Ken Acks
@costbenefitkmaacks.bsky.social
Supporting Rational Evaluation over Preconception by Facilitating Comprehensive Quantification of Costs and Benefits www.costbenefitgroup.com envirovaluation.org. Adjunct Prof NYU Schack Institute for Real Estate
Reposted by Ken Acks
Here's a commercial-scale thermal battery (hot rocks!) that is providing heat at 1800C, which is what you need for processes like steel & aluminum.
Industrial heat was one of those "difficult to decarbonize" sectors until, y'know, we tried.
Get in, loser, we're electrifying everything!
Industrial heat was one of those "difficult to decarbonize" sectors until, y'know, we tried.
Get in, loser, we're electrifying everything!
Industrial Heat Goes Electric: Electrified Thermal Solutions Turns On First Commercial-Scale Joule Hive™ Thermal Battery
/PRNewswire/ -- Boston-based Electrified Thermal Solutions, a leader in industrial-scale low cost thermal energy storage systems, announced the commissioning...
www.prnewswire.com
January 23, 2026 at 6:49 PM
Here's a commercial-scale thermal battery (hot rocks!) that is providing heat at 1800C, which is what you need for processes like steel & aluminum.
Industrial heat was one of those "difficult to decarbonize" sectors until, y'know, we tried.
Get in, loser, we're electrifying everything!
Industrial heat was one of those "difficult to decarbonize" sectors until, y'know, we tried.
Get in, loser, we're electrifying everything!
Reposted by Ken Acks
Has a great world power ever destroyed itself before? No hostile outside rival, no natural disaster, no great economic calamity, just ... indolence & ignorance. Is there precedent?
We Are Witnessing the Self-Immolation of a Superpower
With Donald Trump’s actions in Greenland, Minneapolis, and Venezuela, a foreign enemy could not invent a better chain of events to wreck the standing of the United States.
www.wired.com
January 23, 2026 at 7:03 PM
Has a great world power ever destroyed itself before? No hostile outside rival, no natural disaster, no great economic calamity, just ... indolence & ignorance. Is there precedent?
Reposted by Ken Acks
"Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is suing some of the world’s largest oil companies, accusing them of colluding for decades to keep renewable energy and electric vehicles on the margins."
There's a thought!
There's a thought!
Michigan AG Dana Nessel sues big oil over ‘cartel’-like plot to kill clean energy
In a lawsuit expected to be filed today, Nessel alleges some of the world’s largest oil companies colluded to suppress the development of EVs and clean energy to keep Americans reliant on fossil fuels...
bridgemi.com
January 23, 2026 at 8:08 PM
"Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is suing some of the world’s largest oil companies, accusing them of colluding for decades to keep renewable energy and electric vehicles on the margins."
There's a thought!
There's a thought!
Reposted by Ken Acks
"The core danger we identified is now emerging: a violent confrontation between state and federal military forces in a major American city."
We ran high-level US civil war simulations. Minnesota is exactly how they start | Claire Finkelstein
Developments in Minnesota closely mirror a scenario explored in a 2024 exercise conducted at the Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law at the University of Pennsylvania, which I direct
www.theguardian.com
January 23, 2026 at 9:38 PM
"The core danger we identified is now emerging: a violent confrontation between state and federal military forces in a major American city."
Reposted by Ken Acks
My org @immcouncil.org represents those two gay men. They had been arrested on charges of sodomy by Iranian moral police, and fled the country seeking asylum. They face the death penalty if returned, yet the Trump admin denied their asylum claims in a kangaroo court process.
They are terrified.
They are terrified.
January 23, 2026 at 1:26 PM
My org @immcouncil.org represents those two gay men. They had been arrested on charges of sodomy by Iranian moral police, and fled the country seeking asylum. They face the death penalty if returned, yet the Trump admin denied their asylum claims in a kangaroo court process.
They are terrified.
They are terrified.
Reposted by Ken Acks
Next book project. Extremely excited.
January 23, 2026 at 4:46 PM
Next book project. Extremely excited.
Reposted by Ken Acks
it's cool that so many people in positions of power and influence were so negatively polarized by "wokeness" that they convinced themselves that there was an actual debate about who wanted to erase history and the "wokes" were on the wrong side bsky.app/profile/arch...
"Slavery was real"
Tiny sign at the base of a brick wall that, until yesterday, held panels about the people enslaved by George Washington.
Presidents House, Philadelphia.
Tiny sign at the base of a brick wall that, until yesterday, held panels about the people enslaved by George Washington.
Presidents House, Philadelphia.
January 23, 2026 at 6:13 PM
it's cool that so many people in positions of power and influence were so negatively polarized by "wokeness" that they convinced themselves that there was an actual debate about who wanted to erase history and the "wokes" were on the wrong side bsky.app/profile/arch...
Reposted by Ken Acks
This was a big "laws are fake" moment -- we had a huge bipartisan vote to ban tiktok, the Supreme Court ruled it was constitutional, and the Biden administration ... decided not to do anything because the Trump administration planned not to do anything (all of which violated the law)
US politicians: TikTok is an evil Chinese surveillance tool that must be sold to a god-fearing American company! Spying is evil!
TikTok the day of the Oracle switch:
TikTok the day of the Oracle switch:
January 23, 2026 at 6:45 PM
This was a big "laws are fake" moment -- we had a huge bipartisan vote to ban tiktok, the Supreme Court ruled it was constitutional, and the Biden administration ... decided not to do anything because the Trump administration planned not to do anything (all of which violated the law)
Reposted by Ken Acks
We’ve covered lots of losing local teams on the back page of this paper.
But none with a record as bad as the Chicago DOJ during Operation Midway Blitz:
0 convictions
11 charges dropped
3 no-billed cases
1 jury acquittal
But none with a record as bad as the Chicago DOJ during Operation Midway Blitz:
0 convictions
11 charges dropped
3 no-billed cases
1 jury acquittal
January 23, 2026 at 8:23 PM
We’ve covered lots of losing local teams on the back page of this paper.
But none with a record as bad as the Chicago DOJ during Operation Midway Blitz:
0 convictions
11 charges dropped
3 no-billed cases
1 jury acquittal
But none with a record as bad as the Chicago DOJ during Operation Midway Blitz:
0 convictions
11 charges dropped
3 no-billed cases
1 jury acquittal
Trump’s Chilling Weaponization of Confidential Government Records www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-chil...
Trump’s Chilling Weaponization of Confidential Government Records
Remind me—who else in history made lists of Jewish intellectuals and people with disabilities?
www.thebulwark.com
January 24, 2026 at 2:51 PM
Trump’s Chilling Weaponization of Confidential Government Records www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-chil...
Reposted by Ken Acks
Trump’s back to threatening 100% tariffs on Canada this morning, wow I can’t imagine why the Canadians now see the Chinese as a more reliable trade partner
January 24, 2026 at 2:01 PM
Trump’s back to threatening 100% tariffs on Canada this morning, wow I can’t imagine why the Canadians now see the Chinese as a more reliable trade partner
Reposted by Ken Acks
This is such an important point. That 5-year-old and his dad should never been detained in the first place! That's because they were already in the system and going through the legal process to seek asylum — and their arrest was seemingly just to juice ICE's numbers.
This kid and his father entered via CBP One app. It's just absurd and monumentally unfair for people who availed themselves of lawful channels when they existed by following government processes to suddenly get detained and deported to a third country.
newrepublic.com/article/2056...
newrepublic.com/article/2056...
January 23, 2026 at 6:44 PM
This is such an important point. That 5-year-old and his dad should never been detained in the first place! That's because they were already in the system and going through the legal process to seek asylum — and their arrest was seemingly just to juice ICE's numbers.
Utah reviewed its voter rolls for noncitizens. It found one. Who never voted - Democracy Docket www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
Utah reviewed its voter rolls for noncitizens. It found one. Who never voted
The results sharply undercut the narrative of widespread noncitizen voting Republicans are using to promote new nationwide restrictions on voting.
www.democracydocket.com
January 24, 2026 at 2:49 PM
Utah reviewed its voter rolls for noncitizens. It found one. Who never voted - Democracy Docket www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
A Record of Historic Harm in the First Year of Trump’s Second Term | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities www.cbpp.org/research/fed...
A Record of Historic Harm in the First Year of Trump’s Second Term
The breadth of actions harming low- and moderate-income people over the last year is staggering, with huge cuts to health coverage, food assistance, and other basic needs programs, paired with hikes i...
www.cbpp.org
January 24, 2026 at 3:46 AM
A Record of Historic Harm in the First Year of Trump’s Second Term | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities www.cbpp.org/research/fed...
Reposted by Ken Acks
ICE detained a 2-year-old girl in Minneapolis and put the child on a flight to a detention center in Texas, despite a court ordering her release: www.startribune.com/agents-detai...
January 24, 2026 at 12:29 AM
ICE detained a 2-year-old girl in Minneapolis and put the child on a flight to a detention center in Texas, despite a court ordering her release: www.startribune.com/agents-detai...
Reposted by Ken Acks
They know their audience has an insatiable appetite for seeing black women humiliated for exceeding their station, so when it didn’t happen they used AI to complete the fantasy bsky.app/profile/nyti...
The White House posted a digitally altered image showing a demonstrator involved in interrupting a church service in Minnesota last weekend crying as she was arrested on Thursday.
A previous version of the image, also posted by an official government account, showed her looking forward calmly.
A previous version of the image, also posted by an official government account, showed her looking forward calmly.
White House Posts Altered Photo Showing Arrested Minnesota Protester Crying
The New York Times ran the image posted by Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, as well as the one posted by the White House through an A.I. detection system. It concluded that the White House’s version showed signs of manipulation.
nyti.ms
January 23, 2026 at 1:33 PM
They know their audience has an insatiable appetite for seeing black women humiliated for exceeding their station, so when it didn’t happen they used AI to complete the fantasy bsky.app/profile/nyti...
Reposted by Ken Acks
I'm not one for false optimism. But what I witnessed today in Minneapolis was tremendous, both in scale and exuberance. It was a stunning answer to the federal assault on Minnesota, a show of solidarity that gives us something to hold on to during times that are unforgiving.
“Everybody Showed Up”: Stunning Crowds at Minnesota Day of Strike and Shutdown Against ICE
Extreme cold didn't stop the shutdown on Friday as some 100 faith leaders were arrested, residents stayed home from work, and an estimated 50,000 or more marched through downtown Minneapolis.
inthesetimes.com
January 24, 2026 at 12:42 AM
I'm not one for false optimism. But what I witnessed today in Minneapolis was tremendous, both in scale and exuberance. It was a stunning answer to the federal assault on Minnesota, a show of solidarity that gives us something to hold on to during times that are unforgiving.
Reposted by Ken Acks
🚨"We wonder why people in the 1930s were quiet, we need to show we weren't quiet. History is gonna look back at all the people that didn't show up—their grandkids are gonna ask what were they doing! It's like -10 degrees and we're here!" -Minneapolis ICE protester. LIVE NOW⬇️
January 23, 2026 at 10:39 PM
🚨"We wonder why people in the 1930s were quiet, we need to show we weren't quiet. History is gonna look back at all the people that didn't show up—their grandkids are gonna ask what were they doing! It's like -10 degrees and we're here!" -Minneapolis ICE protester. LIVE NOW⬇️
Reposted by Ken Acks
Trump's first year back: The consent of the governed has been withdrawn
www.gelliottmorris.com/p/one-year-o...
www.gelliottmorris.com/p/one-year-o...
The consent of the governed has been withdrawn
One year into his second term, Trump has suffered the largest approval collapse of any modern president (except the one who resigned in disgrace). He is underwater on every major policy area.
www.gelliottmorris.com
January 23, 2026 at 1:10 PM
Trump's first year back: The consent of the governed has been withdrawn
www.gelliottmorris.com/p/one-year-o...
www.gelliottmorris.com/p/one-year-o...
The shocking collapse of American vaccination
open.substack.com/pub/matthewy...
open.substack.com/pub/matthewy...
The shocking collapse of American vaccination
A somewhat surprising, totally terrible, borderline unfixable Trump legacy
open.substack.com
January 23, 2026 at 3:24 PM
The shocking collapse of American vaccination
open.substack.com/pub/matthewy...
open.substack.com/pub/matthewy...
Reposted by Ken Acks
Every single thing Mr. Rogers said is anathema to today's Republican Party. His entire persona was premised on empathy and they quite explicitly view empathy as a dangerous flaw.
This is quite literally one of the stupidest human beings alive
January 22, 2026 at 11:48 PM
Every single thing Mr. Rogers said is anathema to today's Republican Party. His entire persona was premised on empathy and they quite explicitly view empathy as a dangerous flaw.
Reposted by Ken Acks
We set out to determine how many images of women and girls Grok created during its nudifying spree. What we found was “industrial-scale abuse,” experts said. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/t...
Musk’s Chatbot Flooded X With Millions of Sexualized Images in Days, New Estimates Show
www.nytimes.com
January 22, 2026 at 2:56 PM
We set out to determine how many images of women and girls Grok created during its nudifying spree. What we found was “industrial-scale abuse,” experts said. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/t...
Reposted by Ken Acks
I would argue that the case for dismantling ICE has, at this point, virtually nothing to do with larger questions of immigration enforcement and reform, it's just clearly incompatible with a free and democratic society to maintain a secret police force with sweeping and arbitrary authority.
Senator Gallego weighs in as well. Note that at the start of 2025 he was considered a *moderate* on immigration and co-sponsored the Laken Riley Act. Him and many other Dems have been increasingly horrified at what ICE is doing and shifted away from a "more enforcement" focus.
January 21, 2026 at 11:09 PM
I would argue that the case for dismantling ICE has, at this point, virtually nothing to do with larger questions of immigration enforcement and reform, it's just clearly incompatible with a free and democratic society to maintain a secret police force with sweeping and arbitrary authority.
Reposted by Ken Acks
A billionaire known as “Bitcoin Jesus” was under indictment for massive criminal tax fraud and very likely going to prison.
Then, he hired a “Friend of Trump” and the criminal charges disappeared.
How did they do it? Avi Asher-Schapiro and I spent months getting the inside story.
Then, he hired a “Friend of Trump” and the criminal charges disappeared.
How did they do it? Avi Asher-Schapiro and I spent months getting the inside story.
January 22, 2026 at 3:58 PM
A billionaire known as “Bitcoin Jesus” was under indictment for massive criminal tax fraud and very likely going to prison.
Then, he hired a “Friend of Trump” and the criminal charges disappeared.
How did they do it? Avi Asher-Schapiro and I spent months getting the inside story.
Then, he hired a “Friend of Trump” and the criminal charges disappeared.
How did they do it? Avi Asher-Schapiro and I spent months getting the inside story.
Reposted by Ken Acks
Well, this is really something. A majority of *working class whites* disapprove of ICE, per new NYT poll.
Dovetails with the unpublished data that I got from Quinnipiac finding similar on working class more broadly (see below).
(cc @gelliottmorris.com )
Dovetails with the unpublished data that I got from Quinnipiac finding similar on working class more broadly (see below).
(cc @gelliottmorris.com )
Quinnipiac gave me unpublished data from new poll and it finds huge, huge, huge percentages of young and working class voters have seen video of Minneapolis shooting.
Majorities of both disapprove of ICE. Pundits are getting the working class/immigration wrong:
newrepublic.com/article/2052...
Majorities of both disapprove of ICE. Pundits are getting the working class/immigration wrong:
newrepublic.com/article/2052...
January 22, 2026 at 5:32 PM
Well, this is really something. A majority of *working class whites* disapprove of ICE, per new NYT poll.
Dovetails with the unpublished data that I got from Quinnipiac finding similar on working class more broadly (see below).
(cc @gelliottmorris.com )
Dovetails with the unpublished data that I got from Quinnipiac finding similar on working class more broadly (see below).
(cc @gelliottmorris.com )