Christian A. Meissner
@cameissner.bsky.social
Scientist, Father, Political Junkie.
Pinned
Interested in the science of interviewing? Check out my discussion with Dr. Hayley Cleary and host Dave Thompson.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
Reposted by Christian A. Meissner
It will take America *decades*—not merely years—to recover from what these robber barons did to us.
They destroyed our government, caused untold pain to the average American directly and indirectly, and used our money as their piggy bank.
And all of it *should* have been criminal.
They destroyed our government, caused untold pain to the average American directly and indirectly, and used our money as their piggy bank.
And all of it *should* have been criminal.
Silicon Valley’s Man in the White House Is Benefiting Himself and His Friends
www.nytimes.com
November 30, 2025 at 5:19 PM
It will take America *decades*—not merely years—to recover from what these robber barons did to us.
They destroyed our government, caused untold pain to the average American directly and indirectly, and used our money as their piggy bank.
And all of it *should* have been criminal.
They destroyed our government, caused untold pain to the average American directly and indirectly, and used our money as their piggy bank.
And all of it *should* have been criminal.
Reposted by Christian A. Meissner
Mark Kelly: "This president, when he says things like 'third world countries,' what is he really saying? I think what he's saying is he doesn't want brown people in our country. And that's disturbing. It's un-American."
November 30, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Mark Kelly: "This president, when he says things like 'third world countries,' what is he really saying? I think what he's saying is he doesn't want brown people in our country. And that's disturbing. It's un-American."
Reposted by Christian A. Meissner
I've done a deep dive into the Trump family's global moneymaking campaign. The White House says there's no conflict of interest. But from Serbia to Vietnam to crypto it's being called "pay to play" on a vast scale. If you have info, get in touch @theguardian.com
www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
All the president’s millions: how the Trumps are turning the presidency into riches
From Vietnam to the Balkans, Donald Trump’s family has launched a global dealmaking blitz since his re-election
www.theguardian.com
November 30, 2025 at 8:45 AM
I've done a deep dive into the Trump family's global moneymaking campaign. The White House says there's no conflict of interest. But from Serbia to Vietnam to crypto it's being called "pay to play" on a vast scale. If you have info, get in touch @theguardian.com
www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
Reposted by Christian A. Meissner
New study finds that down-ranking hostile political content in people’s social media feeds decreases political polarization.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reranking partisan animosity in algorithmic social media feeds alters affective polarization
Today, social media platforms hold the sole power to study the effects of feed-ranking algorithms. We developed a platform-independent method that reranks participants’ feeds in real time and used thi...
www.science.org
November 28, 2025 at 11:16 PM
New study finds that down-ranking hostile political content in people’s social media feeds decreases political polarization.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Christian A. Meissner
Experts say it’s highly unusual for the White House to tell agents to give up custody of potential evidence in an investigation, as it did with the Tates.
“I’ve never heard of anything like that in my 30 years working,” an ex-DHS official said.
“I’ve never heard of anything like that in my 30 years working,” an ex-DHS official said.
The White House Intervened on Behalf of Accused Sex Trafficker Andrew Tate During a Federal Investigation
Federal authorities were chided for seizing electronic devices from Tate and his brother, and told to return them, records and interviews show. Experts said the intervention was highly inappropriate.
www.propublica.org
November 28, 2025 at 4:00 AM
Experts say it’s highly unusual for the White House to tell agents to give up custody of potential evidence in an investigation, as it did with the Tates.
“I’ve never heard of anything like that in my 30 years working,” an ex-DHS official said.
“I’ve never heard of anything like that in my 30 years working,” an ex-DHS official said.
Reposted by Christian A. Meissner
November 27, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Reposted by Christian A. Meissner
It's a tiny amount of money ($25K, $12K when I was a student), but the consequences are huge. e.g., Years ago, this funding enabled me to conduct my PhD research, which ultimately informed the Supreme Court litigation that prohibited patents on human genes.
Talk about undone science.
Talk about undone science.
NEW from me - NSF cancels grant scheme for social science research.
Seems the NSF quietly archived ALL calls for DDRIG grants in the SBE directorate. This is a massive blow for PhD students wanting to do cutting-edge social science research. 🏺🧪
Seems the NSF quietly archived ALL calls for DDRIG grants in the SBE directorate. This is a massive blow for PhD students wanting to do cutting-edge social science research. 🏺🧪
Today's biggest science news: Doomed comet explodes | Comet 3I/ATLAS course alteration | Dark matter detected?
Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025: Your daily feed of the biggest discoveries and breakthroughs making headlines.
www.livescience.com
November 27, 2025 at 1:08 PM
It's a tiny amount of money ($25K, $12K when I was a student), but the consequences are huge. e.g., Years ago, this funding enabled me to conduct my PhD research, which ultimately informed the Supreme Court litigation that prohibited patents on human genes.
Talk about undone science.
Talk about undone science.
Reposted by Christian A. Meissner
An 18yo US citizen, surrounded by eight masked, armed agents of the state, taken into custody, not read his rights, not offered a chance to contact a lawyer, proof of citizenship ignored, handcuffed so tightly he later required medical attention.
Profoundly, profoundly anti-American shit.
Profoundly, profoundly anti-American shit.
ICE Detained an 18-Year-Old U.S. Citizen. This Is His Story.
YouTube video by The Hometown Holler
youtu.be
November 26, 2025 at 10:00 PM
An 18yo US citizen, surrounded by eight masked, armed agents of the state, taken into custody, not read his rights, not offered a chance to contact a lawyer, proof of citizenship ignored, handcuffed so tightly he later required medical attention.
Profoundly, profoundly anti-American shit.
Profoundly, profoundly anti-American shit.
Reposted by Christian A. Meissner
Big news today: Chris Duncan, who spent decades on Louisiana's death row on 'junk science' until his conviction was overturned this spring, is being released today.
You'll remember this story from a few months ago, when his conviction was overturned: boltsmag.org/chris-duncan...
You'll remember this story from a few months ago, when his conviction was overturned: boltsmag.org/chris-duncan...
November 26, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Big news today: Chris Duncan, who spent decades on Louisiana's death row on 'junk science' until his conviction was overturned this spring, is being released today.
You'll remember this story from a few months ago, when his conviction was overturned: boltsmag.org/chris-duncan...
You'll remember this story from a few months ago, when his conviction was overturned: boltsmag.org/chris-duncan...
Reposted by Christian A. Meissner
America needs more patriots like Senator Mark Kelly and fewer miserable cowards like Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth.
Sen. Mark Kelly facing military investigation after clashing with Trump
A statement from the Pentagon said all service members have a "legal obligation" to "obey lawful orders and that orders are presumed to be lawful."
www.axios.com
November 24, 2025 at 7:36 PM
America needs more patriots like Senator Mark Kelly and fewer miserable cowards like Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth.
Reposted by Christian A. Meissner
I used to handle interlibrary loans for a public library. ILL is a magnificent expression of the idea that readers deserve books, and books deserve readers. It’s libraries everywhere pooling their resources for the benefit of everyone.
Killing IMLS could have killed ILL.
This is great news. 📚
Killing IMLS could have killed ILL.
This is great news. 📚
Court permanently blocks Trump's executive order to dismantle federal agency for America's libraries IMLS
librarytechnology.org/pr/31973
librarytechnology.org/pr/31973
Court permanently blocks Trump's executive order to dismantle federal agency for America's libraries
Press Release: Court permanently blocks Trump's executive order to dismantle federal agency for America's libraries. The U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island struck down the Trump Adm...
librarytechnology.org
November 22, 2025 at 3:23 PM
I used to handle interlibrary loans for a public library. ILL is a magnificent expression of the idea that readers deserve books, and books deserve readers. It’s libraries everywhere pooling their resources for the benefit of everyone.
Killing IMLS could have killed ILL.
This is great news. 📚
Killing IMLS could have killed ILL.
This is great news. 📚
Reposted by Christian A. Meissner
Calling all student 2025 Annual Meeting attendees! Don’t miss your chance to network and connect at tonight’s student social beginning at 9:00 PM MST. #psynom25
buff.ly/54rGdBh
buff.ly/54rGdBh
November 22, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Calling all student 2025 Annual Meeting attendees! Don’t miss your chance to network and connect at tonight’s student social beginning at 9:00 PM MST. #psynom25
buff.ly/54rGdBh
buff.ly/54rGdBh
Reposted by Christian A. Meissner
The SPARK Society is sponsoring a lunchtime workshop at Psychonomics (noon today, Governor's Square 12) on Science Outreach and Advocacy, featuring @ozgegurcanli.bsky.social @paulacroxson.bsky.social and @jzacks.bsky.social, moderated by me. Free lunch for the first 50 attendees - join us! #psynom25
November 21, 2025 at 5:49 PM
The SPARK Society is sponsoring a lunchtime workshop at Psychonomics (noon today, Governor's Square 12) on Science Outreach and Advocacy, featuring @ozgegurcanli.bsky.social @paulacroxson.bsky.social and @jzacks.bsky.social, moderated by me. Free lunch for the first 50 attendees - join us! #psynom25
Reposted by Christian A. Meissner
Important read from my @pogo.org colleague Virginia Burger on her oaths of office during her service in the U.S. military and obligation to disobey unlawful orders: www.pogo.org/analysis/mil...
Military Oaths and Unlawful Orders
A few important questions and answers from our senior defense policy analyst
www.pogo.org
November 21, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Important read from my @pogo.org colleague Virginia Burger on her oaths of office during her service in the U.S. military and obligation to disobey unlawful orders: www.pogo.org/analysis/mil...
Reposted by Christian A. Meissner
President Trump is building a “shadow budget” outside of Congressional control. @scott-levy.bsky.social explains why it is unlawful and how Congress should respond:
www.justsecurity.org/125302/shado...
www.justsecurity.org/125302/shado...
How to End Shadow Budget, Protect Congress’s Power of Purse
Unless Congress reasserts control over federal spending, the balance the framers designed could collapse into a self-financing presidency.
www.justsecurity.org
November 21, 2025 at 2:16 PM
President Trump is building a “shadow budget” outside of Congressional control. @scott-levy.bsky.social explains why it is unlawful and how Congress should respond:
www.justsecurity.org/125302/shado...
www.justsecurity.org/125302/shado...
Reposted by Christian A. Meissner
We've updated our Study.
New stats (jaw-dropping imho):
1. DOJ noncompliance with court orders:
26 cases
2. Courts’ distrust of government information and representations:
Over 60 cases
3. Court findings of arbitrary and capricious government conduct:
68 cases
New stats (jaw-dropping imho):
1. DOJ noncompliance with court orders:
26 cases
2. Courts’ distrust of government information and representations:
Over 60 cases
3. Court findings of arbitrary and capricious government conduct:
68 cases
The “Presumption of Regularity” in Trump Administration Litigation
Comprehensive study of court cases involving Trump administration and the basis for courts no longer giving a "presumption of regularity."
www.justsecurity.org
November 20, 2025 at 5:07 PM
We've updated our Study.
New stats (jaw-dropping imho):
1. DOJ noncompliance with court orders:
26 cases
2. Courts’ distrust of government information and representations:
Over 60 cases
3. Court findings of arbitrary and capricious government conduct:
68 cases
New stats (jaw-dropping imho):
1. DOJ noncompliance with court orders:
26 cases
2. Courts’ distrust of government information and representations:
Over 60 cases
3. Court findings of arbitrary and capricious government conduct:
68 cases
Reposted by Christian A. Meissner
Relying on ChatGPT to teach you about a topic leaves you with shallower knowledge than Googling and reading about it, according to new research that compared what more than 10,000 people knew after using one method or the other.
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
November 21, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Relying on ChatGPT to teach you about a topic leaves you with shallower knowledge than Googling and reading about it, according to new research that compared what more than 10,000 people knew after using one method or the other.
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
Reposted by Christian A. Meissner
This story is nuts.
"ICE agents then surrounded the judge’s car and demanded everyone to exit the vehicle, threatening to smash in the windows if they did not comply."
"ICE agents then surrounded the judge’s car and demanded everyone to exit the vehicle, threatening to smash in the windows if they did not comply."
#BREAKING: A student intern at Rhode Island Superior Court was briefly taken into custody by ICE this afternoon before a judge intervened, 12 News has learned. Story by @jusolyn.bsky.social and @timwhiteri.bsky.social: ⤵️
RI judge intervenes after ICE mistakenly detains Superior Court intern
A teenager was nearly taken into federal immigration custody in Providence Thursday afternoon before a Superior Court judge intervened, according to the Rhode Island Judiciary.
www.wpri.com
November 21, 2025 at 11:51 AM
This story is nuts.
"ICE agents then surrounded the judge’s car and demanded everyone to exit the vehicle, threatening to smash in the windows if they did not comply."
"ICE agents then surrounded the judge’s car and demanded everyone to exit the vehicle, threatening to smash in the windows if they did not comply."
Reposted by Christian A. Meissner
🧵
THREAD: Judge Ellis is the first federal judge to review extensive body cam video of DHS's actions in Chicago. She finds that DHS *repeatedly* misled the public and made claims that were disproven by agents' own videos.
I'll go through some of the most egregious ones here.
I'll go through some of the most egregious ones here.
November 20, 2025 at 11:12 PM
🧵
Reposted by Christian A. Meissner
Exclusive: The U.S. Coast Guard will no longer classify the swastika, nooses and the Confederate flag as hate symbols.
The military service drafted a new policy that classifies them as “potentially divisive.”
The military service drafted a new policy that classifies them as “potentially divisive.”
U.S. Coast Guard will no longer classify swastikas, nooses as hate symbols
The military service, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security, has drafted a new policy that classifies such items “potentially divisive.”
www.washingtonpost.com
November 20, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Exclusive: The U.S. Coast Guard will no longer classify the swastika, nooses and the Confederate flag as hate symbols.
The military service drafted a new policy that classifies them as “potentially divisive.”
The military service drafted a new policy that classifies them as “potentially divisive.”
Reposted by Christian A. Meissner
Relying on ChatGPT to teach you about a topic leaves you with shallower knowledge than Googling and reading about it, according to new research that compared what more than 10,000 people knew after using one method or the other.
Learning with AI falls short compared to old-fashioned web search
Doing the mental work of connecting the dots across multiple web queries appears to help people understand the material better compared to an AI summary.
buff.ly
November 20, 2025 at 9:06 AM
Relying on ChatGPT to teach you about a topic leaves you with shallower knowledge than Googling and reading about it, according to new research that compared what more than 10,000 people knew after using one method or the other.
Reposted by Christian A. Meissner
John Oliver and Co did a great explanation of what public media does, and who exactly the funding recission actually hurts (Hint: it's not liberal elites.) Also very proud to see my old friend and former WBEZ reporter Lauren Chooljian featured for her amazing work.
youtu.be/yknMJOgy2pA?...
youtu.be/yknMJOgy2pA?...
Public Media: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
YouTube video by LastWeekTonight
youtu.be
November 19, 2025 at 5:59 PM
John Oliver and Co did a great explanation of what public media does, and who exactly the funding recission actually hurts (Hint: it's not liberal elites.) Also very proud to see my old friend and former WBEZ reporter Lauren Chooljian featured for her amazing work.
youtu.be/yknMJOgy2pA?...
youtu.be/yknMJOgy2pA?...
Reposted by Christian A. Meissner
The BBC picked up on an old Newsweek story of mine and gave it great new color and context.
www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.bbc....
www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.bbc....
A Chinese firm bought an insurer for CIA agents - part of Beijing's trillion dollar spending spree - BBC News
When an insurer for FBI and CIA agents was sold to a Chinese entity, it led the US to tighten investment laws.
www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org
November 19, 2025 at 12:02 AM
The BBC picked up on an old Newsweek story of mine and gave it great new color and context.
www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.bbc....
www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.bbc....
Reposted by Christian A. Meissner
I will never forget having to edit Jamal’s final, posthumous piece for the Washington Post, after he was murdered.
He was calling for free expression in the Arab world. You can read it here :
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/glo...
He was calling for free expression in the Arab world. You can read it here :
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/glo...
Opinion | Jamal Khashoggi: What the Arab world needs most is free expression
The Arab world needs a modern version of the old transnational media so citizens can be informed about global events.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:48 PM
I will never forget having to edit Jamal’s final, posthumous piece for the Washington Post, after he was murdered.
He was calling for free expression in the Arab world. You can read it here :
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/glo...
He was calling for free expression in the Arab world. You can read it here :
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/glo...
Reposted by Christian A. Meissner
We could spend years demanding a list be released, or we could just believe women…
November 17, 2025 at 1:50 PM
We could spend years demanding a list be released, or we could just believe women…