Neil B.

They won't start with banning birth control. First they'll lie about it. Then dictate who can prescribe it, use it, fund it, in what forms, and for how long. Suddenly, your doctor won't call you back. I know this is what they'll do because it's what they're doing to transgender healthcare right now.

Love how this turned out! That color work on the quilting is no joke

And it’s submitted! Wish me luck with the selection.

I loved this design by @gawrjuhs.com: his elegant merging of the progress flag with the classic 8-pointed star. I drafted FPP diamonds, then used straight-line quilting to extend the colours into the background and enhance the sense of motion.

Happy Superb Owl day to all those who celebrate 🦉

A red hat, inspired by a symbol of resistance to Nazi occupation, gains traction in Minnesota A Minneapolis knitting shop has resurrected the design of a Norwegian cap worn to protest Nazi occupation. Its owner says the money raised from hat pattern sales will support the local immigrant community.

A Minneapolis knitting shop has resurrected the design of a Norwegian cap worn to protest Nazi occupation. Its owner says the money raised from hat pattern sales will support the local immigrant community. n.pr/4thWiUr

Post from Amanda Gorman’s Instagram that says amandascgorman Minneapolis, Minnesota For Renee Nicole Good Killed by ICE. on January 7, 2026 by Amanda Gorman They say she is no more, That there her absence roars, Blood-blown like a rose. Iced wheels flinched & froze. Now, bare riot of candles, Dark fury of flowers, Pure howling of hymns. If for us she arose, Somewhere, in the pitched deep of our grief, Crouches our power, The howl where we begin, Straining upon the edge of the crooked crater Of the worst of what we've been. Change is only possible, & all the greater, When the labour & bitter anger of our neighbors Is moved by the love * better angels of our nature.

Amanda Gorman wrote this poem for Renee Good and that’s it for me tonight.

Love the applique cat!

Interactive AIDS Quilt The National AIDS Memorial, through a partnership with the AIDS Quilt Touch team, presents all 48,000 panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt in an interactive experience People around the world can experie...

“The National AIDS Memorial, through a partnership with the AIDS Quilt Touch team, presents all 50,000 panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt in an interactive experience so people around the world can experience the beauty of the Quilt and witness the love and stories stitched into each panel.”

Sewn bees in a circle with three flower blocks and one acorn block

Making some progress on this adaptation to @wholecirclestudio.bsky.social's bzzzzzz quilt pattern. Love how these flowers are turning out! #modernquilting #quilt

The greens are really nice because they pull out the greens in the center block/earlier rounds

If any of Lia Smith's friends wants to talk to me, I'd love to uplift her story and her life. DMs are open.

Huge crowds in Missoula, Montana.

Credit Sally Mauk, Montana Public Radio.

20251018_No Kings Day 2 Protests Unofficial Attendance Crowdsourcing

If you attend a No Kings Day event, please record the number of people in attendance in our crowdsourced crowd-counting sheet. We prefer official estimates above ad-hoc counts — if you count yourself, pls be conservative (people are bad at estimating crowd sizes). docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

While Share of Younger Women Without Children Increased, More Women Had Children as They Entered Their Late 40s From 2014 to 2024 From 2014 to 2024, the share of older mothers rose as fewer teens and women in their 20s and 30s had children.

“The only group to see a decline in childlessness was women ages 45 to 50 — from 16.7% in 2014 to 14.9% in 2024. This suggests that more women had children as they entered their late 40s.”

I've done curves a few times, it definitely takes some practice! Honestly, my tip is to use a glue stick to keep your fabric together before sewing 😅

It's the dragonfly quilt pattern by Modern Quilt Lab!

Recently finished another quilt top- really happy with how the colors and the curves turned out!

"I've always enjoyed having dinner and interacting."

Yeah, many of us do

August 1, 2025 AMERICAN ECONOMIC ASSOCIATION Committee on Economic Statistics and Committee on Government Relations Statement from the American Economic Association on the Dismissal of the BLS Commissioner Leaders of the American Economic Association express their grave concern over the dismissal of the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) earlier today. The independence of the federal statistical agencies is essential to the proper functioning of a modern economy. Accurate, timely, and impartial statistics are the foundation upon which households, businesses, and policymakers make critical decisions. Undermining the independence or credibility of these agencies threatens the integrity of the information that markets, institutions, and the public rely on every day. Measuring the vast and dynamic U.S. economy in real time is inherently challenging. It is standard practice for statistical estimates to be revised as more complete and higher-quality data become available. These revisions reflect the commitment of statistical agencies to accuracy, transparency, and methodological rigor-not failure or bias. The BLS has long had a well-deserved reputation for professional excellence and nonpartisan integrity. Safeguarding this tradition is vital for the continued health of the U.S. economy and public trust in our institutions. We call upon elected officials to respect and preserve the independence of the nation's statistical infrastructure. Lawrence Katz President, American Economic Association Katharine Abraham President-Elect, American Economic Association Karen Dynan Chair, American Economic Association Committee on Economic Statistics Kenneth Troske Chair, American Economic Association Committee on Government Relations

Statement from the largest economics association about the BLS firing

As context: AEA approximately never makes such public statements

This is a big deal

The initial estimate of job change for a month is based on the growth or loss of jobs at the businesses that have reported their data. Generally, BLS assumes that the employment situation at businesses that had reported is representative of the situation at those that had not yet reported. BLS continues to collect outstanding reports from the businesses in the sample as it prepares a second and then a third estimate for the month. With each subsequent estimate, more businesses have provided their information. In 2012, the average collection rate at the time of the third estimate for a month was 94.6 percent. (See chart 1.)

Why do the jobs numbers get revised?

our markets and policymakers want data NOW but employer data dribbles in over months

1st estimate is based on the 75% of employers who respond promptly

Updates occur as more data rolls in: 95% response rate by final revision 1/N

www.bls.gov/opub/btn/vol...

I was just informed that our Country’s “Jobs Numbers” are being produced by a Biden Appointee, Dr. Erika McEntarfer, the Commissioner of Labor Statistics, who faked the Jobs Numbers before the Election to try and boost Kamala’s chances of Victory. This is the same Bureau of Labor Statistics that overstated the Jobs Growth in March 2024 by approximately 818,000 and, then again, right before the 2024 Presidential Election, in August and September, by 112,000. These were Records — No one can be that wrong? We need accurate Jobs Numbers. I have directed my Team to fire this Biden Political Appointee, IMMEDIATELY. She will be replaced with someone much more competent and qualified. Important numbers like this must be fair and accurate, they can’t be manipulated for political purposes. McEntarfer said there were only 73,000 Jobs added (a shock!) but, more importantly, that a major mistake was made by them, 258,000 Jobs downward, in the prior two months. Similar things happened in the first part of the year, always to the negative. The Economy is BOOMING under “TRUMP” despite a Fed that also plays games, this time with Interest Rates, where they lowered them twice, and substantially, just before the Presidential Election, I assume in the hopes of getting “Kamala” elected – How did that work out? Jerome “Too Late” Powell should also be put “out to pasture.” Thank you for your attention to this matter!

BREAKING: President Trump is calling for the firing of the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics hours after the federal statistical agency released a weaker-than-expected jobs report

Thanks so much! It was a quilt kit from by & by

A colorful quilt top hanging up outside on a pergola

Thanks to all who chimed in about the final design- I decided to go with the plus layout in the end. Love how this quilt turned out. #bloemquilt pattern by @libselliott.com

Current Demographic Statistics: The Census Bureau is making a pivotal change by developing alternate ways to deliver estimates currently provided by the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). The data are used to estimate eligibility, use, future costs, and coverage for government programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and to provide improved statistics on the distribution of income in the country. The Census Bureau is transitioning to a more effective approach that merges modern survey techniques with advanced data science methods. This innovative strategy will allow the Census Bureau to focus on a smaller, more targeted sample while utilizing non-survey data to lower costs, lessen the burden on respondents, and enhance both the timeliness and accuracy of statistical outputs. The Census Bureau plans to streamline the collection to deliver the critical, legally mandated socio-economic and demographic data traditionally provided in the SIPP. While SIPP has played an important role in shedding light on the economic well-being of Americans, its data collection has been expensive and challenging for respondents. This new approach plans to deliver crucial insights more efficiently and effectively, ultimately benefiting both the Census Bureau and the public. For more information, see CEN-19.

NEW: The Census Bureau is planning to scale back its Survey of Income and Program Participation — which is used to measure use of SNAP food assistance and other government programs — and start using "non-survey data" to lower costs, according to a budget document
www.commerce.gov/sites/defaul...

On Juneteenth, she celebrates the role quilts may have played in Underground Railroad Edith Edmunds, who is 99 years old, the art of quilt making is inextricably linked to the Black struggle for freedom. That's why she plans to be sewing Thursday on Juneteenth.

Edith Edmunds, who is 99 years old, the art of quilt making is inextricably linked to the Black struggle for freedom. That's why she plans to be sewing Thursday on Juneteenth.

Colorful fabric is sewn together in a grid pattern. The lighter colors form an H design

Colorful fabric is sewn together in a grid pattern. There is a light border around darker colors

Colorful fabric is sewn together in a grid pattern. The lighter colors make a T in the middle of the quilt top

In the choice phase of this quilt! What do you all think? #bloem #bloemquilt #quilting

It never crossed my mind to plan my week around Recall Thursday, but I should start doing that

No Kings Day protests unofficial attendance crowdsourcing

anybody have any idea how many people showed up at the various LA No Kings Day events?

docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

DOGE created a 'survey of surveys' for a push to cut some government data collection DOGE's push to cut some federal surveys conducted by the Census Bureau may be duplicating a White House agency's oversight work and weaken U.S. data infrastructure, experts warn.

NEW: DOGE's push to cut some federal surveys was prompted by the Census Bureau asking to be exempt from Trump's hiring freeze in order to have enough interviewers for ongoing surveys and the American Housing Survey, Ron Jarmin, the bureau's acting director, said at a @copafs.bsky.social meeting