Terrible people control the government, so terrible things will happen. That’s just reality. But we don’t have to be passive collateral damage.
Trump is currently doing unpopular shit that can and should be converted into a cudgel with which to relentlessly whack Trump and congressional Republicans. Most of the time, we won’t be able to stop them, but loudly opposing their horrible policies and personnel can perhaps mitigate the damage this administration does or at least maximize the pain Republicans incur for inflicting said damage.
One example of unpopular shit Trump did/is doing is the blanket pardon of J6 criminals who violently attacked the Capitol and the cops protecting it. Nearly 90% of Democrats, 62% of independents and 30% of Republicans opposed the pardons before Trump took office. Elected Democrats should be making those fuckers own it every day, and to their credit, many are.
All of my federal representatives are MAGA cultists, but I called their offices anyway to register my disapproval of their lord and savior’s releasing violent criminals into our communities. Elected Republicans should be made to own this at every opportunity, and where relevant, as in the upcoming Kash Patel hearing, complicity in the jailbreak must be tied around the necks of Trump nominees and those who vote to confirm them.
***
In addition to releasing violent criminals, another thing no one asked for which does not lower the price of eggs: hobbling the nation’s incredibly successful work in medical research and treatment innovation by screwing with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Cancer Institute (NCI). But that’s what’s happening already as Trump/Republicans plan to put bona fide kook RFK Jr. in charge of public health. Via Science:
Donald Trump’s return to the White House is already having a big impact at the $47.4 billion U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), with the new administration imposing a wide range of restrictions, including the abrupt cancellation of meetings such as grant review panels. Officials have also ordered a communications pause, a freeze on hiring, and an indefinite ban on travel.
The moves have generated extensive confusion and uncertainty at the nation’s largest research agency, which has become a target for Trump’s political allies. “The impact of the collective executive orders and directives appears devastating,” one senior NIH employee says…
Even more troubling to many researchers is a pause on study sections that many received word of today. Without such meetings, NIH cannot make research awards…
Another consequence of the communications pause, according to an NIH staffer involved with clinical trials at NIH’s Clinical Center, is that agency staff cannot meet with patient groups or release newsletters or other information to recruit patients into trials. Another unknown is whether NIH researchers will still be allowed to submit papers to peer-reviewed journals.
This one is personal for me since I’ve directly benefited from NIH-funded research. I suspect most of the cancer survivors here have too, as well as families and friends of people who have or had cancer, which is damned near everyone.
According to the Association for Clinical Oncology [PDF], “investment in research to better understand, prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer has paid off. Thanks to funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Cancer Institute (NCI), millions more Americans are surviving cancer. In the United States, a record 15.5 million survivors of cancer are alive today—more than 5 times the number of survivors alive in 1971.”
As the largest funder of biomedical research on the planet, the NIH pays for research that creates breakthroughs and new treatments to reduce diseases and disabilities of all types. And while any organization’s operations can be improved and made more efficient, that’s not what the Trump-MAGA vandals are proposing or they wouldn’t shut down activities that are essential to carrying out medical research and suggest putting an anti-science crazy person like RFK Jr. in charge of public health.
So here’s an action item: Contact your federal reps and urge them to oppose the attack on medical research that benefits everyone. If you’re lucky enough to have Democratic representatives, thank them if they’ve spoken out or encourage them to publicly oppose the vandals if they haven’t yet.
If, like me, you’re in a red state, contact your federal representatives and ask them to explain why they support hobbling medical research and putting a nutcase like RFK Jr. in charge of HHS. If possible, find stats on how NIH funding supports research universities in your state (example from Florida here) that are finding new cures and treatments and biomedical startups that are saving and improving lives.
Trump and the congressional MAGA majority have all the power. They will use it to loot public coffers and hurt people. That’s inevitable, and it sucks. But I think there are fissures where we, the opposition, can insert crowbars and widen cracks in the evil MAGA carapace.
Releasing violent criminals is unpopular. Interrupting the lifesaving work of the NIH and NCI is unpopular too, and no one elected that whackadoodle Kennedy nepo baby to destroy this nation’s biomedical research efforts. Trump may owe that fool a favor, but we damn sure don’t.
Elected Democrats should take the lead on opposing these unpopular and dangerous activities. We won’t always be able to stop them or limit the damage, but we should damn sure extract the maximum price for it, every time, and we all have a role to play in that.
Open thread.
David_C
Dang, that was good. Thank you!
Nukular Biskits
This
japa21
So very true. And not just cancer.
Josie
For those of us introverts who freeze up trying to talk to representatives, could someone write up a suggested spiel on the funding for NIH and NCI? It’s not a subject I am conversant with, unlike the pardon issue. TIA
NutmegAgain
Thank you Betty! I’ve not only benefited from the work of NIH (gonna guess nearly all Americans have done, whether they know it or not). My past work was largely funded by NIH and an assortment of alphabet soup agencies, so that hits hard in multiple ways. I live in a blue-blue-blue state, but I can drop messages of “support for the actions you’re going to take to stand up to the abusive Resident”.
Ohio Mom
Bouncing around the internet yesterday, I learned it only took Hitler and his henchmen 53 days to dismantle Germany’s democracy. I’m not saying we are on the exact same timeline but for comparison’s sake, that would put us at March 14 (as Steep might have noticed, the day after my birthday).
For me, the most stunning realization has been what a big swamp Trump is the figurehead for. I had a vague understanding that the Federal government funds medical research but no idea how that was accomplished.
But one of the things this administration just did was zero right in on the study groups of experts that review grant applications and stop them from their scheduled meetings. Aiming there reflects a detailed knowledge that took a big, concerted effort.
As I said, Trump is the figurehead. Let’s remember that there are a lot of bad people hiding behind him.
Notthatproud
You can’t say on the one hand that Joe Biden’s pardon of Hunter and the preemptive pardons of others are good and generally irrelevant to electoral politics, and then say on the other hand that Trump’s pardons of J6 criminals is useful for electoral politics. If people don’t vote on pardons, they don’t vote on pardons. No one will care about this in two years. It’s continually backward looking.
No Nym
I suspect Orange Julius is trying to hide evidence of another pandemic brewing, too. No numbers, no avian flu.
schrodingers_cat
These grants fund the salaries of many foreigners on H1-B, O, J and F visas. I have been educated on this blog how evil some of those visas are when I tried bringing nuance to the H1-B debate a couple of weeks ago.
Oh and it will destroy the edge US has in fundamental research. So a win a win.
Suzanne
@Josie: I just called and left a message. You usually don’t actually get a person. Rest assured.
frosty
@Josie: Thank you, I was just about to write the same thing. I need a script for the voicemail I’m going to leave.
frosty
@Suzanne: What message did you leave?
Leto
@Ohio Mom:
I mean, this is just straight Project 2025. People with actual expertise with how these agencies operate, the mechanisms that make them function, are crafting these policies/EOs and he’s just signing away. You can just point at P25 and say, “He said he was going to do that.” I read through the military and VA sections, and…. Ugh is all I can say.
Betty Cracker
@Notthatproud: What’s backward looking is bringing up Biden, which you did, not me.
Polling tells us voters support cops and worry about crime, so Trump releasing criminals who beat up cops is relevant. It’s further on point because Trump’s nominee to lead the FBI advocated for the release of the cop-beaters, and his confirmation hearing is scheduled for next week.
Ohio Mom
@Josie: Here’s something clipped from the Blue Sky account of a doctor I follow on cutting medical research funding:
”Scientific advancements aside, this is economically irresponsible
Every $1 spent by NIH generates $2.46
For example, in 2023, $47B in NIH spending generated ~$93B
Halting NIH spending will LOSE the US a lot of money (and talent)
An image of NIH campus. Text says : With annual budget of more than $47 billion, NIH is the largest single public funder of biomedical and behavioural research in the world. In fiscal year 2023, NIH funding generated an estimated $92.89 billion in economic activity”
And stick in something about how your friend Betty is being kept alive by the research the NIH funds.
You don’t have to give a dissertation. All the interns taking the calls do is put hatch marks in the For and Against columns.
I like to think we are educating those young people with our impassioned pleas but they are probably either incorrigible twits, else why would work for a Republican, or decent people working for a Democrat. In the case of Democratic young interns, I like to thank and compliment them for working for the good.
ETA: in my experience, Suzanne is right for Republicans, hardly ever got to a person calling Republicans, often it was filled-up voice mails boxes. Now Sherrod Brown, his staff always answered the phone.
Suzanne
@frosty: My standard is
“Hi, my name is Suzanne, phone number is XXX, zip code is XXX. I wanted to call to express my displeasure/gratitude to the Congressperson/Senator/whatever regarding the ABC issue/bill. I hope she/he does XXX. Thank you.” Keep it short and sweet, they are just tallying up responses.
I actually just got a bit mouthy on Fetterman’s voicemail and exceeded the time allotment for the voicemail, so I got cut off. See, they find me obnoxious, too!
Danielx
I’m not in despair, but this is like seeing a bad auto accident – I don’t want to look but do anyway. I know looking away or ignoring the news is not helpful to us in any way, plus it’s exactly what they want.
Gloria DryGarden
@Josie: are you on blue sky? There were some suggestions and discussion over there on the jackals group
stinger
This site might be helpful to people contacting their representatives:
NIH in your state
Josie
@Ohio Mom:
Thank you. Much appreciated.
Josie
@Gloria DryGarden:
Thanks, but I am not on social media.
Josie
@stinger:
Great site, good information. Thank you.
Princess
This is a great idea and if I were still living in the US, I would call my rep. One thing I’ll add, if you’ve never done this before — if you’re feeling in despair right now, doing something like this can make you feel really good. It only takes a few minutes. Phone call is best, but if that is too much for you, you can send a free FAX. FaxZero is the outfit i always used.
Ohio Mom
@stinger: Oh, that’s a great link!
sixthdoctor
When I call my senators (MD) I’ll ask them to ask the President and the media to tell them how closing down the NIH/CDC and ending bird flu research and preparations is supposed to lower egg prices.
Gloria DryGarden
From last nights thread
Call your reps about this NIH funding pause
This poster on blue sky encourages scientists to make a big stink and what to say when you call, and why it’s important.
schrodingers_cat
If NSF and NIH are cut off at their knees every fucking university in the US is going to be impacted.
Kay
I was a donor in the bone marrow stem cell trials to treat blood cancers. It was neat. I had to stay in NY for 2 weeks because it was laborious at that time. It’s been an effective treatment now for 20 years.
I’ll call. I’ll also call DeWine (OH gov) – he’s a supporter of science in some careful, cowardly areas. He might step up.
Mai Naem mobile ¹
@schrodingers_cat: feature not bug.
Belafon
@schrodingers_cat: That’s the other thing about Republicans in charge, they’d rather rule over a burning husk of a country than have to govern an educated, prosperous one.
mali muso
@schrodingers_cat: Feature not bug. :(
ETA: Mai Naem beat me to it.
brendancalling
@Suzanne: Fetterman also limits the length of digital communications, and hasn’t had a town hall in god knows how long. That slovenly prick NEEDS to hear from us.
Kay
And thanks for your work on BJ, BC.
I’m thrilled your treatment is going well.
Leto
Ruth Ben-Ghiat has a new piece up about Trumpov’s potential use of the military in the deportation bullshit:
The Dangers of Deploying the Military for Domestic Operations
David_C
@Gloria DryGarden: What’s the jackals group? I’m on BSky.
schrodingers_cat
@Mai Naem mobile ¹: @mali muso:
This is going to impact everyone not just the damn foreigners on the visas that many (even on this blog) don’t like.
Kay
Call your governor too and say how much the state benefits.
Bipartisan governors group would be effective and as a bonus enrage Donald Trump.
Betty Cracker
@Kay: Thank you! Good idea about contacting governors’ offices too. Even anti-science turds like Ron DeSantis brag about the public research universities they are busily destroying.
Suzanne
@brendancalling: When I call Summer Lee’s office, I usually get people! Never at Fetterman’s office. Not one time.
Kay
@Betty Cracker:
The WSJ editors wrote a blistering editorial on releasing “the cop beaters”. It’s controversial even on the far Right.
Kay
@Betty Cracker:
Ohio State. I’m saying those two magic words :)
Even if we get no MAGA governors, we have enough decent people governors with big prestigious schools in their states to make a lot of noise.
College educated normie voters – that’s who we need.
Bupalos
I think it’s important not to necessarily expect or rely on a kind of politically useful backlash to this kind of civic vandalism. It’s possible and worth pursuing to whatever extent it can happen, but I really don’t expect it as any kind of ‘turn of the tide.’ The connections between things like NIH research and the quality of people’s lives is just too loose and too much mediated by time and distance for a polity that is wired for the short term to usefully react. Dobbs I think was instructive here.
The Trumpanzees ripping out the wiring of effective governance is likely to work for them in multiple ways. In the short term by appearing active and effective to their supporters, delivering on the promise of retribution for enemies and destruction of the woke bureaucratic Babylon they blame for the fact that they are miserable. In the medium term by increasing misery. It’s one of the biggest misunderstandings we have on the left- that things like right wingers dying of covid or being ravaged by the opioid epidemic reduces their number. Authoritarianism doesn’t flourish because of individuals but because of conditions. Running this country into the ground will likely help the authoritarians in their project. I’m afraid they are increasingly conscious of this dynamic.
We’re going to have to somehow regrow the ability to think in terms of decades, and in a lot of cases beyond our own lifetimes.
Bill Arnold
Yes. Also, even people who think they are powerless can contribute. (Metaphor!)
How Does Diatomaceous Earth Work: Microscopic Images
Soprano2
@Notthatproud: It’s about letting violent felons who attacked police officers out of prison, and letting a notorious drug dealer out of prison. That’s what it’s about.
schrodingers_cat
@Leto: The default demographic of this country wanted this. As a member of an extremely tiny demographic I can only do so much.
comrade scotts agenda of rage
@Bupalos:
I liken this to Norquist’s old “drowning the gubmint in the bathtub” only on steroids.
I’m also reminded of this post from 8 years ago, it’s deja vu all over again…only this time it’s been turned up to 11:
https://balloon-juice.com/2017/01/19/government-meet-bathtub/#comment-6204602
Bupalos
@Belafon: That’s not necessarily something they have a choice over, qua authoritarians. Putin can’t rule a prosperous happy country. One of the reasons he had to take Russia down a different path after a fairly long trajectory of increasing prosperity was specifically that increasing prosperity.
Now he’s practically ruined Russians’ prospects and is in a firmer regime security position.
Josie
Thanks everyone. I made my three calls. Wesley Hunt and Ted Cruz had someone actually answering calls and John Cornyn had an answering machine. I got pretty good with my spiel by the time I got to the machine.
Gloria DryGarden
@Belafon: damn! I was hoping once they made this truly a shithole country, they might leave for some first world place..
Bill Arnold
@Ohio Mom:
My intuition has been screaming that S. Miller is organizing this and that he is explicitly inspired by A. Hitler’s first 53 days.
He doesn’t just look like a Nazi; he is one, or close enough to be treated like lone.
Soprano2
@schrodingers_cat: The visas aren’t “evil”, but the way some companies use those visas is unethical. That’s how I see it, anyway. The visa is just a thing that can be used for good reasons or bad reasons. I read recently that Musk fired a bunch of U.S. employees in Texas and replaced them with H-1B visa holders (not sure if this is true or not, it’s a lot harder to tell these days). There might be a valid reason for that, but most likely with Musk it’s not, it’s probably a bad reason.
Soprano2
Actually, it should be “he said he wasn’t going to do that, but look he did it anyway”, because he lied that he didn’t have any intention of implementing Project 2025.
Bupalos
@schrodingers_cat: “default demographic” isn’t an entity capable of “want.” This kind of language torture comes from the land of make believe ego conflict.
stacib
@schrodingers_cat: I’m so glad to see you’re still around. I’ve been staying away from all news / news sources since the election, and only sporadically here. I saw something posted on here the other day about all the folks that have left, and I was truly hoping you weren’t one of them.
R-Jud
Left messages with Fetterman (nnnngh) and McCormick (ick), as well as my freshman congresscreature Bresnahan (also ick). They never pick up when I call, as I’m calling from abroad, but Fetterman at least I can say “I voted for your stunting ass, you better speak out against this shit.”
Or words to that effect.
schrodingers_cat
@Soprano2: You are lecturing me on how long term visas work? I am a naturalized citizen with first hand experience.
Many foreign nationals who work in research labs all over this country are on either temporary work visas, exchange scholar visas or student visas.
Which is the point I was making. Musk is irrelevant to this discussion.
brendancalling
Emailed my congressman, Boyle, twice. Once to castigate him for voting yes on Laken Riley, and once ot urge him to oppose NIH cuts.
Betty Cracker
@Bupalos: What’s your suggestion then? The final sentence doesn’t seem all that actionable.
Quinerly
Anyone listening to Trump embarrassing us in real time with his Davos speech?
Low energy, monotone. Going thru his historic win and listing his accomplishments in 4 days. “More done in 4 days than other presidents have done 4 years.” Lots about repealing DEI and “making rare” gender re assignment surgery.
Taking questions now.
Bupalos
I’m asking my daughter to find a case at tOSU of someone’s grant getting held up and I’ll try to relay that specific case to David Joyce’s office.
Kay
@Bupalos:
No one thinks it will “turn the tide”
Kay
@Quinerly:
Yup. US billionaires bought him. Hope they’re happy with their purchase. Everything he does from now on they endorsed.
Bupalos
@Betty Cracker: yeah. Frankly I’m all over the place. I guess I’m trying to come to terms with the reality that we are going to lose a lot over a long period of time… but that things also will change, and what we do now matters just as much as if that short-term overall trajectory was in question.
Also trying to remember that historically speaking we are still in a very privileged and prosperous position.
Kay
I have to go see how The New York Times reporters are rewriting the Trump speech to make it coherent. They actually add words he never said. Apparently creating a fictional President is fine in that industry.
frosty
@Suzanne: Thanks, I usually do something similar. My problem is that I don’t know what XXX is on this issue. “I hope she/he does XXX.” What exactly can my Representative do against this Executive Order? Saying “Oppose everything Trump does” is useless in a district that voted for him 2:1.
Except to give him a data point. Is that what I’m doing?
Quinerly
@Kay:
The speech is worth a listen. First question was about EU. Trump rambled on about his resort in Ireland. Then switched abruptly and said the head of an airline called him. Of course as he is recounting the airline story, the head is calling him “Sir.” Airline CEO wants Trump to get involved in the high cost of landing planes in EU countries. Trump mentions how much cheaper to land in China.
Bank of America CEO now asking questions.
Trump is accusing BOA of not doing business with “Conservatives.”
I am leary of posting more of this Davos embarrassment. Don’t want it to appear that I am “live blogging” this event. Might trigger some BJers who haven’t had their coffee…..I’m not in the mood for whining.
Appreciate all your comments.
schrodingers_cat
@stacib: Thanks for thinking of me. Although stopping by to comment here was not the smartest thing I have done since the morning. But this issue is close to my heart. And about which I have some knowledge.
Bupalos
@Kay: I think a lot of folks, probably most…are expecting this kind of administration of vandalism, graft, and mismanagement to ultimately sink them, via backlash. The FAFO thing. People vowing to quote the price of eggs and so forth.
Suzanne
@frosty: Yes, you’re giving them a data point. They count those up. More weight given to calls and actual letters than email, from what I’ve been told.
Specifically on this issue, you want your Congresscritter to hear that you oppose confirmation of RFK Jr. because you are deeply concerned about maintaining medical research funding for NIH and NCI. Then you can just say thank you and hang up.
Bupalos
@frosty: I’m struggling a little with that too. I guess the idea is that there is going to need to be a specific legislative fix in congress.
frosty
@Suzanne: When I called Senator Casey I never once talked to anything except voicemail.
Geminid
@Quinerly: I wonder what Oz Katerji will have to say about this appearance. Katerji’s in Davos, so I guess I’ll check him out, also Al Arabiya’s.
Quinerly
@Kay:
Trump at Davos…”we don’t need Canada’s lumber. We have our own forests.”
schrodingers_cat
@Bupalos: Default demographic is pretty self explanatory. But you do you.
frosty
@Suzanne:
Thanks!
Steve LaBonne
Thank you. My scientist sister is just despondent about this and wishing she were closer to retirement age. These fucking morons are going to destroy everything that actually makes America great.
frosty
@Quinerly: Well, we had our own forests before they caught on fire. Oh, wait, that’s Canada’s forests too.
Suzanne
@frosty: I got a person in Casey’s office once. I think it was the local office.
NotMax
@Quinerly
Quality/utility of all woods are not created equal.
“Saw, baby, saw” is unbelievably short-sighted and wasteful.
Quinerly
@Geminid:
I think we need a FP post devoted to this Davos speech.
I realize we have to pick our battles and not chase everything. However, this is a political blog. Some of us like to know and learn as much as we can.
Please keep commenting and providing info in detail.
Thanks.
******
Now he is rambling on about “the big powerful buildings knocked down in Ukraine.” Trump saying he knows buildings. That was his business. Implies that Ukraine is misrepresenting the numbers killed on its side. Zelensky is ready to deal.
schrodingers_cat
@Steve LaBonne: That’s exactly right. Added bonus it will keep immigrants who come here to study and then work, away.
Bupalos
@schrodingers_cat: you mean to say “white people.” That isn’t an entity capable of having a desire any more than “south Asian people” is an entity capable of having a desire. It’s literal nonsense.
We all have have the same level of democratic responsibility for saving our democracy whatever groups and labels we put on ourselves and others.
Steve LaBonne
@Kay: I’m reduced to hoping they get fucked good and hard along with the rest of us.
Quinerly
@NotMax:
I know a little about construction and building materials from Canada. One reason his rambling about Canadian lumber struck me.
Trump sounds like the fool that he is. I don’t think he cares that he sounds like an idiot. He knows the MAGAts drink it up. Plus, it’s all connected to threatening and shaking down Canada.
Quinerly
@frosty: I half expected him to bring up raking the forest floors.
Mike in Pasadena
@Leto: Thanks for that informative link. Wasted 10 years serving in the military and her writing helps me stay informed. Thanks again.
mvr
Thanks Betty! Your nudge got me to write to complain.
frosty
I made the call to my Rep and got a real person. Stumbled all over the place about what I was calling about and what I wanted him to do. Basically, work to overturn the Executive Order on NIH. As a well-thought out call to action? … it’s a data point. Oh well.
Bupalos
@Steve LaBonne: We’ve got folks visiting that are career USAID administrators. That happened to retire this year. They have a 1000-mile stare. I think it’s quite seriously going to require medication.
Gloria DryGarden
@David_C: balloon juice jackals. It’s a feed/ group- like thing. I don’t know if it’s in the list of feeds, I joined via mouse bumples starter pack; then I went down the names in it and followed folks I recognized.
Some great reporters and trusted sources are in the feed or the starter pack as well. What’s your name over there? I’ll follow you, maybe that will lead you to the jackals feed. (Not sure)
Ruff the dog
View from the inside: the “pause on public communications” is being interpreted in a way that makes it a stop work order on NIH. Non-political, dedicated civil servants are tying themselves in knots to understand the directives, reconcile differing interpretations, figure out how to apply overly simplistic performative executive orders to the valid and enforceable contracts supporting an unfathomably complex biomedical research environment.
there are glimmers of rationality -this is only day 1- but if the first thrust of a battle is to sow chaos on the other side, this sure has done it.
schrodingers_cat
@frosty: In other exciting art related news. I got a full set Liquitex Basic Acrylic set of 48 colors with brushes. Daniel Smith watercolor set of 6 tubes (spendy artist grade watercolors) and a set of 72 soft oil pastels.
I am going to be spending my free time developing my artistic style.
Mike in Pasadena
mvr
@Notthatproud: Actually I’d be happy to say what I can’t say. But more than that, electoral criticism is always backwards looking insofar as it is only once they’ve done a thing that the political costs become clear and easy to use. And the lying that we all expect of many pols also means that criticizing their promises is beside the point in most cases. And not taken seriously in others.
Gloria DryGarden
@Quinerly: oh, he’s always going to tell us someone else is lying. We know who tells lies the most.
meanwhile big buildings being knocked down.. I work with 4 year olds, 15 years now. Let me tell you what happens in the blocks area.
sometimes a child will be very upset that another child knocked down his tower. Other times they smash it together. They love it.
This guy, FFOTUS, might still be quite young inside, based on many observable behaviors..
so sad that the buildings he’s talking about mattered greatly to the ones living and working there. It’s mean of me to say, but maybe all us non-billionaires, even people with only 7 or 8 figures, just seem like little dolls to play with and move around like chess pieces in his cunning games.
Soprano2
@schrodingers_cat: I’m not lecturing you, I’m giving you my opinion based on what I’ve read about them. The visas can be used in good ways and in bad ways, at least that’s how it sounds to me. I have no opinion about the people who receive the visas, because I don’t know them.
Gloria DryGarden
@David_C: ok, i figured out how to find the balloon juice jackals feed. From your home (the house icon on the left column), there is a # symbol up top to the right. Click on it, it offers you feeds, tells you what feeds you already are following.
And it has a search bar. I tried to search “balloon juice jackals”
it came right up with just the word balloon. After you add the feed, it will show on your home page, and you can see and follow folks, as you choose.
Leto
@Mike in Pasadena: I think this is a dead thread, but wanted to reply to this: I really feel the same way, and it’s killing me. I think it’s why I have such an attachment to wtf is still going on in Afghanistan and Iraq. Like, it had to mean something other than just death, destruction, and trillions wasted.
I do think about the personal relationships that I formed, and the effect that I had on people in that regard. I tried to demonstrate kindness, second chances, willingness to listen, but to also shut down nonsense. I tried to provide solid, grounded leadership, protect my people where I could, raise them up when I could, and if we fucked up, it was my fault, not theirs. I don’t know how that’s going to stack up over time, but hopefully it was seeds that lead to shade later.
Betty Cracker
Thanks to all who made calls, wrote letters, tweeted at congress-critters, etc.!
Emily B.
TPM is doing a dive into Trump’s pause on medical research funding, and Josh Marshall has asked readers in academia and research institutions to send in tips. It will be interesting to see what TPM uncovers.
Betty Cracker
@Emily B.: Thanks for pointing that out — here’s a link to the article you reference. An excerpt:
Marshall notes that research teams outside of DC might have insight and clues about what’s going on before Beltway reporters get anything out of the Trumpsters. TPM receives tips at [email protected].
FelonyGovt
@schrodingers_cat: I love Daniel Smith watercolors, been using them for years.
Miss Bianca
@Kay:
Hey, they did it to Joe Biden. Equal Opportunity Fictionalizing!
Glidwrith
Being a researcher, just got off the phone with all three, Rep and Senators. All three are Democrats and I was pretty much yelling at the top of my lungs, one of the calls speaking to a flesh and blood person. He was very nice, said lots of emotion lots of medical folks calling in. Now to read the thread….
David_C
@Gloria DryGarden: Thanks. I use my real name (Cassatt) and am really easy to find.
Dca
If you have an R senator, call to say: Because of this vote No on confirming RFK Jr.