José

How extreme car dependency is driving Americans to unhappiness A car is often essential in the US but while owning a vehicle is better than not for life satisfaction, a study has found, having to drive too much sends happiness plummeting

“The United States, with its enormous highways, sprawling suburbs and neglected public transport systems, is one of the most car-dependent countries in the world. But this arrangement of obligatory driving is making many Americans actively unhappy, new research has found.”

Via @theguardian.com.

Far-Right ‘Appeal to Heaven’ Flag Seen at Jan. 6 Riot Flown Above Government Agency in DC The "Appeal To Heaven" flag, a popular symbol for Christian nationalists that was waved by January 6 rioters, was raised over the Small Business Administration headquarters last week.

SCOOP: The "Appeal To Heaven" flag, a popular symbol for Christian nationalists that was waved by January 6 rioters, was raised over the Small Business Administration headquarters last week.

Today, people—from students to federal workers, from immigrants to the LGBTQ+ community—find themselves forced to fight deportations, surveillance, and the drastic erosion of fundamental human rights.

So, WIRED dedicated a whole issue on How To Win A Fight. Start ⬇️:
www.wired.com/story/editor...

Apparently cops saw Vance Boelter sitting outside another Minnesota state rep’s home an hour before he murdered Melissa Hortman and her husband and those cops just let him go.

Apparently cops saw Vance Boelter sitting in his faux cop car near another Minnesota state rep’s home an hour before he murdered Melissa Hortman and her husband and those cops just let him go.

www.cnn.com/us/live-news...

WATCH: Sen. Padilla pushed to the ground, handcuffed for demanding DHS not lie

Submission Guidelines Inspire change by submitting your work and sharing your ideas on nature and the human experience.

plant people, nature writers, environmental artists, submit your work on seeds to the good people at the Center for Humans and Nature 6/24-7/15: humansandnature.org/submission-g...

“They’re trying to kidnap someone” On the scene of a brutal ICE arrest in Worcester, Massachusetts.

@billshaner.bsky.social reports from the scene of a brutal ICE arrest in Worcester, Massachusetts: www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

Don’t Tread on Me—Unless You’re a Billionaire with a Ketamine Addiction, in Which Case I Enthusiastically Support It Listen, I don’t know how to say this, but I think I’m finally okay with being trodden on. Just a little. Just enough to feel the reassuring weight ...

"He toils, not for wealth, but for the betterment of humanity, bravely battling SEC regulations and woke park rangers. Mother Teresa wished she’d had that level of devotion to humankind."

Here are five things you can do for parks ahora mismo:

Inside of you there are two coups

A six-panel comic called Signs of Spring, Ranked. In panel 1, #10 is Robin - not always a useful sign since robins are quietly present in winter in many areas. In panel 2, there's #9: Daffodil - nice, mundane, #8: Skunk Cabbage - unusual, cool, and #7: Dutchman's Breeches - lol. In panel 3, there's #6: Turkey vulture migrating - gloriously ominous, a humbling reminder of life's transience, and #5: very very small bunny - wow, the little ears. In panel 4 there's #4: Snake sunbathing, with a gartersnake warming itself - underappreciated, looks cozy, and #3: Woodcock going peent - the perfect sound. In panel 5 there's #2: small frogs yelling as loud as they can, with a wood frog floating in a pool inflating itself to make a loud quack - they crave love, or at least they crave the external fertilization of 1500 gelatinous eggs. In panel 6, there's #1, Even smaller frogs yelling, with a spring peeper sitting on the ground making loud calls - yes, YES.

Signs of spring, ranked.

Willy Wonka Witch please

NCCDPHP Division of Reproductive Health Division of Population Health BCSB EPI branch Prevention Research Translation Branch Office of Smoking and Health NCHHSTP Division of TB elimination -Communication, Education, and Behavioral Studies Branch PBEMB GLOBAL Division of HIV and TB Communications Branch SPIN SPICE PBEMB MCHB HIDMSB EHSRB Scientific Integrity Branch NCEH Division of Environmental Science/Practice Asthma and Air Quality branch NCIRD ISD/Partnerships NIOSH Miner safety Health effects lab division Respiratory health division NCBDDD Office of the Director Disability Health NCIPC Division of Violence Prevention Division of Injury Prevention OD Office of Health Equity OCOO Office of Human Resources

New — Here is a running list of Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) offices that have either been fully eliminated or gutted into non-functionality as a result of today's mass firings (provided to me directly by a CDC staffer):

DOGE Is Trying to Gift Itself a $500 Million Building, Court Filings Show The documents reveal a DOGE affiliate is attempting to transfer the headquarters of an independent think tank, the United States Institute of Peace, to the government at no cost.

OK, a lot of stuff happened last night. And yes, all DOGE-related. Let's get into it: First, DOGE is trying to gift itself at $500 million building, court filings show.

Donald Trump Held Another Million-Dollar ‘Candlelight’ Dinner—With Elon Musk in Tow Unlike the previous fundraiser, this event did not appear on President Donald Trump’s official schedule.

Last weekend, Donald Trump attended another dinner at Mar-A-Lago with an invitation that asked guests to spend $1 million per seat, with funds listed as going to MAGA Inc., a super PAC. that supported Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.

Next time coming back into the USA, I’ll post to friends my emergency contacts: family, friend TV journalist, and immigration lawyer with my arrival time. I’ll post notifying arrival when I do. If I don’t post within half a day, friends can get in touch with my contacts.
Everyone should do the same.

a painting of uncle sam pointing at the viewer with an american flag behind him ALT: a painting of uncle sam pointing at the viewer with an american flag behind him

I want you, que te pongas a chingar o no chingues

Latino Outdoors mourns the passing of Congressman Raúl Grijalva, a tireless champion for environmental justice, public lands, and our communities.

Vertical graphic with The Center logo and text "Poetry Night: Free entry one drink minimum. Thursday, March 20, 7 to 9 P M. Athena Books.

Hello #Taipei: Join me Thursday March 20 for my first emcee gig in town, volunteering with #TheCenterTaipei! Visit www.facebook.com/events/11271... to sign up to read a poem, or just RSVP to come by and meet new friends. Admission is free with a drink purchase—see you soon at #春秋書店 by #中山站 / #雙連站! 🧋

Searching for a job in the environmental sector? We asked environmental leaders for their green flags when it comes to the job search. Read our blog here: bit.ly/3DFCFAz.

Learn from Dr. Mel Michelle Lewis @drmelmichelle.bsky.social (The Art of Change Agency), José Gonzalez, and Lisette Perez!

"The first disappearance is a warning. If no one fights back, the next one comes easier."

DOGE Is the Deep State A shadowy group of unelected figures reshaping the federal government to their own benefit from the inside? Sounds familiar!

Okay somehow it's Friday and somehow we made it (congrats!) 🤯

To make the doomscroll easier, here's a thread of all the wild stuff we learned this week, starting with @brbarrett.bsky.social's analysis on why DOGE *is* the deep state (and Elon Musk's extended universe.)

Shocking But Not Surprising Strikes Again (and Again) The Caprices of the Oligarchs Shocking but not surprising is a phrase I've often reverted to in the past eight years, for things that are both hideous and predictable, maybe transgressive against the...

If, for example, Trump says nobody is allowed to dance, on penalty of death, he has no legal power to make that declaration and no power to enforce it, but if everyone stops dancing it's as good as if he did. Reporting as though Trump has these powers helps give him those powers.

To: All SEC Employees From: Ken Johnson, Chief Operating Officer Date: March 3, 2025 Subject: RE: Update on LARO, PLRO and CHRO Leases As some of you might be aware, the General Services Administration (GSA) has been involved in a process across federal agencies to review office space leases and potential options for reducing space and related costs. GSA has now decided to end all federal leases goverment-wide where GSA can do so unilaterally and where the agency is not providing direct services to the public. As part of this decision, GSA recently informed us it has decided to teminate the building leases for the Los Angeles Regional Office (LARO) and the Philadelphia Regional Office (PLRO). GSA retains the sole authority to terminate the leases because they manage those leases on our behalf. To be clear, these lease terminations are not associated with any reorganization or reduction in force plan regarding SEC personnel, but rather apply solely to SEC space. As part of the initiative described above, GSA also notified us they intend to terminate the lease for the Chicago Regional Office (CHRO). The SEC has responded to the Administration and pointed out that CHRO's lease terms are different iand do not allow for unilateral GSA termination without significant financial penalties. We will keep you posted as we learn more about GSA's decisions. The SEC will be working with GSA on the process for finding new space for these offices. We understand that GSA aims to have the space exited by the end of August 2025 for PLRO and CHRO, and the end of September 2025 for LARO. It is the SEC's intent that if new office locations are not ready by the time the GSA-initiated lease terminations take effect, then the affected SEC staff will be placed on full-time telework. We will provide more information as we learn it. Thank you.

BREAKING — The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has just announced the closure of major regional offices in Philly, LA and Chicago, per email shared with me.

“5 alarm fire,” SEC employee tells me.

Full email text:

Quite a trip to see the Republican party become the very thing they accused everyone else of being

Could we call it the difference between narrow self-interest (which she voted for, as a promise of free IVF) and a commitment to the broader good (which she voted against, and turns out it included her govt. job)? Should we know that the narrower good may be too narrow for ourselves & what we love?

Imagine developing a career in the federal government and then Trump comes in

In terms of actual huge expenditures "the US government consists of a military attached to an insurance company." I wish National Parks received even a fraction of that.