Greg Kochanski

'The whole thing is screwed up': Farmers in deep-red Pennsylvania struggle to find workers They're pushing lawmakers to move faster on a farm labor solution, even as the president cracks down on immigration.

"The U.S. agricultural workforce fell by 155,000 — about 7 percent — between March and July, according to an analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data. That tracks with Pew Research Center data that shows total immigrant labor fell by 750,000 from January through July."

YouTube video by Farm to Taber Why Farmers Voted For Trump

good video on this from @sarahtaber.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=badG...

🧪

The SAVE Act would block millions of eligible Americans from voting. Text SAVE to 63033 to tell your Senators to vote NO on the SAVE Act and stop it in its tracks.

Niche joke.

And also—it’s not easy to shift tephra production domestically—need to understand the magma supply chain

I hope organizations like @agu.org are thinking carefully about these moves - we realistically cant expect non-Americans to join us in NOLA this year

Spring reminder, as people start to think about gardening: NEVER buy compost with peat it in (inexplicably still on sale). If it does not say "peat free" in big letters, do not buy it. Peat is incredibly valuable in peat bogs, for rare biodiversity and as a carbon store. Don't put it on your garden!

Hands Off! Pittsburgh Presents · Hands Off **Donald Trump and Elon Musk think this country belongs to them.** Pittsburgh is fighting back! They're taking everything they can get their hands on—our health care, our data, our jobs, our services...

Protests everywhere today. Come along and help push back.
(If you haven't been to a protest before, wear comfortable shoes, dress for the weather, bring some water, and leave your phone in airplane mode.)
www.mobilize.us/handsoff/eve...

US Weather Agency to Preserve Research Websites in Reversal The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency will preserve access to websites tied to its research division, after previously moving to cancel a cloud web services contract that supports many of its...

BREAKING: In a reversal, all NOAA Research sites will now remain online with "no interruption in service," according to the agency. NOAA had previously moved to cancel the research division's cloud services contract.

Story for @bloomberg.com (free link):

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

The entire permanent staff of the Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice was laid off. This division addresses issues such as asthma and air pollution, climate change and health, childhood lead poisoning, and cancer clusters.

I'm honestly shocked by how many of *them* are shocked that Trump is an economic disaster. None of them are fit for their roles if they didn't see this coming.

the strongest case for socializing the ownership of capital is that the current owners of capital are idiots

I dunno if it matters, but I am a twice-deployed Army veteran (pre- and post-9/11) and a former law enforcement/criminal justice reporter and I agree with this statement 100 percent. ICE makes us less safe, and their agents have been disgustingly out of control since inception. Abolish ICE today.

Please join us for a Noche Latina Party in support of the 14th Ward Independent Democratic Club. Featuring remarks by Sister Janice Vanderneck of Casa San José. Drinks and lite bites. Saturday, April 5, 2025 at 7pm. Schenley Park Skating Rink Party Room, 10341 Overlook Drive, Pittsburgh, 15213

Next Saturday, I'm heading Pittsburgh's HANDS OFF protest at noon, and a fundraiser in the evening!

Local politics matter, so I'm supporting the club's work & getting a chance to meet the candidates.

Saturday, April 5th, 7pm, in the party room at Schenley Park Skating Rink.

pgh14widc.org

Janet is supporting our campaign because she knows that I'm delivering for the people of Pittsburgh.

From new housing units to an unprecedented amount of new federal and state funding (read: $328+ Million 👀) to a new police contract, we are building a safe, thriving city for all!

The image is all text. The big print in the center is "HANDS OFF!". Smaller text in the background includes Medicaid, Free Speech, Libraries, Schools, Fair Elections, LGBTQ Rights, Immigrants, Courts, Social Security, and the like.

There are protests all over the country on Saturday, April 5th.

In Pittsburgh, it's 12:30 – 2pm at the City County Building, 414 Grant St, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Pittsburgh: www.mobilize.us/handsoff/eve...

Nationwide: handsoff2025.com

See you there!

Opinion | $15 Billion Is Enough to Fight a President (Gift Article) Every university president will face a choice similar to Columbia University’s in the coming months.

Just read this op-ed. I'd love to hear counterarguments. Universities are facing threats to their faculty, students, even very existence. Why shouldn't they tap their endowments to fight this extinction-level event?

#AcademicSky #HigherEd #AcademicChatter

www.nytimes.com/2025/03/25/o...

This is a really important point. Trump is losing most of the cases he's losing because no statute directly authorizes what he's doing.

Instead of complaining about judges doing their jobs, congressional Republicans could, you know, *pass legislation* to give Trump the authorities he's claiming.

Speaking Out for Democracy and US Higher Education Speaking Out for Democracy and US Higher Education To add your name to this statement, go to https://bit.ly/DemocracyAndHigherEdSign We publicly affirm our commitment to the enterprise of higher educ...

Education is under attack. All who stand for the freedom and flourishing of the US postsecondary education system can sign on to a statement affirming and committing to core values that shape education. Read: bit.ly/DemocracyAnd...
#AcademicSky #HigherEd #DisabilityStudies #DisabledInAcademia

The decision by who, Mike?

A researcher just lost their grant funding because their work might help understand why people are hesitant about vaccines.

Huh

BREAKING: 34,000 people have showed up in Denver, Colorado this evening to see Bernie Sanders and AOC fight oligarchy and authoritarianism.

What’s happening as a classic collective action problem. The majority of Americans oppose this coup. Even the majority of wealthy people oppose this coup. But right now no one is speaking out, so everyone is afraid to lead — including media, Congress, universities, civil servants.

Right? 🎯

He's about the only fantasy writer I've seen who's characters sometimes do things "kindly" or "gently".