John Schwartz

They go in and out and bring the poison back to their queen. Or that’s the idea.

Di caprio on a pay phone

I cannot BELIEVE that Paul Thomas Anderson has so perfectly captured the wild, weird WTF-ness that I get from reading a Thomas Pynchon novel. An astonishing movie. A wild ride. Brutal and hilarious and touching. I’ve never seen anything like it. Go.

Photo of a bait trap

This is, in fact, a center for ants

getting rid of Marc Fisher is about the dumbest thing the WP has done yet — and it's been doing a LOT of very dumb things. And without copyeditors, the opinion section won't just be historically or politically illiterate; it's going for the full trifects. x.com/SegravesNBC4...

You might have missed some NYT editorials

Goats!

My favorite Pflugerville employees are the quadruped landscapers.

They haven't signed yet, but they have given every indication that they will sign, and enthusiastically.

There are repercussions to that, too. They will follow up with a vengeance if you say yes and don't act. They will follow up with a vengeance if you say no. They will follow up with a vengeance if you take too long to say yes or no. It's all about punishing institutions.

Treasury Plans to Mint $1 Commemorative Trump Coin

He’s going to demand a cut of sales. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/b...

We train police to de-escalate, to avoid using force whenever possible. Without that training, you’re unleashing thugs on a civilian population.

That venerable canard: the self-hating Jew.

Many American Jews sharply critical of Israel on Gaza, Post poll finds Most Jews say Israel is committing war crimes — and 39 percent say genocide — while often distinguishing between the country and its leadership.

Post poll: 39 percent of jews surveyed called what Israel is doing in Gaza “genocide.”https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/10/06/jewish-americans-israel-poll-gaza/?utm_source=alert

Journalists at 3 Newspapers Quit Over Edits to a Charlie Kirk Story

Knee bending in our time: these reporters have integrity. Their bosses? Not so much. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/u...

True!

How Private Equity Oversees the Ethics of Drug Research

“That sounds like a grave conflict of interest!” Yep!
An amazing feat of reporting from the @nytimes.com investigative and data teams.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/04/h...

Opinion | Mr. President, May We Interest You in a Naked Bike Ride?

NO, NICK! NOOOOO! MY EYEEEES www.nytimes.com/2025/10/04/o...

The climate movement’s biggest weakness What the climate movement is getting dead wrong.

“The diets of the richest 30% of the global population contribute to more than 70% of the environmental pressures from food systems,” the new report reads.

www.vox.com/future-perfe...

Sounds like he’s pushed on an open door.

thanks! bsky.app/profile/did:...

Thomas Pynchon’s New Novel Isn’t His Best. It’s Still Good Fun.

A fond(ue) review of Pyncho's new novel from
@dwightgarner.bsky.social — but cheez, the puns! www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/b...

The Bari Weiss rewrite will be epic

UT System to review proposal from Trump Administration The UT System said it is reviewing a letter it received on Wednesday from President Donald Trump’s administration received on Wednesday that offers access to federal funds in exchange for abiding by r...

“The U.S. government engages in contracts with universities following civil rights laws and protocols around data security with research grants,” DeMatthews said. “But something of this magnitude and some of the things that are included in there … are quite strange.”

Texas Now #1 in Batteries, Too: Grid Roundup #79 Texas passes California in batteries; ERCOT's residential DR program to be discussed by stakeholders today; Texas' gas interconnection queue up 170% in 18 months; new October peak demand record set

We are the renewables state! Wish our leadership understood that better.

www.douglewin.com/p/texas-now-...

Their public statements so far, unfortunately, sound eager to be recognized for their athletic form at bending the knee.

Colleges weigh whether to sign onto Trump plan or forgo federal benefits A new proposal from the Trump administration would give colleges funding advantages if they adopt conservative priorities.

“No self-respecting university could ever accept something like this,” said Lee Bollinger, a First Amendment scholar and former Columbia University president. “Trying to protect conservative ideas against being ‘belittled’ — that’s about as violative of the First Amendment interests as you can get.”

Opinion | Trump’s ‘Compact’ With Universities Is Just Extortion

“We all learned long ago on the playground that trying to appease a bully only makes things worse. It’s equally hard to imagine how higher education will recover if colleges and universities begin conceding to Mr. Trump’s illegal compact.”

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/o...

with Homer Rainey and Ronnie Dugger chiming in.

Trump Offered Universities an Invitation for a Deal. Some See a Trap.

Oh wait hey I know this one www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/u...