katebegins2rock.bsky.social - Profile | ThreadSky | a Reddit-style client for Bluesky

An exchange from today's floor debate: Asked whether he would be surprised to hear that most (~82%) of trans Americans have experienced harassment/discrimination at work, the lawmaker who sponsored the bill said -- “I don’t know. I’ve never thought about it.”

submitted 11 hours ago • 17 comments

I don’t actually know the rules of the SOTU response, but if I were in charge, I’d play around with the format a bit. Bring in people harmed by Trump since he took office—Medicaid recipients worried about losing their health care, veterans who have been laid off. Make it about them, not us.

submitted 10 hours ago • 20 comments

Why haven't we seen more backlash against the GOP's proposed cuts to Medicaid? One reason is that people may not know they're on Medicaid, because Medicaid has different names in different states (see 🧵). Another is that some people may not realize that they (or their kids) could qualify.

submitted 13 hours ago • 30 comments

I have written a short statement responding to mass firings today of #NOAA / National Weather Service (#NWS) staff (which were concentrated among recent hires as well as highly experienced staff who had recently been promoted). Please see below screenshot & below for full text.

submitted 10 hours ago • 58 comments

Air traffic controllers are required by law to retire at 56. It is a high-stress, high-intensity job that requires intense focus. The retirement rules are there to keep us all safe. This fucking guy has no clue what's he's doing.

submitted 17 hours ago • 434 comments

The National Weather Service is THE ONLY source of weather data in the US. Every weather app, local broadcaster, and weather forecast map is based on NWS data from NOAA. This is a ridiculously stupid own goal for the US that will disrupt all kinds of social and economic activity, and endanger lives.

submitted 10 hours ago • 38 comments

this degenerate clown's micro-bros have spent the last month sending emails to the PRESENT air traffic controllers begging, pestering, and trying to threaten them into resigning their jobs. and now this ...

submitted 12 hours ago • 235 comments

All probationary federal employees at NOAA’s EMC that’s responsible for keeping all US weather model systems running have been fired with 1 hours notice. And that includes me and colleagues. We will not go quietly because we care about the NOAA mission to protect the public.

submitted 12 hours ago • 787 comments

$7.9 million an hour 👀

submitted 1 day ago • 43 comments

POTUS went out if his way to free two human traffickers, and flew them home on a private jet. This is a giant middle finger to every single woman on the planet.

submitted 16 hours ago • 112 comments

"Contracts to calibrate radiation detection equipment, to support cancer care and veterans cemetery management, among others were also targeted..." Just restating that for a sec here: -- calibrating radiation detection equipment -- cancer care -- veterans cemetaries www.politico.com/news/2025/02...

submitted 14 hours ago • 145 comments

Some people were pretty incredulous when we published this before the election www.theatlantic.com/science/arch...

submitted 10 hours ago • 14 comments

They just repealed the equal protection of trans people to housing and credit. It was never about sports. It was never about kids.

submitted 9 hours ago • 0 comments

This is one of the many reasons we need universal healthcare (and universal social safety net programs more generally). When access to support is means-tested, that support becomes stigmatized. And that stigma reinforces the idea that only some people are deserving of dignity.

submitted 9 hours ago • 8 comments

Bears repeating that social security is incredibly INCREDIBLY efficient to run. Its overhead costs are basically zero when you consider the size of the undertaking and the genuine benefits delivered. If anyone was interested in improving govt efficiency, the SSA would be their model not their target

submitted 10 hours ago • 72 comments

People always say: "if libraries didn't already exist, you could never create them today." Well, lots of the stuff MAGA nihilists are destroying right now is like that. We're not just going to put it all back in place when this if over. It's going to take generations to repair this shit.

submitted 12 hours ago • 47 comments

Welcome to America where the most devout evangelical Christians all ignore the teachings of Jesus Christ.

submitted 9 hours ago • 6 comments

a side issue that struck me while reporting on Indiana banning student IDs for voting: how freaking strict Indiana is in tossing ballots when you make an error! at the sole polling place on campus at IU Bloomington, 300 people cast provisional ballots in November... & every single one was rejected!

submitted 10 hours ago • 29 comments

The U.S. has two tsunami warning centers, both operated by NOAA. Employees were terminated from these centers today. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center covers Hawaiʻi, and now it is less safe to be near the beach. www.tsunami.gov

submitted 10 hours ago • 115 comments

Why do I feel like the Trump message to people who have been contributing to Social Security for 50 years is going to be, “Too bad.” But the message to dudes who went big on crypto in the last year will be, “The government is going to help you out.”

submitted 9 hours ago • 41 comments

Once again, Elon is reinventing the thing he first moved to destroy, and doing so in a dumber, less efficient way. We see this over and over and over again.

submitted 17 hours ago • 39 comments

BREAKING The SEC has just halted its fraud prosecution of Justin Sun, a Chinese national who has put more than $50 million in Trump's pocket since November through the purchase of crypto tokens from a Trump-backed company, World Liberty Financial.

submitted 9 hours ago • 349 comments

guess Jeff Bezos got tired of being overshadowed by Musk and Zuck and needed to remind us all that he is also an evil piece of shit whose very existence is a stain on humanity

submitted 1 day ago • 9 comments

Complete batshit lunacy on the president's Truth Social account. Yes, he really posted this.

submitted 2 days ago • 9570 comments

Gutting research funding on the pretense of rooting out "wokeness" and DEI is gonna cost us. Expect serious economic ripple effects in blue and red states—and in private industry, and crippling of US science leadership and career opportunities. Already some schools have put grad programs on hold.

submitted 1 day ago • 6 comments

Won’t it be funny if we find a cure for cancer just before we implode civilisation?

submitted 1 day ago • 6 comments

As federal research grants continue to be frozen, and NIH staff is being gutted, please note this study was funded by federal research grants, including from NIH. If they continue with staff cuts, and continue to freeze new awards, this is just one example of what we lose.

submitted 1 day ago • 22 comments

I logged onto LinkedIn today expecting to see my feed filled with outrage from the lawyer connections I have – most of whom are former federal government attorneys who now work outside the federal government in private practice or in the private sector. Per a Tuesday Executive Order, /1

submitted 1 day ago • 81 comments

"We need Christian men leading the fight against abortion, not feminist women.” 😵‍💫 Don't miss this @kieraevebutler.bsky.social dispatch on the splintering of the anti-abortion movement www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

submitted 2 days ago • 7 comments

Remember when Elon Musk said Jeff Bezos’ ex-wife MacKenzie Scott was destroying Western civilization by giving billions to charities for women, minorities, and marginalized groups? After learning about his comment, she doubled her donations. Perfect response.

submitted 1 day ago • 33 comments

Save this one for the history books. It's beyond parody.

submitted 1 day ago • 54 comments

More on Bezos from @davidfolkenflik.bsky.social My take: It's easy to say this but there is no way today's announcement does not have a chilling effect on the newsroom. Bezos has made clear that the Washington Post exists to promote his political ideology.

submitted 1 day ago • 71 comments

Just heard from a friend who is a true hero veteran. His company was destroyed in 30 days by the VA when they canceled 5 contracts without notice. 23 Americans mostly veterans out of work and a veteran owned small business destroyed. For nothing. They're dismantling the VA not "reforming" it.

submitted 1 day ago • 1257 comments

America's Failson Era

submitted 1 day ago • 5 comments

I told you all @jeffbezos was feral. He’s now killed the Graham/Bradlee legacy of justice, the First Amendment and basic humanity in a vomitous spew of nonsense, testosterone fueled (and HGH) double talk that is more than a little pathetic and utterly shameless.

submitted 1 day ago • 747 comments

“It doesn’t feel like a job that should be legal,” Riley Holzworth, an Amazon delivery driver, told @nataschaelena.bsky.social in December. “I’ve had many different jobs in this industry, and this one by far feels like my employer is really getting away with a lot.” labornotes.org/2024/12/amaz...

submitted 1 day ago • 0 comments

Lauren Boebert thinks the fires in Los Angeles might still be burning if it weren't for Donald Trump "opening up the spigot." The water he released doesn't even flow to LA. Gropert is embarrassing.

submitted 1 day ago • 96 comments

How long before bezos starts spiking articles like this one www.washingtonpost.com/technology/i...

submitted 1 day ago • 49 comments

Brain Worm Fuck RFK JR today on the Measles Outbreaks In Texas: "It is not unusual. There are measles outbreaks every year." Fact: No there fucking is not. It is actually very unusual. And this is the first Measles death in the US in 10 years. Stupid anti-vaxxer motherfucker

submitted 1 day ago • 80 comments

Intentionally crashing the economy seems ridiculous unless some billionaire South Africans and Vladimir Putin are positioned to benefit from it.

submitted 1 day ago • 12 comments

If Trump ever completes his mythical southern border wall, it will function just as effectively to keep Americans in as to keep immigrants out. Fascist police states cannot survive long without walls.

submitted 1 day ago • 2 comments

Post Opinions | This country was built on free markets. That's why, for America's sake, the government should only get its web hosting from a vendor that offers free 2-day shipping, access to the Prime Video library, and special members' only discounts at Whole Foods Markets.

submitted 1 day ago • 18 comments

By all means don’t listen to the voters

submitted 1 day ago • 890 comments

SSA employee to me re: 50% staff reduction: "Can say unequivocally that such deep cuts to SSA, which is already at historically low staffing, will cause significant to extreme degradation of services, very likely including checks missed and individuals dying before their claims can be processed."

submitted 1 day ago • 122 comments

Let me translate two things this libertarian light nincompoop is saying: Personal liberties means doing whatever the fuck I want. Free markets means doing whatever the fuck I want. He’s an adult toddler.

submitted 1 day ago • 1781 comments

NEW: Veterans’ personal and health care data is at risk after DOGE fired the security expert who oversaw them. The engineer told us DOGE has access to veterans’ health records, and the VA’s site is vulnerable. “The danger here is they’re going to use that data to harm people.”

submitted 1 day ago • 10 comments

Within the span of 90 minutes on Tuesday morning, two airplanes, at Washington’s Ronald Reagan National Airport and at Chicago’s Midway International Airport, were forced to abort landings to avoid collisions, federal aviation officials said.

submitted 2 days ago • 348 comments

There's really not a single rational explanation for what DOGE is doing to USAID than that fully recruited Russian (or Hungarian or Chinese) agents are deliberately destroying all goodwill US has around the world.

submitted 1 day ago • 63 comments