Kevin J. Kircher
@kevinjkircher.com
Engineering prof (mechanical + electrical) at a big Midwest state school. Energy, climate, buildings, power grid, control, optimization, data science. He/him. Personal account. https://kevinjkircher.com/ Email: my last name at purdue dot edu
Pinned
Kevin J. Kircher
@kevinjkircher.com
· Nov 4
New paper! Heat-pump water heaters could cut energy costs and pollution, but installs often require 💰 electrical work to accommodate backup resistance heat. My student Levi Premer developed prediction and control software to eliminate the need for backup heat and ⬆️ efficiency and flexibility. 🧵1/
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
After my colleagues voted to give DHS more funding, DHS agents shot and killed another person in Minneapolis.
DHS is the single greatest threat to our communities. We must defund it and hold the fascist perpetrating violence accountable. 1/2
DHS is the single greatest threat to our communities. We must defund it and hold the fascist perpetrating violence accountable. 1/2
Live updates: Federal officers shot and killed a 51-year-old man in Minneapolis amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
Live updates: Federal officers shot and killed a man in Minneapolis
Federal officers shot and killed a 51-year-old man in Minneapolis amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, according to a hospital record obtained by The AP.
bit.ly
January 24, 2026 at 6:02 PM
After my colleagues voted to give DHS more funding, DHS agents shot and killed another person in Minneapolis.
DHS is the single greatest threat to our communities. We must defund it and hold the fascist perpetrating violence accountable. 1/2
DHS is the single greatest threat to our communities. We must defund it and hold the fascist perpetrating violence accountable. 1/2
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
Once again, immigration is not even a problem. Immigrants are not more criminal, they don't cost jobs, they don't harm the economy. There is no reason for any of this. It is hurting ourselves to hurt them.
January 24, 2026 at 4:08 PM
Once again, immigration is not even a problem. Immigrants are not more criminal, they don't cost jobs, they don't harm the economy. There is no reason for any of this. It is hurting ourselves to hurt them.
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
ICE is now responsible for 66% of the homicides in Minneapolis this year.
January 24, 2026 at 4:51 PM
ICE is now responsible for 66% of the homicides in Minneapolis this year.
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
Two days ago, 7 democrats voted to fund that execution
January 24, 2026 at 4:18 PM
Two days ago, 7 democrats voted to fund that execution
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
AND completely defund ICE! Since the federal budget is not yet passed, Democrats still have some power to resist and stop this!
There has been yet another horrific deadly shooting by immigration officials in Minneapolis. President Trump continues to create a climate of fear, confrontation and violence.
January 24, 2026 at 5:51 PM
AND completely defund ICE! Since the federal budget is not yet passed, Democrats still have some power to resist and stop this!
What do you call it when the federal government sends masked armed men to a city against local and state officials' will, and despite mass popular protest, then the men shoot and kill multiple civilians without cause.
Breaking: Video shows another shooting by federal agents in Minneapolis
Breaking: Video shows another shooting by federal agents in Minneapolis
Agents shot the man several times after wrestling him to the ground.
www.motherjones.com
January 24, 2026 at 5:51 PM
What do you call it when the federal government sends masked armed men to a city against local and state officials' will, and despite mass popular protest, then the men shoot and kill multiple civilians without cause.
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
Again.
January 24, 2026 at 4:56 PM
Again.
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
I am doing my best to respond to this without a string of expletives. But let's be very clear. What just happened in Minnesota was cold blooded murder of a civilian by out of control federal agents, aided and abetted by the entire Trump administration and their fascist enablers.
January 24, 2026 at 5:02 PM
I am doing my best to respond to this without a string of expletives. But let's be very clear. What just happened in Minnesota was cold blooded murder of a civilian by out of control federal agents, aided and abetted by the entire Trump administration and their fascist enablers.
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
"abolish ICE and prosecute everyone involved" is the moderate position
January 24, 2026 at 4:15 PM
"abolish ICE and prosecute everyone involved" is the moderate position
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
Breaking: Video shows another shooting by federal agents in Minneapolis
Breaking: Video shows another shooting by federal agents in Minneapolis
Agents shot the man several times after wrestling him to the ground.
www.motherjones.com
January 24, 2026 at 4:28 PM
Breaking: Video shows another shooting by federal agents in Minneapolis
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
I have become quite accustomed to the nice, even heat of the heat pump. On these super cold days where the furnace kicks on, I'm finding the hot blasts near the vents quite uncomfortable, like being in an overheated car.
January 24, 2026 at 1:45 PM
I have become quite accustomed to the nice, even heat of the heat pump. On these super cold days where the furnace kicks on, I'm finding the hot blasts near the vents quite uncomfortable, like being in an overheated car.
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
Rep. @aoc.bsky.social : “ICE is attacking 🇺🇸 citizens, kidnapping 5-year-olds and using them as bait to open doors, and violating constitutional rights by busting into their doors… They deserve to be defunded."
(H/T @meidastouch.com )
(H/T @meidastouch.com )
January 24, 2026 at 3:10 AM
Rep. @aoc.bsky.social : “ICE is attacking 🇺🇸 citizens, kidnapping 5-year-olds and using them as bait to open doors, and violating constitutional rights by busting into their doors… They deserve to be defunded."
(H/T @meidastouch.com )
(H/T @meidastouch.com )
Language models significantly lower barriers to "flooding the zone with shit," as Steve Bannon put it. Faster automation of social media disinformation bots, less accountability for the people behind the bots. Elections are going to get wild.
AI is supercharging information warfare. Influence operations are being automated. A single setup can generate content, schedule posts, reply at scale, and run engagement loops. When this is self-hosted, it does not rely on a platform vendor and it is harder to detect, take down or attribute. (1/5)
January 24, 2026 at 11:14 AM
Language models significantly lower barriers to "flooding the zone with shit," as Steve Bannon put it. Faster automation of social media disinformation bots, less accountability for the people behind the bots. Elections are going to get wild.
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
NEW: India is avoiding the fossil fuel detour 🪝
Where China built first on coal and gas, India is taking a shortcut >>> read in 5 graphics🧵
Where China built first on coal and gas, India is taking a shortcut >>> read in 5 graphics🧵
January 23, 2026 at 10:51 AM
NEW: India is avoiding the fossil fuel detour 🪝
Where China built first on coal and gas, India is taking a shortcut >>> read in 5 graphics🧵
Where China built first on coal and gas, India is taking a shortcut >>> read in 5 graphics🧵
It's always funny when a research paper mode-switches from linear storytelling to sounding like a Wikipedia article: "Other papers say X, but here X doesn't apply, except sometimes it does, but the effect is small, probably, but future work should investigate it." Reviewer #2 strikes again!
January 24, 2026 at 10:50 AM
It's always funny when a research paper mode-switches from linear storytelling to sounding like a Wikipedia article: "Other papers say X, but here X doesn't apply, except sometimes it does, but the effect is small, probably, but future work should investigate it." Reviewer #2 strikes again!
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
in case you're curious about how angry Minnesota is about ICE, it was -20 today
January 24, 2026 at 12:38 AM
in case you're curious about how angry Minnesota is about ICE, it was -20 today
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
As impressive as the images coming out of Minneapolis today are, a friend there just told me they don't do it justice - "the whole city was at a full standstill."
in case you're curious about how angry Minnesota is about ICE, it was -20 today
January 24, 2026 at 12:52 AM
As impressive as the images coming out of Minneapolis today are, a friend there just told me they don't do it justice - "the whole city was at a full standstill."
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
It’s cool walking past 2 Hanson Place, the Williamsburg bank building, having just read yesterday how it’s saving money and cutting pollution to comply with Local Law 97, which NYCC and yours truly have had a bit to do with 😀
January 24, 2026 at 12:07 AM
It’s cool walking past 2 Hanson Place, the Williamsburg bank building, having just read yesterday how it’s saving money and cutting pollution to comply with Local Law 97, which NYCC and yours truly have had a bit to do with 😀
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
Between talk of outsourcing development of a GHG reporting program to the American Petroleum Institute and adding a steel industry rep to the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, this EPA has become a joke of an environmental regulator:
www.eenews.net/articles/pus...
www.eenews.net/articles/pus...
Push to seat industry rep on EPA panel ‘very uncommon’
If approved by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, the steel industry official would have a role in high-stakes reviews of air quality standards.
www.eenews.net
January 23, 2026 at 5:34 PM
Between talk of outsourcing development of a GHG reporting program to the American Petroleum Institute and adding a steel industry rep to the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, this EPA has become a joke of an environmental regulator:
www.eenews.net/articles/pus...
www.eenews.net/articles/pus...
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
Keep hearing "don't talk about climate anymore, talk about affordability" narrative trickle down and out and I gotta say that it feels one step away from being an outright climate denier. Same tactics are being applied to race, trans and queer issues, and more. Why are many people falling for it?
January 23, 2026 at 5:23 PM
Keep hearing "don't talk about climate anymore, talk about affordability" narrative trickle down and out and I gotta say that it feels one step away from being an outright climate denier. Same tactics are being applied to race, trans and queer issues, and more. Why are many people falling for it?
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
Minnesota nice means prosecute ICE is soooo good. Solidarity to all of you!!
Police have arrived. Arrests seem imminent. The crowd chants “let them pray” and “Minnesota nice means prosecute ICE”
January 23, 2026 at 5:24 PM
Minnesota nice means prosecute ICE is soooo good. Solidarity to all of you!!
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
when i say that the american left needs to be more welcoming to religious folks i am talking about the upstream of this kind of stuff!!!!
Hundreds of clergy descend on Minneapolis and go on lookout for ICE
MINNEAPOLIS (RNS) — The faith leaders, who hail from across the country and represent a range of religious traditions, deployed to neighborhoods with significant immigrant populations, where DHS agent...
religionnews.com
January 23, 2026 at 5:28 PM
when i say that the american left needs to be more welcoming to religious folks i am talking about the upstream of this kind of stuff!!!!
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
Trump's "board of peace" seems mainly like a post-presidency grift for the trump family - yes a way to usurp the UN but also to keep monetizing the presidency out of office.
Not unlike the Clinton Global Initiative, I'm afraid. But with more private $$ to the family and less do-gooder veneer.
Not unlike the Clinton Global Initiative, I'm afraid. But with more private $$ to the family and less do-gooder veneer.
January 23, 2026 at 5:28 PM
Trump's "board of peace" seems mainly like a post-presidency grift for the trump family - yes a way to usurp the UN but also to keep monetizing the presidency out of office.
Not unlike the Clinton Global Initiative, I'm afraid. But with more private $$ to the family and less do-gooder veneer.
Not unlike the Clinton Global Initiative, I'm afraid. But with more private $$ to the family and less do-gooder veneer.
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
Look at these beautiful images of peaceful resistance in Minneapolis today 😍😍 #inspiring!
It’s -9 degrees. Downtown Minneapolis is packed for the anti-ICE rally and the crowd keeps growing
January 23, 2026 at 10:39 PM
Look at these beautiful images of peaceful resistance in Minneapolis today 😍😍 #inspiring!
No one could have seen this coming. Just like it's inconceivable that driving a Tesla could expose you to worse data privacy and security practices than driving a Chinese electric car (imports of which the federal government functionally bans, a massive subsidy to Tesla's US EV business).
BREAKING: Now that TikTok is under US-based ownership, the social media app potentially collects more detailed information about its users, including precise location data.
My latest for @wired.com:
www.wired.com/story/tiktok...
My latest for @wired.com:
www.wired.com/story/tiktok...
TikTok Is Now Collecting Even More Data About Its Users. Here Are the 3 Biggest Changes
According to its new privacy policy, TikTok now collects more data on its users, including their precise location, after majority ownership officially switched to a group based in the US.
www.wired.com
January 23, 2026 at 11:09 PM
No one could have seen this coming. Just like it's inconceivable that driving a Tesla could expose you to worse data privacy and security practices than driving a Chinese electric car (imports of which the federal government functionally bans, a massive subsidy to Tesla's US EV business).