trans people in the US.

Please add ideas, this is not exhaustive!

Thirty NYC Construction Workers Died in 2023 — the Most in a Decade of Tracking On-the-job deaths climbed for the third year in a row, according to an annual report from a worker-safety group, raising alarms as city and federal watchdogs lose teeth.

On-the-job deaths climbed for the third year in a row, according to an annual report from a worker-safety group, raising alarms as city and federal watchdogs lose teeth.

Slim margins, climate disasters, and Trump’s funding freeze: Life or death for many US farms Federal programs are a lifeline for farmers. Now many are questioning whether they can stay in business.

Slim margins, climate disasters, and Trump’s funding freeze: Life or death for many US farms.

Federal programs are a lifeline for farmers. Now many are questioning whether they can stay in business.

grist.org/food-and-agr...

#Food #Farms #Farmers #Trump #Agriculture

After Tuesday's address to a joint sessions of Congress, it's clear "the Trump administration has declared war on trans people," says journalist @imarajones.bsky.social of @translash.org. www.democracynow.org/2025/3/5/tru...

USDA Layoffs Derail Projects Benefiting American Farmers The blanket firing of Department of Agriculture scientists has thrown a host of climate science and crop projects into chaos.

Not mentioned at the #SOTU: how cuts to USAID are affecting American farmers, by potentially undermining the billions of taxpayer dollars they receive to support conservation practices. www.wired.com/story/usda-l...

This is not normal.

Cruelty Is the Point in Attacks on Transgender Teens The barrage of executive orders and dehumanizing rhetoric are impacting their physical and mental health.

Will just leave this here. (gift link)

Trans people have always been here — and we aren’t going anywhere.

Trump saying America will no longer be ruled by unelected bureaucrats right after spending half his speech honoring our actual functional president, the richest and most uncharismatic person on Earth

"The days of rule by unelected bureaucrats are over!"

But the days of rule by unelected plutocrats are just beginning.

“Nazi conceptions of race, gender and eugenics dictated the Nazi regime’s hostile policy on homosexuality. Repression against gay men, lesbians and trans people commenced within days of Hitler becoming Chancellor.”
-Holocaust memorial trust

Trump Threatens Schools in Dark Attack on First Amendment Donald Trump is threatening schools that allow “illegal protests”—whatever that is.

President Trump's orders and rhetoric are intended to chill dissent and censor views he dislikes.

Let's be clear: the government can't threaten funding to universities for simply doing their job to foster an environment of free speech and free inquiry.