Rick Claypool
@rickclaypool.bsky.social
writing weird sad stories, foraging wild fungi, researching terrible things corporations do
going to a thing with a costume contest tonight, I’m probably gonna win
October 14, 2025 at 8:34 PM
going to a thing with a costume contest tonight, I’m probably gonna win
my kid found me a birthday present
October 14, 2025 at 12:07 AM
my kid found me a birthday present
the RI Mycological Society made this to promote an event where I’ll be tabling at Borders Farm Saturday 10/18 10am-noon
October 12, 2025 at 1:15 PM
the RI Mycological Society made this to promote an event where I’ll be tabling at Borders Farm Saturday 10/18 10am-noon
now is the time of monsters xraylitmag.com/underground-...
August 18, 2025 at 1:11 PM
now is the time of monsters xraylitmag.com/underground-...
No agency has been the target of the Trump admin’s deregulatory wrath like the CFPB.
Acting director Russ Vought went so far as to accuse the agency of engaging in the “weaponization” of consumer protection -- familiar anti-enforcement rhetoric. 20/23
Acting director Russ Vought went so far as to accuse the agency of engaging in the “weaponization” of consumer protection -- familiar anti-enforcement rhetoric. 20/23
August 15, 2025 at 3:06 PM
No agency has been the target of the Trump admin’s deregulatory wrath like the CFPB.
Acting director Russ Vought went so far as to accuse the agency of engaging in the “weaponization” of consumer protection -- familiar anti-enforcement rhetoric. 20/23
Acting director Russ Vought went so far as to accuse the agency of engaging in the “weaponization” of consumer protection -- familiar anti-enforcement rhetoric. 20/23
On the fintech side, Trump inherited at least 58 CFPB cases from Biden, including 17 against fintech corporations.
11 of these have already been halted or dismissed. 19/23
11 of these have already been halted or dismissed. 19/23
August 15, 2025 at 3:06 PM
On the fintech side, Trump inherited at least 58 CFPB cases from Biden, including 17 against fintech corporations.
11 of these have already been halted or dismissed. 19/23
11 of these have already been halted or dismissed. 19/23
Trump signed what appears to be the first-ever full presidential pardon for a corporation – the crypto business BitMEX – allowing it avoid paying the $100M penalty it was sentenced to pay for financial crimes. 17/23
August 15, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Trump signed what appears to be the first-ever full presidential pardon for a corporation – the crypto business BitMEX – allowing it avoid paying the $100M penalty it was sentenced to pay for financial crimes. 17/23
Trump’s Dept. of Labor has already abruptly withdrawn an investigation into allegations of illegal labor practices at ScaleAI, which gave $125K to Trump’s inauguration and is where White House Office of Science & Technology Policy director Michael Kratsios was formerly an executive (15/23)
August 15, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Trump’s Dept. of Labor has already abruptly withdrawn an investigation into allegations of illegal labor practices at ScaleAI, which gave $125K to Trump’s inauguration and is where White House Office of Science & Technology Policy director Michael Kratsios was formerly an executive (15/23)
The Trump White House’s AI Action Plan specifically targets FTC enforcement that could “unduly burden AI innovation”
Corporations facing FTC enforcement over AI concerns include OpenAI, Microsoft, and Snap. (14/23)
Corporations facing FTC enforcement over AI concerns include OpenAI, Microsoft, and Snap. (14/23)
August 15, 2025 at 2:58 PM
The Trump White House’s AI Action Plan specifically targets FTC enforcement that could “unduly burden AI innovation”
Corporations facing FTC enforcement over AI concerns include OpenAI, Microsoft, and Snap. (14/23)
Corporations facing FTC enforcement over AI concerns include OpenAI, Microsoft, and Snap. (14/23)
Antitrust cases against Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia – all of which are going out of their way to ingratiate themselves to Trump – are important cases to follow going forward. (12/23)
August 15, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Antitrust cases against Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia – all of which are going out of their way to ingratiate themselves to Trump – are important cases to follow going forward. (12/23)
However, while the Google and Meta anti-monopoly cases proceed, lax merger enforcement has apparently returned.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s acquisition of Juniper Networks is a particularly remarkable instance of industry consolidation Trump’s DOJ has allowed (11/23 )
Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s acquisition of Juniper Networks is a particularly remarkable instance of industry consolidation Trump’s DOJ has allowed (11/23 )
August 15, 2025 at 2:56 PM
However, while the Google and Meta anti-monopoly cases proceed, lax merger enforcement has apparently returned.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s acquisition of Juniper Networks is a particularly remarkable instance of industry consolidation Trump’s DOJ has allowed (11/23 )
Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s acquisition of Juniper Networks is a particularly remarkable instance of industry consolidation Trump’s DOJ has allowed (11/23 )
Tech corporations facing enforcement, their executives, and their investors have spent $1.2 BILLION during the 2024 elections and since Trump’s election.
Musk and his companies alone spent over $350 million, about a 1/3 of the tech influence spending. (6/23)
Musk and his companies alone spent over $350 million, about a 1/3 of the tech influence spending. (6/23)
August 15, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Tech corporations facing enforcement, their executives, and their investors have spent $1.2 BILLION during the 2024 elections and since Trump’s election.
Musk and his companies alone spent over $350 million, about a 1/3 of the tech influence spending. (6/23)
Musk and his companies alone spent over $350 million, about a 1/3 of the tech influence spending. (6/23)
Elon Musk’s corporations – The Boring Company, Neuralink, SpaceX, Tesla, X, and xAI – face at least 19 separate sets of allegations from at least nine federal agencies.
Many have already been dropped or sidelined. (5/23)
Many have already been dropped or sidelined. (5/23)
August 15, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Elon Musk’s corporations – The Boring Company, Neuralink, SpaceX, Tesla, X, and xAI – face at least 19 separate sets of allegations from at least nine federal agencies.
Many have already been dropped or sidelined. (5/23)
Many have already been dropped or sidelined. (5/23)
Tech corporations benefiting from halted or withdrawn federal enforcement include eBay, Meta, PayPal, SpaceX, Tesla, and numerous cryptocurrency and financial technology corporations. (3/23)
August 15, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Tech corporations benefiting from halted or withdrawn federal enforcement include eBay, Meta, PayPal, SpaceX, Tesla, and numerous cryptocurrency and financial technology corporations. (3/23)
pretty excited about @lastweektonight.com tonight
August 4, 2025 at 3:22 AM
pretty excited about @lastweektonight.com tonight
the big boletes have begun
July 12, 2025 at 1:08 PM
the big boletes have begun
Trump's DOJ dropped Toyota's bribery investigation a week after announcing its weakened enforcement policy.
In May, Trump's CFPB scrapped a Toyota consent decree, sparing the corporation from paying $40 million in refunds.
Quite the return on Toyota's $1 million inaugural gift!
In May, Trump's CFPB scrapped a Toyota consent decree, sparing the corporation from paying $40 million in refunds.
Quite the return on Toyota's $1 million inaugural gift!
June 20, 2025 at 12:19 PM
Trump's DOJ dropped Toyota's bribery investigation a week after announcing its weakened enforcement policy.
In May, Trump's CFPB scrapped a Toyota consent decree, sparing the corporation from paying $40 million in refunds.
Quite the return on Toyota's $1 million inaugural gift!
In May, Trump's CFPB scrapped a Toyota consent decree, sparing the corporation from paying $40 million in refunds.
Quite the return on Toyota's $1 million inaugural gift!
Overjoyed to report one of my favorite slime molds reappeared today after I haven’t seen it for about 3 years. Delighted to see you again, old friend
June 19, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Overjoyed to report one of my favorite slime molds reappeared today after I haven’t seen it for about 3 years. Delighted to see you again, old friend
in the woods, screaming
June 16, 2025 at 3:48 PM
in the woods, screaming
Among the corporations that stand to benefit from dropped Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigations are Pfizer and Toyota, both of which donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration.
June 10, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Among the corporations that stand to benefit from dropped Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigations are Pfizer and Toyota, both of which donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration.
Trump's DOJ just announced American corporations that engage in criminal bribery schemes abroad will no longer be prosecuted.
These authoritarians are simultaneously legalizing corporate crime while cheering the use of unrestrained excessive force against immigrants. www.justice.gov/dag/media/14...
These authoritarians are simultaneously legalizing corporate crime while cheering the use of unrestrained excessive force against immigrants. www.justice.gov/dag/media/14...
June 10, 2025 at 12:11 PM
Trump's DOJ just announced American corporations that engage in criminal bribery schemes abroad will no longer be prosecuted.
These authoritarians are simultaneously legalizing corporate crime while cheering the use of unrestrained excessive force against immigrants. www.justice.gov/dag/media/14...
These authoritarians are simultaneously legalizing corporate crime while cheering the use of unrestrained excessive force against immigrants. www.justice.gov/dag/media/14...
Thank you! It must have fruited in the middle of a critter path
June 9, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Thank you! It must have fruited in the middle of a critter path
Some spectacular myxomycete (slime mold) observations from the past weekend
June 9, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Some spectacular myxomycete (slime mold) observations from the past weekend
There is an administration-wide push to stop prosecuting corporate lawbreaking.
But corruption is a factor, no doubt
But corruption is a factor, no doubt
June 5, 2025 at 12:54 PM
There is an administration-wide push to stop prosecuting corporate lawbreaking.
But corruption is a factor, no doubt
But corruption is a factor, no doubt
It's official. Trump's DOJ turned Boeing's guilty plea for breaching the deal to clean up its act after the deadly 737 Max crashes into a non-prosecution agreement.
Boeing, perpetrator of one of the deadliest corporate crimes in history, basically walks away with a clean slate.
Boeing, perpetrator of one of the deadliest corporate crimes in history, basically walks away with a clean slate.
June 5, 2025 at 12:37 PM
It's official. Trump's DOJ turned Boeing's guilty plea for breaching the deal to clean up its act after the deadly 737 Max crashes into a non-prosecution agreement.
Boeing, perpetrator of one of the deadliest corporate crimes in history, basically walks away with a clean slate.
Boeing, perpetrator of one of the deadliest corporate crimes in history, basically walks away with a clean slate.