Mike Shaw
@zax2000.bsky.social
A yokel Bostonian bumbling around Seattle. Stints in 北京 and Bali along the way. I used to craft/edit journalists' spam. Geopolitics is my jam. I post, therefore I am.
Pinned
Will get just as much snow as here, apparently.
Mt. Rainier Suffers Seasonal Affective Disorder, Will Winter in Tucson: tinyurl.com/26jb3nnr
December 12, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Will get just as much snow as here, apparently.
Reposted by Mike Shaw
This is just some ordinary dude no one had ever heard of, quietly getting by, and the administration has decided in a fit of pique to hound him for the rest of his life because otherwise they'd have to tacitly admit they're capricious incompetent villains. Just let him live, ffs
BREAKING: At 7am ET, in response to the emergency overnight filing, Judge Xinis issued a TRO barring the Trump administration from re-detaining Abrego Garcia.
www.courtlistener.com/docket/71191...
www.courtlistener.com/docket/71191...
Memorandum and Order – #114 in Abrego Garcia v. Noem (D. Maryland, 8:25-cv-02780) – CourtListener.com
MEMORANDUM ORDER granting 112 Motion for Temporary Restraining Order; Respondents are enjoined from re-detaining Petitioner in ICE custody until this Court can receive further briefing from the partie...
www.courtlistener.com
December 12, 2025 at 1:22 PM
This is just some ordinary dude no one had ever heard of, quietly getting by, and the administration has decided in a fit of pique to hound him for the rest of his life because otherwise they'd have to tacitly admit they're capricious incompetent villains. Just let him live, ffs
Reposted by Mike Shaw
Reposted by Mike Shaw
As of today, the only person in this Daily Penn visual that hasn't been fined millions of dollars or convicted of a felony is Luigi Mangione, believe it or not
I mean, the Penn student newspaper isn't wrong, but www.instagram.com/p/DSH1X4EDwP...
December 12, 2025 at 2:35 AM
As of today, the only person in this Daily Penn visual that hasn't been fined millions of dollars or convicted of a felony is Luigi Mangione, believe it or not
Just think how much owed tax money we could collect from rich folks if the IRS was half as aggressive as NYC's tax collectors.
"Over a five-year period ending in 2024, auditors recouped $13.8 billion in unpaid taxes."
"Over a five-year period ending in 2024, auditors recouped $13.8 billion in unpaid taxes."
Rich New Yorkers Threaten to Leave. Then They Find Out How Hard That Is.
www.nytimes.com
December 12, 2025 at 4:06 AM
Just think how much owed tax money we could collect from rich folks if the IRS was half as aggressive as NYC's tax collectors.
"Over a five-year period ending in 2024, auditors recouped $13.8 billion in unpaid taxes."
"Over a five-year period ending in 2024, auditors recouped $13.8 billion in unpaid taxes."
Reposted by Mike Shaw
"In a memo, SBWU calculated the total annual cost of its demands to be approximately $80 million over the course of the contract. It said the amount was less than new CEO Brian Niccol’s pay over four months in 2024." #NoContractNoCoffee
NEW: As Starbucks baristas mark 4 years since their first successful union vote, they reached another milestone: The longest open-ended, national strike in the company’s history. I visited the U District Seattle store to talk to workers on the picket line: www.realchangenews.org/news/2025/12...
December 10, 2025 at 7:32 PM
"In a memo, SBWU calculated the total annual cost of its demands to be approximately $80 million over the course of the contract. It said the amount was less than new CEO Brian Niccol’s pay over four months in 2024." #NoContractNoCoffee
😂
I like to think it's a level above math-y wishcasting. Math-y ballparking.
December 10, 2025 at 4:51 PM
😂
Had my annual checkup today. My first time doing it first thing in the morning. Wow.
While I've not had a bad experience at the doctor's office since returning to the US, the attitude, mood & energy level of the staff this early is like night & day from the afternoons. They're downright cheerful.
While I've not had a bad experience at the doctor's office since returning to the US, the attitude, mood & energy level of the staff this early is like night & day from the afternoons. They're downright cheerful.
December 10, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Had my annual checkup today. My first time doing it first thing in the morning. Wow.
While I've not had a bad experience at the doctor's office since returning to the US, the attitude, mood & energy level of the staff this early is like night & day from the afternoons. They're downright cheerful.
While I've not had a bad experience at the doctor's office since returning to the US, the attitude, mood & energy level of the staff this early is like night & day from the afternoons. They're downright cheerful.
This is just math-y wishcasting at this point, but also totally plausible (if voters stay energized & show up + there are good Dem candidates). State-level wins next year will have absolutely enormous implications when the 2030 census takes place.
Republicans are scared shitless after the TN-07 special election showed a 13-point shift against them. What would that look like nationwide? Democrats flipping about 600 state legislative seats, winning 6 new state trifectas and breaking a lot of supermajorities heartlandsignal.com/2025/12/10/h...
How Tennessee 7th’s 13-point Democratic shift would look across the nation for 2026
Last week, Republicans won the special election for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District by 9%, and it has them scared shitless. That’s because the margin was 13% worse than the previous representat...
heartlandsignal.com
December 10, 2025 at 4:35 PM
This is just math-y wishcasting at this point, but also totally plausible (if voters stay energized & show up + there are good Dem candidates). State-level wins next year will have absolutely enormous implications when the 2030 census takes place.
National media is biased towards federal offices, but all of the Dem wins in local races across the country this year are probably the biggest indicator of what's possible in next year's elections.
Yeah, the Sheriff race was centered around ICE and it wasn't particularly close. The DA race was closer but still a 7-8 point win for the first time a Dem has held that position since, like, the Gilded Age. My township will have a Dem majority for the first time as far as anyone can tell.
December 10, 2025 at 4:31 PM
National media is biased towards federal offices, but all of the Dem wins in local races across the country this year are probably the biggest indicator of what's possible in next year's elections.
Reposted by Mike Shaw
This explains a lot.
December 10, 2025 at 11:27 AM
This explains a lot.
Love Hugh Jackman, but he probably needs to pass on the mantle.
TBF, Wolverine is hundreds of years old so he could keep playing him for as long as his body holds out but I'd also like to see a new generation of X-Men storytelling w/a new generation of actors.
TBF, Wolverine is hundreds of years old so he could keep playing him for as long as his body holds out but I'd also like to see a new generation of X-Men storytelling w/a new generation of actors.
Hugh Jackman doesn’t think his journey as Wolverine is over yet
“It doesn’t feel like the end. It really felt like the end after ‘Logan’”
(via Variety)
“It doesn’t feel like the end. It really felt like the end after ‘Logan’”
(via Variety)
December 10, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Love Hugh Jackman, but he probably needs to pass on the mantle.
TBF, Wolverine is hundreds of years old so he could keep playing him for as long as his body holds out but I'd also like to see a new generation of X-Men storytelling w/a new generation of actors.
TBF, Wolverine is hundreds of years old so he could keep playing him for as long as his body holds out but I'd also like to see a new generation of X-Men storytelling w/a new generation of actors.
I didn't come to Seattle b/c of concerns about climate change, but when my wife said that she wanted to move back here I checked out the stats. It's one of the better places to settle if you're worried about rising temps & ecological resilience. I'm glad that we got here before the inevitable rush.
The climate migrants seeking refuge in the PNW - Booming
Climate migration is difficult to study, and even harder to predict. But some researchers say a historic population shift has already begun.
omny.fm
December 10, 2025 at 4:21 PM
I didn't come to Seattle b/c of concerns about climate change, but when my wife said that she wanted to move back here I checked out the stats. It's one of the better places to settle if you're worried about rising temps & ecological resilience. I'm glad that we got here before the inevitable rush.
Reposted by Mike Shaw
“I am so bored by AI. One of the things I love about the theatre is AI can’t do it.”
Ethan Hawke is a dude 👌🏻
Ethan Hawke is a dude 👌🏻
December 9, 2025 at 8:36 PM
“I am so bored by AI. One of the things I love about the theatre is AI can’t do it.”
Ethan Hawke is a dude 👌🏻
Ethan Hawke is a dude 👌🏻
Reposted by Mike Shaw
3 separate election nights in Georgia, all over the past 5 weeks
December 10, 2025 at 4:14 AM
3 separate election nights in Georgia, all over the past 5 weeks
Reposted by Mike Shaw
I know we’ve been talking about the 25th Amendment being invoked for years now, but we should probably be talking about it a lot more and a lot more seriously right now.
Couple of things here:
1. Trump says he took another cognitive test recently
2. In front of "large numbers of doctors and experts"
3. He called the examinations "long...and very boring"
4. If you're given 3 cognitive exams in one year by panels of doctors, something is VERY wrong with you
1. Trump says he took another cognitive test recently
2. In front of "large numbers of doctors and experts"
3. He called the examinations "long...and very boring"
4. If you're given 3 cognitive exams in one year by panels of doctors, something is VERY wrong with you
December 10, 2025 at 4:54 AM
I know we’ve been talking about the 25th Amendment being invoked for years now, but we should probably be talking about it a lot more and a lot more seriously right now.
Reposted by Mike Shaw
A huge night for Democrats:
—They flip Miami's mayorship.
—They flip a state House district in Georgia that had voted Trump by 13%.
—They keep Albuquerque's mayorship, while the liberal faction flips city council.
—And they get big overperformances (+18 & +22) in 2 Florida specials.
—They flip Miami's mayorship.
—They flip a state House district in Georgia that had voted Trump by 13%.
—They keep Albuquerque's mayorship, while the liberal faction flips city council.
—And they get big overperformances (+18 & +22) in 2 Florida specials.
December 10, 2025 at 3:26 AM
A huge night for Democrats:
—They flip Miami's mayorship.
—They flip a state House district in Georgia that had voted Trump by 13%.
—They keep Albuquerque's mayorship, while the liberal faction flips city council.
—And they get big overperformances (+18 & +22) in 2 Florida specials.
—They flip Miami's mayorship.
—They flip a state House district in Georgia that had voted Trump by 13%.
—They keep Albuquerque's mayorship, while the liberal faction flips city council.
—And they get big overperformances (+18 & +22) in 2 Florida specials.
Dems on the march in FL? Wow.
We have near-final results in the 2 Florida legislative special elections. Neither flipped, but quite the swings toward Dems.
—Democrats kept HD90, winning it by 28%.
(Harris won here by 11%.)
—The GOP kept SD11, winning it by 18%.
(Trump won here by 40%.)
Plus, Dems flipped the Miami mayorship.
—Democrats kept HD90, winning it by 28%.
(Harris won here by 11%.)
—The GOP kept SD11, winning it by 18%.
(Trump won here by 40%.)
Plus, Dems flipped the Miami mayorship.
December 10, 2025 at 1:29 AM
Dems on the march in FL? Wow.
Reposted by Mike Shaw
"there's a new serif in town"
Marco Rubio ordered diplomats to return to using Times New Roman font in official communications, calling his predecessor's decision to adopt Calibri a “wasteful” diversity move
Rubio Stages Font Coup: Times New Roman Ousts Calibri
The secretary of state called it a "wasteful" diversity move, according to an internal department cable seen by Reuters.
www.huffpost.com
December 10, 2025 at 1:06 AM
"there's a new serif in town"
Reposted by Mike Shaw
Great thread.
just riffing on this, in 1944 my grandad's friend Paddy, who would go on to become a very distinguished writer, kidnapped a German general in occupied Crete and took him up into the mountains with a resistance team, from where he was sent on to the UK by submarine. Now, up in the mountains ...
there is not any particularly strong evidence that study of the humanities make people good people. the elites of many brutal empires were extremely well-read!
December 10, 2025 at 1:13 AM
Great thread.
Oof. That's crazy.
Final results in the Florida #SD11 (Trump+39) special election:
Ralph Massullo (R)- 59.2%
Ash Marwah (D)- 40.8%
A 21-point swing to the left in a deeply Republican part of Florida!
Ralph Massullo (R)- 59.2%
Ash Marwah (D)- 40.8%
A 21-point swing to the left in a deeply Republican part of Florida!
December 10, 2025 at 1:21 AM
Oof. That's crazy.
Reposted by Mike Shaw
That is patently false: not only do immigrants score better than native-born Americans in tests, the mere presence of immigrants improve test scores for all students, when factoring in white flight
sesp.northwestern.edu/news-events/...
sesp.northwestern.edu/news-events/...
December 9, 2025 at 9:21 PM
That is patently false: not only do immigrants score better than native-born Americans in tests, the mere presence of immigrants improve test scores for all students, when factoring in white flight
sesp.northwestern.edu/news-events/...
sesp.northwestern.edu/news-events/...
Reposted by Mike Shaw
Update: New records I've obtained show that in 2025 the Seattle Police Department fulfilled an ICE request for records to "be utilized in removal proceedings regarding the below named individual" in one day.
NEW: Seattle Police Prioritizing ICE’s Records Requests Over Citizens’
www.hardpressed-info.com/seattle-poli...
www.hardpressed-info.com/seattle-poli...
Seattle Police Prioritizing ICE’s Records Requests Over Citizens’
HardPressed
www.hardpressed-info.com
December 9, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Update: New records I've obtained show that in 2025 the Seattle Police Department fulfilled an ICE request for records to "be utilized in removal proceedings regarding the below named individual" in one day.
One of the recent progressive trailblazers, @yuhline.bsky.social was Mamdani before there was a Mamdani. She walked so he could fly.
Politics is hard. It's a shame that she's stepping aside, but she's doing it to ensure that her issues & values are on the ballot, even if her name isn't.
Politics is hard. It's a shame that she's stepping aside, but she's doing it to ensure that her issues & values are on the ballot, even if her name isn't.
Three years ago, our rising progressive movement came within 1.6% of victory in NY-10. We built a powerful grassroots movement that energized thousands of voters who were hungry for real progressive change on housing, healthcare, climate justice, and economic equality.
December 9, 2025 at 10:16 PM
One of the recent progressive trailblazers, @yuhline.bsky.social was Mamdani before there was a Mamdani. She walked so he could fly.
Politics is hard. It's a shame that she's stepping aside, but she's doing it to ensure that her issues & values are on the ballot, even if her name isn't.
Politics is hard. It's a shame that she's stepping aside, but she's doing it to ensure that her issues & values are on the ballot, even if her name isn't.
Wait. Is Elon Musk somehow involved in Sound Transit Light Rail?
Federal Way Light Rail Extension Opens Stations to Star Lake and 5 Other Fictional Universes: tinyurl.com/bdhyymyk
December 9, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Wait. Is Elon Musk somehow involved in Sound Transit Light Rail?