The Shumater
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theshumater.bsky.social
The Shumater
@theshumater.bsky.social
5.2K followers 5.1K following 3.5K posts
Digital raconteur posting about politics, news & media, with a focus on Arkansas. Educator, author, scholar. Radical centrist. Слава Україні
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theshumater.bsky.social
"I'd say do better, but I'm convinced he doesn't care." Amen, governor.
December 15, 2025 at 11:15 PM
theshumater.bsky.social
Today is the Obamacare open enrollment deadline in Arkansas. Those facing exponentially higher premiums, or who are being forced to reduce coverage, should send their thank you cards to the 6 Republican men who "represent" us in Congress.
#Arkansas #arpx
www.arkansasonline.com/news/2025/de...
Affordable Care Act sign-up period nears end; many Arkansans face higher costs for health plans | Arkansas Democrat Gazette
With just hours left to choose a plan for coverage that takes effect Jan. 1, Arkansans shopping for coverage through healthcare.gov are facing a double whammy of higher premiums and lower subsidies co...
www.arkansasonline.com
December 15, 2025 at 9:44 PM
theshumater.bsky.social
Will any Arkansas Republicans join Thomas Massie in condemning Trump's vile comments about Rob Reiner? (This is what we call a rhetorical question ...)
#Arkansas #arpx #arleg #arnews
December 15, 2025 at 8:05 PM
theshumater.bsky.social
My latest @arkansasadvocate.com column: FOMO has broken out across Arkansas, as elected officials, unelected economic developers, & utility companies fall all over themselves not to miss out on the AI-fueled data center boom. But at what cost?
#Arkansas #arpx #arleg #arnews
Fear of Missing Out on data center boom leads Arkansas officials to ignore hard questions | Arkansas Advocate
Amid splashy announcements of projects, sort-of projects and maybe someday projects, and the handing out of tax breaks like a freewheeling Santa on Christmas Eve, some pesky questions are being…
buff.ly
December 15, 2025 at 5:33 PM
theshumater.bsky.social
Thank you, librarians & libraries, for leading the fight against pernicious Christian nationalist campaigns to censor books with #LGBTQ+ content. In Arkansas, this has included lawsuits to block state censorship law & its ham-handed implementation by local libraries.
#Arkansas #arpx
US librarians tackle ‘manufactured crisis’ of book bans to protect LGBTQ+ rights
In at least half a dozen states, librarians have joined forces with civil rights groups to oppose book bans, often facing personal and professional repercussions
buff.ly
December 15, 2025 at 5:05 PM
theshumater.bsky.social
Andrew DeMillo, veteran @apnews.com reporter at Arkansas Capitol, takes over as editor of @arkansasadvocate.com, as @sonnyalbarado.bsky.social retires. The Advocate is an independent non-profit newsroom covering state politics & public policy.
@ademillo.bsky.social #Arkansas #arpx
Veteran Associated Press political reporter takes helm of Arkansas Advocate | Arkansas Advocate
After falling into his dream job covering politics 20 years ago, Andrew DeMillo embarks on a new chapter Monday as editor-in-chief of the Arkansas Advocate.
buff.ly
December 15, 2025 at 4:33 PM
theshumater.bsky.social
In a world full of Charlie Kirks, be a Rob Reiner ...
raypride.bsky.social Ray Pride @raypride.bsky.social · 14h
Rob Reiner: “Silence in the face of authoritarianism is complicity. Speaking out is a patriotic act. Democracy doesn’t defend itself. It requires participation, vigilance, and courage from ordinary people."
December 15, 2025 at 3:36 PM
theshumater.bsky.social
With Donald Trump, there really is no bottom ...
atrupar.com Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 13h
this is one of the most psychotic things Trump has ever posted
A very sad thing happened last night in Hollywood. Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star, has passed away, together with his wife, Michele, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, sometimes referred to as TDS. He was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump, with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness, and with the Golden Age of America upon us, perhaps like never before. May Rob and Michele rest in peace!
December 15, 2025 at 3:31 PM
theshumater.bsky.social
@andrewdemi
December 15, 2025 at 3:12 PM
theshumater.bsky.social
Fed-up Virginians are taking aim at data centers, while Arkansas leaders rush to make our state the next data center mecca, which I wrote about in my latest @arkansasadvocate.com column: arkansasadvocate.com/2025/12/12/f...
#Arkansas #arpx #arnews #arleg
December 15, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Reposted by The Shumater
crazycanloon.bsky.social
December 14, 2025 at 11:39 PM
Reposted by The Shumater
rynterra.bsky.social
All the pup wants for Christmas is for you to have a good day. 🎄💜
Smiling and hopeful chihuahua in his mama’s arms.
December 15, 2025 at 1:41 PM
theshumater.bsky.social
Why you don't need to read the Washington Post as much as you think you do ... if you still do ...
December 14, 2025 at 10:59 PM
Reposted by The Shumater
arkansasadvocate.com
OPINION: FOMO has broken out across Arkansas, as elected officials, unelected economic developers, utility companies and their regulators fall all over themselves not to miss out on the AI-fueled data center boom, @theshumater.bsky.social writes in his latest column. #arpx
Fear of Missing Out on data center boom leads Arkansas officials to ignore hard questions | Arkansas Advocate
Amid splashy announcements of projects, sort-of projects and maybe someday projects, and the handing out of tax breaks like a freewheeling Santa on Christmas Eve, some pesky questions are being…
buff.ly
December 14, 2025 at 10:30 PM
theshumater.bsky.social
My latest @arkansasadvocate.com column: Driven by their FOMO, Gov. Sanders & Arkansas legislators have lavished new incentives on Big Tech to build data centers - leaving pesky questions unanswered about wisdom of this path.
#Arkansas #arpx #arleg #arnews
Fear of Missing Out on data center boom leads Arkansas officials to ignore hard questions | Arkansas Advocate
Amid splashy announcements of projects, sort-of projects and maybe someday projects, and the handing out of tax breaks like a freewheeling Santa on Christmas Eve, some pesky questions are being…
buff.ly
December 14, 2025 at 6:15 PM
theshumater.bsky.social
Senate Republican leader Bart Hester made a funny: He says there will be "no knee-jerk reactions" by legislators who now have the authority to rewrite constitutional amendments initiated by voters. House Democratic leader Andrew Collins actually laughed.
#Arkansas #arpx
buff.ly/1U1gZw0
Arkansas lawmakers react to ruling that Legislature can change citizen-initiated constitutional amendments | Arkansas Democrat Gazette
On the heels of a landmark ruling from the Arkansas Supreme Court, one of the state's most powerful lawmakers said the General Assembly may look to change how medical marijuana is regulated.
buff.ly
December 14, 2025 at 5:30 PM
theshumater.bsky.social
Interesting result in NBC News poll: Self-identified Republicans appear to be moving away from their embrace of the MAGA label. They've gone from toasting marshmallows over the Trump dumpster fire to merely warming their hands.
December 14, 2025 at 5:03 PM
theshumater.bsky.social
Arkansas Senate Republican leader Bart Hester says the quiet part out loud: Legislators are coming after medical marijuana in wake of Supreme Court ruling allowing legislators to thwart the will of the people.
#Arkansas #arpx #arnews #arleg
buff.ly/1U1gZw0
December 14, 2025 at 4:30 PM
theshumater.bsky.social
If the elephant on the phone were French Hill, the bubble would read, "Just another constituent concerned about crypto ..."
#Arkansas #arpx
December 14, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Reposted by The Shumater
ladymindful.bsky.social
snoopy and woodstock are dancing on a green background with the words happy sunday below them
ALT: snoopy and woodstock are dancing on a green background with the words happy sunday below them
media.tenor.com
December 14, 2025 at 1:31 PM
theshumater.bsky.social
Canoodling with neo-Nazis is a feature, not a bug ...
December 14, 2025 at 2:32 PM
theshumater.bsky.social
When you have a 20,000% increase in stupidity, you get a 14,608% increase in measles ...
December 13, 2025 at 7:19 PM
theshumater.bsky.social
Arkansas' embarrassing, troglodytic behavior getting national attention ...
#Arkansas #arpx #arnews
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/11/b...
Arkansas Public Television Drops PBS
www.nytimes.com
December 13, 2025 at 7:02 PM
theshumater.bsky.social
Nothing will do more to perpetuate the stereotype of Arkansans as a bunch of backwoods rubes than this decision to kill off PBS and make us the only state without access to PBS broadcasts.
#Arkansas #arpx #arnews
RIP, Arkansas PBS - Arkansas Times
The end of federal funding for public media demolishes Arkansas PBS. The station will rebrand as ATV and feature mainly local programming.
buff.ly
December 13, 2025 at 6:15 PM
theshumater.bsky.social
My latest @arkansasadvocate.com column: FOMO has broken out across Arkansas, as elected officials, unelected economic developers, utility companies and their regulators fall all over themselves not to miss out on the AI-fueled data center boom. But at what cost?
#Arkansas #arpx
Fear of Missing Out on data center boom leads Arkansas officials to ignore hard questions | Arkansas Advocate
Amid splashy announcements of projects, sort-of projects and maybe someday projects, and the handing out of tax breaks like a freewheeling Santa on Christmas Eve, some pesky questions are being…
buff.ly
December 13, 2025 at 5:45 PM