Daniel Brown
@danielarthurbrown.com
Climatologist by training. Working for the Huron River Watershed Council. Currently focused on climate resilience and addressing PFAS. Nature photographer on the side. Hike, pedal, and paddle whenever I can.
Reposted by Daniel Brown
Another classic post-Homan day where around school dismissal time we get a flurry of ICE vehicles all across our neighborhoods. Today one vehicle led an observer to their own home and pointed at it. This is a sick game to them, but we won’t be intimidated and we won’t stop until DHS is abolished.
February 9, 2026 at 11:20 PM
Another classic post-Homan day where around school dismissal time we get a flurry of ICE vehicles all across our neighborhoods. Today one vehicle led an observer to their own home and pointed at it. This is a sick game to them, but we won’t be intimidated and we won’t stop until DHS is abolished.
The era of hype-for-profit needs to end.
Anyone remotely experienced in physics, engineering, or planetary science would have predicted this, but the hype overpowers investors.
I'm pro space exploration but it's a centuries-long aspiration, and no replacement for Earth.
Anyone remotely experienced in physics, engineering, or planetary science would have predicted this, but the hype overpowers investors.
I'm pro space exploration but it's a centuries-long aspiration, and no replacement for Earth.
Elon Musk (you may recognize him from the Epstein files) has just given up on Mars.
February 9, 2026 at 7:28 PM
The era of hype-for-profit needs to end.
Anyone remotely experienced in physics, engineering, or planetary science would have predicted this, but the hype overpowers investors.
I'm pro space exploration but it's a centuries-long aspiration, and no replacement for Earth.
Anyone remotely experienced in physics, engineering, or planetary science would have predicted this, but the hype overpowers investors.
I'm pro space exploration but it's a centuries-long aspiration, and no replacement for Earth.
Occasionally I get asked about how to limit the impact of cars and roads on local ecosystems, and the simple, no-cost or cost-saving options are to narrow roads (reducing imperious surface) and reducing speed limits. There are no negative effects except that drivers are impatient.
100%
The other possibility is to limit speed to 20 mph and have speed cameras everywhere. That's how it is in London, and cycling feels much safer there than almost anywhere in the US.
The other possibility is to limit speed to 20 mph and have speed cameras everywhere. That's how it is in London, and cycling feels much safer there than almost anywhere in the US.
My least popular (and most correct) view is that cars should be automatically limited to the local speed limit. Put the pedal to the floor and you still can't go over 25mph in a residential area.
(15 in Manhattan btw)
(15 in Manhattan btw)
February 9, 2026 at 5:58 PM
Occasionally I get asked about how to limit the impact of cars and roads on local ecosystems, and the simple, no-cost or cost-saving options are to narrow roads (reducing imperious surface) and reducing speed limits. There are no negative effects except that drivers are impatient.
Cruel, worthless rejects taking their own failure out on literal puppies
TRIGGER WARNING, because here is a US Marshal from Trump‘s Gestapo Force in Memphis kicking a puppy today in the Whitehaven neighborhood and breaking its rib. They were serving a warrant and I guess BIG MAN got scared of the schnauzer.
(I didn’t take the video, the dog’s person did)
(I didn’t take the video, the dog’s person did)
February 6, 2026 at 5:32 PM
Cruel, worthless rejects taking their own failure out on literal puppies
PFAS product bans are gaining momentum.
A total of 18 states have #PFAS product restrictions ranging from bans to reporting to labeling requirements. The laws target primarily food packaging, cosmetics, cookware, and textiles, but some states (listed) have expansive laws that include all types of products.
www.hunton.com/the-nickel-r...
www.hunton.com/the-nickel-r...
What to Watch For in 2026: A New Wave of PFAS Product Restrictions and Reporting Requirements Go Into Effect, with Many More Expected in 2027 and Beyond
www.hunton.com
February 6, 2026 at 1:06 PM
PFAS product bans are gaining momentum.
Reposted by Daniel Brown
Ian McKellen performs “The Strangers’ Case” speech from “Sir Thomas More” on Colbert.
February 5, 2026 at 1:07 PM
Ian McKellen performs “The Strangers’ Case” speech from “Sir Thomas More” on Colbert.
The hype was oversold and universities bit the hook.
All these AI tools have solid uses, but they are still just tools, and many introduce more problems than they are worth.
Simply, I think students have caught on that a new and improved Clippy, with a sycophantic personality, is annoying.
All these AI tools have solid uses, but they are still just tools, and many introduce more problems than they are worth.
Simply, I think students have caught on that a new and improved Clippy, with a sycophantic personality, is annoying.
Time for university administrators to stop buying AI hype. None of my very smart and eager-to-learn students wanted anything to do with chatbots.
‘Study after study shows that students want to develop these critical thinking skills, are not lazy, and large numbers of them would be in favor of banning ChatGPT and similar tools in universities’, says @olivia.science www.ru.nl/en/research/...
February 6, 2026 at 12:51 AM
The hype was oversold and universities bit the hook.
All these AI tools have solid uses, but they are still just tools, and many introduce more problems than they are worth.
Simply, I think students have caught on that a new and improved Clippy, with a sycophantic personality, is annoying.
All these AI tools have solid uses, but they are still just tools, and many introduce more problems than they are worth.
Simply, I think students have caught on that a new and improved Clippy, with a sycophantic personality, is annoying.
"just over 19% of total river length in the entire U.S., and 11% in the contiguous U.S., is protected at a level deemed adequate to safeguard the health of river ecosystems and the values they sustain. [...] 84% of the most important watersheds for drinking water [...] are not adequately protected."
New Research Provides First Ever Comprehensive Assessment of River Protection with Major Implications for Source Water Protection - Source Water Collaborative
Groundbreaking new research published in the journal Nature Sustainability provides first ever comprehensive assessment of river protection across the U.S. with major implications for source water pro...
www.sourcewatercollaborative.org
February 5, 2026 at 8:03 PM
"just over 19% of total river length in the entire U.S., and 11% in the contiguous U.S., is protected at a level deemed adequate to safeguard the health of river ecosystems and the values they sustain. [...] 84% of the most important watersheds for drinking water [...] are not adequately protected."
Reposted by Daniel Brown
I love writing about geeky science that has real-world implications. In this case, a new NOAA index does a more solid job of classifying El Niño and La Niña—and that helps explain some recent puzzling events. @climateconnections.bsky.social
yaleclimateconnections.org/2026/02/a-ne...
yaleclimateconnections.org/2026/02/a-ne...
A new and better way to keep tabs on El Niño and La Niña » Yale Climate Connections
Developed in response to a warming world, NOAA’s revised scale more precisely identifies which episodes are likely to have the biggest impacts.
yaleclimateconnections.org
February 5, 2026 at 6:06 PM
I love writing about geeky science that has real-world implications. In this case, a new NOAA index does a more solid job of classifying El Niño and La Niña—and that helps explain some recent puzzling events. @climateconnections.bsky.social
yaleclimateconnections.org/2026/02/a-ne...
yaleclimateconnections.org/2026/02/a-ne...
This, I think, is basically what old guard, Bidencrats have completely missed.
It’s not all positive outlook and optimism. The nazis are here. There is a lot to be justifiably outraged about.
AOC gets it. Bernie gets it. Omar gets it… Frey gets it….
It’s not all positive outlook and optimism. The nazis are here. There is a lot to be justifiably outraged about.
AOC gets it. Bernie gets it. Omar gets it… Frey gets it….
“People who are frustrated and angry? They always vote,”
Democrat Taylor Rehmet says of his upset win in a Texas district that supported Trump by double digits.
Democrat Taylor Rehmet says of his upset win in a Texas district that supported Trump by double digits.
How a Labor Leader Took Down a Culture Warrior in Ruby Red Texas
Democrat Taylor Rehmet won a Texas state Senate seat against a Trump-backed culture warrior in a district the president won by double digits.
rollingstone.com
February 4, 2026 at 10:24 PM
This, I think, is basically what old guard, Bidencrats have completely missed.
It’s not all positive outlook and optimism. The nazis are here. There is a lot to be justifiably outraged about.
AOC gets it. Bernie gets it. Omar gets it… Frey gets it….
It’s not all positive outlook and optimism. The nazis are here. There is a lot to be justifiably outraged about.
AOC gets it. Bernie gets it. Omar gets it… Frey gets it….
Reposted by Daniel Brown
Not quite enough discussion about this:
February 4, 2026 at 10:09 PM
Not quite enough discussion about this:
I unsubscribed from Prime and WaPo. I encourage others to do the same—especially Prime. You really don’t need it in 2026. The competition caught up.
The legendary Marty Baron says: “Bezos’s sickening efforts to curry favor with President Trump have left … a case study in near-instant, self-inflicted brand destruction.”
How Jeff Bezos Brought Down the Washington Post
The Amazon founder bought the paper to save it. Instead, with a mass layoff, he’s forced it into severe decline.
www.newyorker.com
February 4, 2026 at 9:58 PM
I unsubscribed from Prime and WaPo. I encourage others to do the same—especially Prime. You really don’t need it in 2026. The competition caught up.
What happened to the WaPo was a tragic capitulation of the press to authoritarianism. The journalists caught up in this mess are not to blame. While I couldn't turn to WaPo in good conscience any longer, I'm looking forward to seeing what these folks do, now untethered from Bezos and Lewis.
So many incredible journalists got laid off today. Heroes, mentors, friends. Just an absolutely devastating day. Starting a thread here with some of their incredible work, and how to follow and support them.
February 4, 2026 at 7:02 PM
What happened to the WaPo was a tragic capitulation of the press to authoritarianism. The journalists caught up in this mess are not to blame. While I couldn't turn to WaPo in good conscience any longer, I'm looking forward to seeing what these folks do, now untethered from Bezos and Lewis.
Reposted by Daniel Brown
happening this morning in Minneapolis -- ICE agents drawing guns on observers. I reiterate again that it is only a matter of time before DHS kills more innocent people in Minnesota. Congress needs to shut this shit down right now.
February 3, 2026 at 4:19 PM
happening this morning in Minneapolis -- ICE agents drawing guns on observers. I reiterate again that it is only a matter of time before DHS kills more innocent people in Minnesota. Congress needs to shut this shit down right now.
Reposted by Daniel Brown
The GOP is outraged that Jack Smith, with judicial search warrants, accessed the phone records of half a dozen GOP Senators who Trump and his people called on or around J6.
Meanwhile, DHS is doing the same thing to thousands, or 10s of thousands, of people right now, without a real warrant.
Meanwhile, DHS is doing the same thing to thousands, or 10s of thousands, of people right now, without a real warrant.
New territory. Must read story from a colleague. www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...
Homeland Security is targeting Americans with this secretive legal weapon
Under Trump, the Department of Homeland Security has weaponized administrative subpoenas to attack free speech, according to privacy and civil rights groups.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 3, 2026 at 5:33 PM
The GOP is outraged that Jack Smith, with judicial search warrants, accessed the phone records of half a dozen GOP Senators who Trump and his people called on or around J6.
Meanwhile, DHS is doing the same thing to thousands, or 10s of thousands, of people right now, without a real warrant.
Meanwhile, DHS is doing the same thing to thousands, or 10s of thousands, of people right now, without a real warrant.
Reposted by Daniel Brown
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) renewed a hazardous waste operating license for Wayne Disposal Inc. (WDI). I am disappointed the state didn’t take into account our community’s serious concerns and broad opposition to the facility’s expansion.
February 2, 2026 at 11:02 PM
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) renewed a hazardous waste operating license for Wayne Disposal Inc. (WDI). I am disappointed the state didn’t take into account our community’s serious concerns and broad opposition to the facility’s expansion.
If this is a prank it is both funny and well-executed.
February 1, 2026 at 12:54 AM
If this is a prank it is both funny and well-executed.
Reposted by Daniel Brown
"MPR News has learned that the police chief in the small southern Minnesota city of St. Peter intervened Thursday afternoon to prevent federal immigration agents from arresting a local resident" who had been observing federal agents. www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
St. Peter police chief intervenes, prevents federal agents from arresting resident
The police chief of St. Peter intervened to prevent federal agents from taking a local resident who was observing ICE enforcement actions into custody. It is believed to the first time local police in...
www.mprnews.org
January 31, 2026 at 2:48 PM
"MPR News has learned that the police chief in the small southern Minnesota city of St. Peter intervened Thursday afternoon to prevent federal immigration agents from arresting a local resident" who had been observing federal agents. www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
Reposted by Daniel Brown
The link to this file is back up so you can read it yourself. Warning: The actions described of this monster are beyond disgusting. www.justice.gov/epstein/file...
January 30, 2026 at 7:42 PM
The link to this file is back up so you can read it yourself. Warning: The actions described of this monster are beyond disgusting. www.justice.gov/epstein/file...
She brought so much joy to our home through her performances. My son had Home Alone on repeat this holiday season. We watched Schitt's Creek on a loop several times over, and we commonly quote her iconic delivery of lines.
"You just fold in the cheese."
"Sorry, I'm not an alchemist, John."
"You just fold in the cheese."
"Sorry, I'm not an alchemist, John."
Catherine O’Hara, a Comedy Great from ‘SCTV’ to ‘Schitt’s Creek,’ Dead at 71
The celebrated actress was also known for her appearances in the Home Alone movies and many collaborations with Christopher Guest.
Access the free article here: www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv...
The celebrated actress was also known for her appearances in the Home Alone movies and many collaborations with Christopher Guest.
Access the free article here: www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv...
January 30, 2026 at 6:53 PM
She brought so much joy to our home through her performances. My son had Home Alone on repeat this holiday season. We watched Schitt's Creek on a loop several times over, and we commonly quote her iconic delivery of lines.
"You just fold in the cheese."
"Sorry, I'm not an alchemist, John."
"You just fold in the cheese."
"Sorry, I'm not an alchemist, John."
Raiding election facilities and arresting journalists for reporting the news is authoritarianism.
Former CNN anchor Don Lemon has been arrested, a Justice Department official said. Lemon livestreamed a demonstration that interrupted a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota, earlier this month that protested Trump's immigration crackdown in the area reut.rs/4q3X1FL
Former CNN anchor Don Lemon arrested after church protest in Minnesota
Former CNN anchor Don Lemon has been arrested for his involvement in a protest at a church, his lawyer and a Justice Department official familiar with the situation said on Friday.
reut.rs
January 30, 2026 at 2:11 PM
Raiding election facilities and arresting journalists for reporting the news is authoritarianism.
It takes more effort for journalists to avoid talking about climate change in an article on southwest water scarcity than if they just tell it straight.
They have to intentionally NOT talk about it.
They have to intentionally NOT talk about it.
Amazing this piece doesn’t highlight the primary cause of the dwindling river flows - climate change caused mainly by the burning of fossil fuels. www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
Fate of Colorado River hangs in balance as political battle brews
The fight over the dwindling Colorado River has long been nonpartisan. Now an unprecedented meeting of governors over the issue raises the political stakes.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 30, 2026 at 1:13 PM
It takes more effort for journalists to avoid talking about climate change in an article on southwest water scarcity than if they just tell it straight.
They have to intentionally NOT talk about it.
They have to intentionally NOT talk about it.
Reposted by Daniel Brown
A Minnesota woman observing ICE agents in her car was cornered on one-way streets. An agent approached, called her by name—citing facial recognition. Days later, her Global Entry and TSA privileges were revoked, with no explanation.
How ICE Already Knows Who Minneapolis Protesters Are
www.nytimes.com
January 30, 2026 at 11:55 AM
A Minnesota woman observing ICE agents in her car was cornered on one-way streets. An agent approached, called her by name—citing facial recognition. Days later, her Global Entry and TSA privileges were revoked, with no explanation.