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sensynthesis.bsky.social
Sense & Synthesis
@sensynthesis.bsky.social
2K followers 5.7K following 920 posts
Liberal Texan. Appalled American. Pro-democracy mom, strategist, nerd, advocate, accidental science communicator. No Kings. Good must prevail. 🇺🇦 🇺🇸 Public health is a group project. We’re all vulnerable to disability. Ish shouldn’t be this hard.
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sensynthesis.bsky.social
Sense & Synthesis @sensynthesis.bsky.social · Aug 18
What he says.
amandasmith.bsky.social
Rick Caruso’s Private Fire Crew @amandasmith.bsky.social · Aug 17
It’s just wild to me that there has never been an easier time in history to be human and a few groups of lunatics are determined to undo that.
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fiona-webster22.bsky.social
🎃 Fiona "Fi" Webster 🎃 @fiona-webster22.bsky.social · 16h
Recurring🧵of cartoons: when you get to the end, click on Read 1 more reply.

If you save a cartoon, keep caption w/ artist's name & handle.

Previous 🧵s under Feeds tab of my profile.

WEFAIL @wefail.bsky.social
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thetnholler.bsky.social
The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 1d
🧑‍🌾 HAYES: “Trump is bailing out Argentina as they take sales directly away from 🇺🇸farmers… a set of circumstances almost beyond parody for the so-called ‘America first’ president.” @rustygrills @GovBillLee @MarshaBlackburn @RepChrisTodd @RepFaison @RepTimBurchett @AndyOgles
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governor.ca.gov
Governor Gavin Newsom @governor.ca.gov · 4h
Why is the Vice President of the United States so insistent on defending this inexcusable, vile behavior?
thebulwark.com
The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 11h
Vance on public outrage over the "I love Hitler" group chat: "Grow up! Focus on the real issues. Don't focus on what kids say in group chats... The reality is that kids do stupid things, especially young boys — they tell edgy, offensive jokes. That's what kids do."
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propublica.org
ProPublica @propublica.org · 3h
One disabled Marine veteran has not had a primary care doctor assigned to him since his previous doctor left in the winter, his wife said. The VA “was never like this before. There’s a lack of staff, empty rooms, locked doors.”

(Published August)
Veterans’ Care at Risk Under Trump as Hundreds of Doctors and Nurses Reject Working at VA Hospitals
Amid concerns about the stability of the agency, records show nearly 40% of the doctors offered jobs at the VA from January through March of this year turned them down — quadruple the rate of rejectio...
www.propublica.org
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rmfifthcircuit.bsky.social
Raffi Melkonian @rmfifthcircuit.bsky.social · 2h
My super modern regulatory plan is that any entity named for a thing from Tolkien has to publicly explain why Tolkien wouldn’t immediately throw it into Mount Doom
tonytassell.bsky.social
Tony Tassell @tonytassell.bsky.social · 14h
Tolkein continues to resonate. The new bank being set up by Palmer Luckey and backed by Peter Thiel is named Erebor after the “lonely mountain” in The Hobbit. This was also an interesting line in this rpt on the new bank by @tabbykinder.bsky.social www.ft.com/content/202d...
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mariefollayttar.bsky.social
Marie Follayttar @mariefollayttar.bsky.social · 2h
This is about 20% of a hospital’s operating budget.
pamherd.bsky.social
Pam Herd @pamherd.bsky.social · 6h
Medicare has stopped paying physicians due to the shut down. Standing right on the third rail www.statnews.com/2025/10/15/c...
Medicare payments to doctors paused as government shutdown drags on
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is pausing Medicare payments to doctors, as negotiations tied to the government shutdown drag on.
www.statnews.com
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psychopete.bsky.social
Psycho Pete @psychopete.bsky.social · 3h
Just updated this to reflect some of the great suggestions coming in about avoiding conflict with agitators (turn your back), and whether to bring your phone and what to do with settings if you do ...
open.substack.com/pub/psychope...
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lincolnproject.us
The Lincoln Project @lincolnproject.us · 10h
No money for healthcare, no money for veterans, no money for farmers. But good news: Trump just doubled Argentina’s bailout to $40 billion.
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andrewjweinstein.com
Andrew Weinstein @andrewjweinstein.com · 10h
Donald Trump pardoned the “Camp Auschwitz” guy, dined with Holocaust deniers, and said, “any Jewish person that votes for Democrats hates their religion.” The Young Republicans chat isn’t a coincidence. It’s a culture.
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zacheverson.com
Zach Everson @zacheverson.com · 4h
The Central Park Five—whom Trump wanted executed for a crime they did not commit—were 14 to 16 years old.
juliannemcshane.bsky.social
Julianne McShane @juliannemcshane.bsky.social · 7h
NEW @motherjones.com: Nobody in that GOP group chat praising Hitler or making racist comments was a “kid,” as JD Vance claimed today

I tracked down their ages. (Weirdly, it seems nobody else did.)

Eight of the 11 in the group chat range from 24 to 35. Ages of others are unclear.

But… no “kids”!
No one in the GOP Hitler chat was a "kid"
We checked. Sorry, JD Vance.
www.motherjones.com
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jen.sheshed.rocks
Jen🇺🇸🏴‍☠️ @jen.sheshed.rocks · 14h
Gotta love a serenade and a bit of shade 🤭🤣

Enjoy 🤣
#SheShed
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ianlmorgan.bsky.social
Ian L Morgan @ianlmorgan.bsky.social · 4h
This is just another way that this administration is failing early career researchers. The hiring freeze needs to end if the United States wants to stay a leader in biomedical research.
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margaretmanto.bsky.social
Margaret Manto @margaretmanto.bsky.social · 1d
SCOOP: Mental health workers supporting CDC employees after the August shooting at the agency's headquarters were among those laid off last week.

Read the story here:

www.notus.org/health-scien...
‘A Kick in the Mouth’: Trump Administration Makes Staffing Cuts to CDC’s Safety Office Months After Shooting
The cuts were made to an office whose role includes providing mental health support for employees affected by the August shooting at CDC headquarters.
www.notus.org
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sensynthesis.bsky.social
Sense & Synthesis @sensynthesis.bsky.social · 4h
Carrying these weights takes a toll. www.closertotheedge.net/p/the-man-be...
THE MAN BEHIND THE STATUS KUO
If democracy had a therapist, his name might be Jay Kuo. The Broadway composer, lawyer, and activist behind The Status Kuo Substack has spent the last few years translating chaos into clarity — turnin...
www.closertotheedge.net
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hollyanderson.bsky.social
Holly Anderson 🍇 @hollyanderson.bsky.social · 14h
you fucked around and now the Episcopalians are doing memes. are you happy now. are you
Screenshot of a Facebook post featuring three of the Portland protesters wearing inflatable frog costumes with the following text: Episcopalians on Facebook Elizabeth Rose Elrod • 22h • Exodus 8:2-6 "But if you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs... The frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your officials."
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seancasten.bsky.social
Sean Casten @seancasten.bsky.social · 1d
This is disgusting. And I can GUARANTEE you that lots of dumps are going to come out about lots of Republican electeds who are way too close to the people in these texts. www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
‘I love Hitler’: Leaked messages expose Young Republicans’ racist chat
Thousands of private messages reveal young GOP leaders joking about gas chambers, slavery and rape.
www.politico.com
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michaelby.bsky.social
Michael Byron #Fella @michaelby.bsky.social · 1d
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Provision of public goods cannot be privatized by profit seeking entities without loss of function. Not for profit is OK, for profit is not.
Private equity takeover of hospitals led to rise in Medicare emergency patient deaths, says study
Study found seven more deaths per 10,000 patients in private equity hospitals’ versus non-private equity hospitals
www.theguardian.com
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edwardarowe1.bsky.social
Edward A. Rowe @edwardarowe1.bsky.social · 1d
www.wired.com/story/cdc-te...
A Quarter of the CDC Is Gone
Another round of terminations, combined with previous layoffs and departures, has reduced the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention workforce by about 3,000 people since January.
www.wired.com
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jamellebouie.net
jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 1d
the broad public does not like chaos and disorder and everything you can do to emphasize that it is the federal government that is responsible for chaos and disorder is a point in your favor. it’s classic nonviolent confrontation!
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thebulwark.com
The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 1d
"Trump is perversely helped by the fact that you can’t tell whether you should attribute a specific Trump claim to his melting brain or his melted soul."

Today's Morning Shots from @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social and @eggerdc.bsky.social: www.thebulwark.com/p/is-he-lyin...
Is He Lying Or Crazy? Does It Matter?
Living in the world the president dreams up.
www.thebulwark.com
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thebulwark.com
The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 1d
The Army exists to defend the Republic; the press exists to inform it. Together, they protect the same ideal—self-government built on public trust. Hegseth's Pentagon press restrictions would hurt the Army, the press, and us.

New from @markhertling.bsky.social: www.thebulwark.com/p/locking-do...
Locking Down the Pentagon Press Is Dangerous
Pete Hegseth’s proposed restrictions would harm the people whom both the military and the press are meant to serve.
www.thebulwark.com
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steadystatevets.bsky.social
The Steady State @steadystatevets.bsky.social · 2d
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rbreich.bsky.social
Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 2d
Billionaire tax cuts are a policy choice.

Cutting healthcare for millions is a policy choice.

Cutting food assistance for children is a policy choice.

Taking from the poor and giving to the rich is a policy choice.

Make no mistake: Trump and the GOP just chose to do this.
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zohrankmamdani.bsky.social
Zohran Kwame Mamdani @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social · 2d
"We have an economy where a handful of modern-day robber barons wield extraordinary power. They hold enormous control over our paychecks, our bills, our time, and our futures.

...But the good news is that nothing about any of this is inevitable." - Lina Khan
Lina Khan on stage at the podium
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sensynthesis.bsky.social
Sense & Synthesis @sensynthesis.bsky.social · 2d
This seems more plausible than the theory of malicious compliance by Time staff. Disappointing.

A girl can dream…
rebeccasolnit.bsky.social
Rebecca Solnit @rebeccasolnit.bsky.social · 2d
Marc Benioff, who used to lean kind of liberal, has decided it's more convenient to be right-wing, and he owns Time. (I heard an interesting podcast conversation about how MAGA despises Silicon Valley oligarchs because they have no real commitments except maximal profit.)
paleofuture.bsky.social
Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 2d
Just in case the dramatically low Leni Riefenstahl-style angle was too subtle, they used a word from her most famous movie