John Voelcker
@johnvoelcker.bsky.social
Raconteur. Random cultural, political, sociological, science, tech, #EV, #LGBTQ, British car stuff. "Plucky and good fun."Contributing Editor, CAR and DRIVER, Green Car Reports, others; Cofounder, Tempting Fate Tours.
Welcome to Bluesky. Don’t be a jerk.
Welcome to Bluesky. Don’t be a jerk.
"Hegseth, 45, is the least experienced Defense secretary in modern history, plucked from hosting a Fox News show to run an organization with more than 2 million employees.
"Since he was barely confirmed by the Senate, Hegseth has generated a steady stream of screwups ..."
"Since he was barely confirmed by the Senate, Hegseth has generated a steady stream of screwups ..."
A Former Defense Secretary Says Pete Hegseth Isn’t Tough Enough for the Job
Leon Panetta says investigating critics such as Mark Kelly is a sign of “weakness.”
nymag.com
November 27, 2025 at 1:47 AM
"Hegseth, 45, is the least experienced Defense secretary in modern history, plucked from hosting a Fox News show to run an organization with more than 2 million employees.
"Since he was barely confirmed by the Senate, Hegseth has generated a steady stream of screwups ..."
"Since he was barely confirmed by the Senate, Hegseth has generated a steady stream of screwups ..."
Oh, dear. Is this the contract clause about never, ever saying the quiet part out loud?
A Campbell's exec was fired after allegedly saying the company makes "highly processed food" for "poor people," @wsj.com reports.
A Campbell's exec was fired after allegedly saying the company makes "highly processed food" for "poor people," @wsj.com reports.
Campbell’s Fires Executive Behind Recording That Disparaged Its Food
The IT executive allegedly caught on audio made racist comments about Indian co-workers and said Campbell’s made “highly processed food” for “poor people.”
www.wsj.com
November 27, 2025 at 12:27 AM
Oh, dear. Is this the contract clause about never, ever saying the quiet part out loud?
A Campbell's exec was fired after allegedly saying the company makes "highly processed food" for "poor people," @wsj.com reports.
A Campbell's exec was fired after allegedly saying the company makes "highly processed food" for "poor people," @wsj.com reports.
Reposted by John Voelcker
So this happened in Oslo yesterday. Four articulated buses got stuck in a roundabout.
November 25, 2025 at 8:23 AM
So this happened in Oslo yesterday. Four articulated buses got stuck in a roundabout.
Starting tomorrow, ICE plans to raid holiday services at non-English-speaking churches in the Northeast thru Christmas.
Americans won’t like that. Judges won’t like that. Local cops won’t like that. Democrats + Independents won’t like that. Even MAGA won’t like that.
Perhaps God won’t like that.
Americans won’t like that. Judges won’t like that. Local cops won’t like that. Democrats + Independents won’t like that. Even MAGA won’t like that.
Perhaps God won’t like that.
Exclusive: Trump DHS Plans Immigration Raids on Churches Over Holidays
The Trump Dept. of Homeland Security is briefing federal agencies on plans for immigration enforcement operations inside churches over holidays.
thisweekinworcester.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Starting tomorrow, ICE plans to raid holiday services at non-English-speaking churches in the Northeast thru Christmas.
Americans won’t like that. Judges won’t like that. Local cops won’t like that. Democrats + Independents won’t like that. Even MAGA won’t like that.
Perhaps God won’t like that.
Americans won’t like that. Judges won’t like that. Local cops won’t like that. Democrats + Independents won’t like that. Even MAGA won’t like that.
Perhaps God won’t like that.
Elon Musk, the CEO of #EV maker #Tesla, has spent much of this year focused on the carmaker’s robotics pursuits + getting shareholders to approve his freshly minted "$1 trillion" pay package.
In the meantime, the outlook for Tesla's main business—selling cars—is darkening. @reuters.com has it.
In the meantime, the outlook for Tesla's main business—selling cars—is darkening. @reuters.com has it.
www.reuters.com
November 26, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Elon Musk, the CEO of #EV maker #Tesla, has spent much of this year focused on the carmaker’s robotics pursuits + getting shareholders to approve his freshly minted "$1 trillion" pay package.
In the meantime, the outlook for Tesla's main business—selling cars—is darkening. @reuters.com has it.
In the meantime, the outlook for Tesla's main business—selling cars—is darkening. @reuters.com has it.
A partnership between the @transjournalists.org + @muckrock.com filed 300 FOIAs to track anti- #trans policies.
Here's what they've gotten back. So far.
Here's what they've gotten back. So far.
TJA and MuckRock's collaboration hit 300 records requests. Here's what we got back.
Pronouns and nicknames in FDA emails, Medicare coverage changes and more.
www.muckrock.com
November 26, 2025 at 2:09 PM
A partnership between the @transjournalists.org + @muckrock.com filed 300 FOIAs to track anti- #trans policies.
Here's what they've gotten back. So far.
Here's what they've gotten back. So far.
Reposted by John Voelcker
China NEV retail at 849,000 in Nov 1-23, up 3% year-on-year
China's NEV retail penetration rate stood at 61.3 percent during November 1-23, and 53.28 percent year-to-date. cnev.co/itNtYPw 👇
China's NEV retail penetration rate stood at 61.3 percent during November 1-23, and 53.28 percent year-to-date. cnev.co/itNtYPw 👇
China NEV retail at 849,000 in Nov 1-23, up 3% year-on-year
China's NEV retail penetration rate stood at 61.3 percent during November 1-23, and 53.28 percent year-to-date.
cnev.co
November 26, 2025 at 10:19 AM
China NEV retail at 849,000 in Nov 1-23, up 3% year-on-year
China's NEV retail penetration rate stood at 61.3 percent during November 1-23, and 53.28 percent year-to-date. cnev.co/itNtYPw 👇
China's NEV retail penetration rate stood at 61.3 percent during November 1-23, and 53.28 percent year-to-date. cnev.co/itNtYPw 👇
Best hed of the week ... if long. #OpenAI
OpenAI needs to raise at least $207bn by 2030 so it can continue to lose money, HSBC estimates on.ft.com/4ij0yh8
OpenAI needs to raise at least $207bn by 2030 so it can continue to lose money, HSBC estimates
A burning platform
on.ft.com
November 25, 2025 at 11:32 PM
Best hed of the week ... if long. #OpenAI
Betting the moms who vote will LOVE this. AEB conclusively reduces or lessens frontal crashes, injuries + deaths.
However: An ON / OFF function for rear-seat alerts is a necessity. I've never once carried a child in a car, but I open the rear doors a lot. That's enough to trigger.
However: An ON / OFF function for rear-seat alerts is a necessity. I've never once carried a child in a car, but I open the rear doors a lot. That's enough to trigger.
Exclusive: Republicans plan to challenge vehicle-safety mandates, such as automatic emergency braking and alarms that remind drivers a child is in the back seat.
Senate Committee to Challenge Auto-Safety Mandates That Hurt ‘Affordability’
Republicans are questioning the value of some features, such as automatic braking and rear-seat reminders.
on.wsj.com
November 25, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Betting the moms who vote will LOVE this. AEB conclusively reduces or lessens frontal crashes, injuries + deaths.
However: An ON / OFF function for rear-seat alerts is a necessity. I've never once carried a child in a car, but I open the rear doors a lot. That's enough to trigger.
However: An ON / OFF function for rear-seat alerts is a necessity. I've never once carried a child in a car, but I open the rear doors a lot. That's enough to trigger.
"By 2025, Brexit had reduced UK GDP by 6% to 8%, with the impact accumulating gradually over time. We estimate that investment was reduced by between 12% and 18%, employment by 3% to 4% and productivity by 3% to 4%"
Read the Stanford report:
siepr.stanford.edu/publications...
Read the Stanford report:
siepr.stanford.edu/publications...
The Economic Impact of Brexit
Other
siepr.stanford.edu
November 25, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Reposted by John Voelcker
Nearly 8 in 10 Americans say politicians should avoid heated or aggressive speech.
Nearly 8 in 10 Americans say politicians should avoid heated or aggressive speech
Most Americans (78%) say elected officials should avoid using heated or aggressive language because it could encourage some people to take violent action.
www.pewresearch.org
November 25, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Nearly 8 in 10 Americans say politicians should avoid heated or aggressive speech.
The EU's top court issued a ruling on same-sex marriage. It does NOT force every EU country to perform same-sex marriages.
But it *does* require them to recognise same-sex marriages from other countries, in the same way they recognise mixed-sex marriages from other countries.
Major step forward.
But it *does* require them to recognise same-sex marriages from other countries, in the same way they recognise mixed-sex marriages from other countries.
Major step forward.
www.reuters.com
November 25, 2025 at 10:50 AM
The EU's top court issued a ruling on same-sex marriage. It does NOT force every EU country to perform same-sex marriages.
But it *does* require them to recognise same-sex marriages from other countries, in the same way they recognise mixed-sex marriages from other countries.
Major step forward.
But it *does* require them to recognise same-sex marriages from other countries, in the same way they recognise mixed-sex marriages from other countries.
Major step forward.
[spits beer across couch]
"elevate charismatic figures such as Alan Dershowitz"
-____________-
-____________-
November 25, 2025 at 4:45 AM
[spits beer across couch]
Reposted by John Voelcker
yes, hello, I would like to place an order for everyone’s funniest stories of holiday food-related family grudges / drama / chaotic incidents / lore
I feel like we need this
I feel like we need this
November 24, 2025 at 11:39 PM
yes, hello, I would like to place an order for everyone’s funniest stories of holiday food-related family grudges / drama / chaotic incidents / lore
I feel like we need this
I feel like we need this
Reposted by John Voelcker
Stained glass window made from sliced agate at the famous Grossmünster Church in Zurich.
November 24, 2025 at 8:11 AM
Stained glass window made from sliced agate at the famous Grossmünster Church in Zurich.
Reposted by John Voelcker
I cannot imagine what could possibly go wrong in trying to court-martial an astronaut and pilot decorated multiple times for valor and exceptional service, who is also a sitting senator, for correctly making the point that service members are obliged not to follow unlawful orders
Hegseth is now threatening to recall Sen. Mark Kelly to active duty in order to court martial him.
November 24, 2025 at 6:45 PM
I cannot imagine what could possibly go wrong in trying to court-martial an astronaut and pilot decorated multiple times for valor and exceptional service, who is also a sitting senator, for correctly making the point that service members are obliged not to follow unlawful orders
Reposted by John Voelcker
NEW: Senators have called for an investigation after a ProPublica story revealed that Kristi Noem-connected firm the Strategy Group was secretly hired as a subcontractor on a $220 million DHS ad campaign.
Lawmakers Call for Probe of How Firm Tied to Kristi Noem Got Piece of $220 Million DHS Ad Contracts
The demands for an investigation come after a ProPublica story revealed that the Noem-connected Strategy Group was secretly a subcontractor on the ad campaign.
www.propublica.org
November 24, 2025 at 5:38 PM
NEW: Senators have called for an investigation after a ProPublica story revealed that Kristi Noem-connected firm the Strategy Group was secretly hired as a subcontractor on a $220 million DHS ad campaign.
Hey, @washingtonpost.com: Explain to me how a video by a combat veteran (who served 25 years) that reminds service members to obey the law is ... "controversial" ??
Eagerly awaiting your answer. Thanks!
Eagerly awaiting your answer. Thanks!
Pentagon says it will investigate Sen. Mark Kelly after controversial video
The Department of Defense announced it would investigate Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Arizona) for “serious allegations of misconduct” after his participation in a viral video.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 24, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Hey, @washingtonpost.com: Explain to me how a video by a combat veteran (who served 25 years) that reminds service members to obey the law is ... "controversial" ??
Eagerly awaiting your answer. Thanks!
Eagerly awaiting your answer. Thanks!
The linked article from @garbageday.email below echoes my earlier post from @cwarzel.bsky.social. Still worth reading.
The delusions of an in-group, or a cult that has persuaded itself it is the in-group, are a powerful thing.
In the end, however, fact-based reality is more powerful.
The delusions of an in-group, or a cult that has persuaded itself it is the in-group, are a powerful thing.
In the end, however, fact-based reality is more powerful.
"It’s proof that the American right has spent better part of the last decade letting algorithmic spam tell them what they want to hear, astroturfing themselves into believing that some silent majority out there believes in their worthless MAGA crusade."
"This has all been especially painful for X users who are, as a baseline, extremely racist. And they are now suffering through the psychic torment of learning that users, predominately from the Global South, are behind some of the bigger right-wing accounts on the site."
November 24, 2025 at 7:52 PM
The linked article from @garbageday.email below echoes my earlier post from @cwarzel.bsky.social. Still worth reading.
The delusions of an in-group, or a cult that has persuaded itself it is the in-group, are a powerful thing.
In the end, however, fact-based reality is more powerful.
The delusions of an in-group, or a cult that has persuaded itself it is the in-group, are a powerful thing.
In the end, however, fact-based reality is more powerful.
Today's non- #EV Musk post. Sigh.
I wrote about the fake account blowup on X this weekend. A genuine post-truth nightmare and proof that these companies have polluted their platforms so thoroughly and traded reality for profit that they've undermined the very idea of what the internet is supposed to be.
That MAGA Account Might Be a Troll From Pakistan
How X blew up its own platform with a new location feature
www.theatlantic.com
November 24, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Today's non- #EV Musk post. Sigh.
Sow. Reap.
ALT: Leopards. Faces.
ALT: Leopards. Faces.
PUNCHBOWL: “.. GOP members messaged us over the weekend saying that they, too, are considering retiring in the middle of the term. Here’s one particularly exercised senior House Republican:
@punchbowlnews.bsky.social
@punchbowlnews.bsky.social
November 24, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Sow. Reap.
ALT: Leopards. Faces.
ALT: Leopards. Faces.
Open Source Ecology, an open collaborative of engineers, producers + builders, is developing the "Global Village Construction Set (GVCS)": 50 machines—from a tractor to an oven to a circuit maker—capable of building civilization from scratch. "Life-changing tech should be for all."
Very cool story.
Very cool story.
Meet the man building a starter kit for civilization
Marcin Jakubowski is compiling a DIY set of society’s essential machines and making it open-source.
www.technologyreview.com
November 24, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Open Source Ecology, an open collaborative of engineers, producers + builders, is developing the "Global Village Construction Set (GVCS)": 50 machines—from a tractor to an oven to a circuit maker—capable of building civilization from scratch. "Life-changing tech should be for all."
Very cool story.
Very cool story.
Enormously fun article by @sajeevmehta.bsky.social on asymmetry in car design.
As commenters noted, at length, Sajeev left out a couple of fairly well-known designs ... both American, as it turned out.
WITHOUT reading the comments, read through his piece + see if you can ID them. Go.
As commenters noted, at length, Sajeev left out a couple of fairly well-known designs ... both American, as it turned out.
WITHOUT reading the comments, read through his piece + see if you can ID them. Go.
Vellum Venom Vignette: In Praise Of Asymmetrical Car Design - Hagerty Media
Asymmetrical Car Design is something carmakers generally avoid, and for good reason. But there are times when it is actually a great idea.
www.hagerty.com
November 24, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Enormously fun article by @sajeevmehta.bsky.social on asymmetry in car design.
As commenters noted, at length, Sajeev left out a couple of fairly well-known designs ... both American, as it turned out.
WITHOUT reading the comments, read through his piece + see if you can ID them. Go.
As commenters noted, at length, Sajeev left out a couple of fairly well-known designs ... both American, as it turned out.
WITHOUT reading the comments, read through his piece + see if you can ID them. Go.
Oh.
NEW AP INVESTIGATION: With license plate readers and local law enforcement partnerships, Border Patrol is monitoring American drivers and detaining those exhibiting ‘suspicious’ travel patterns in the U.S. interior. w/
@garanceburke.bsky.social. apnews.com/article/immi...
@garanceburke.bsky.social. apnews.com/article/immi...
Border Patrol is monitoring US drivers and detaining those with 'suspicious' travel patterns
The U.S. Border Patrol is monitoring millions of American drivers nationwide in a secretive program to identify and detain people whose travel patterns it deems suspicious.
apnews.com
November 24, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Oh.
Reposted by John Voelcker
Unfortunately, I can confirm that this is true.
I have known Carl for 2 decades and he is smart, dedicated, and quite apolitical, focused on science and getting stuff done on important problems.
Huge unnecessary loss of leadership and expertise.
I have known Carl for 2 decades and he is smart, dedicated, and quite apolitical, focused on science and getting stuff done on important problems.
Huge unnecessary loss of leadership and expertise.
Hearing news that Carl Dieffenbach, the Director of the Division of AIDS at #NIH (NIAID), has been removed from his position because he was "not aligned with HHS/OMB."
Russell Vought continues to remove great scientists as part of the Project 2025 mission to politicize and destroy NIH.
🧪 1/
Russell Vought continues to remove great scientists as part of the Project 2025 mission to politicize and destroy NIH.
🧪 1/
November 24, 2025 at 5:49 AM
Unfortunately, I can confirm that this is true.
I have known Carl for 2 decades and he is smart, dedicated, and quite apolitical, focused on science and getting stuff done on important problems.
Huge unnecessary loss of leadership and expertise.
I have known Carl for 2 decades and he is smart, dedicated, and quite apolitical, focused on science and getting stuff done on important problems.
Huge unnecessary loss of leadership and expertise.