Sam Workman
@sam-workman.bsky.social
Professor & Director of the Institute for Policy Research and Public Affairs at West Virginia University 🍸cocktails 📜 policy 📊 data
📍Morgantown, West Virginia, Appalachia
🌎 https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-workman
🌎 https://samuelworkman.owlstown.net
📍Morgantown, West Virginia, Appalachia
🌎 https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-workman
🌎 https://samuelworkman.owlstown.net
Pinned
Samuel Workman, Ph.D. - Atholl Brose
This is one of the world's oldest cocktails. It originates in the 1400s and gets its name from Earl Atholl, who used the mixture to quash a rebellion from th...
samuelworkman.owlstown.net
This week's cocktail comes from Scotland. Its OLD and perfect for Argyle weather. But disrespect it, and like a muscular Scot, it'll throw you down a well. This is the Atholl Brose. 🍸🍹 #cocktails
There is a little place called Reims, fount of Kings and the Nectar of the Gods. No cocktail surpasses it's straw glow. Happy TG everybody. 🍾 #champagne
November 26, 2025 at 11:12 PM
There is a little place called Reims, fount of Kings and the Nectar of the Gods. No cocktail surpasses it's straw glow. Happy TG everybody. 🍾 #champagne
Norms aren't restored by application of or "rule of law" but by meeting defection with defection.
November 26, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Norms aren't restored by application of or "rule of law" but by meeting defection with defection.
I don't know about the veracity of any of these arguments. But, I do know that if Dems could lose 60-40, or even 70-30, instead of 80-20, the world would be a very different place. #rural
Democrats plan a new investment in winning rural voters, who've fled the party
Democrats are announcing a new investment to win over voters in rural areas — where the party has suffered deep losses in recent elections — by leaning on an economic message.
www.npr.org
November 25, 2025 at 3:41 PM
I don't know about the veracity of any of these arguments. But, I do know that if Dems could lose 60-40, or even 70-30, instead of 80-20, the world would be a very different place. #rural
One of the central problems with opinion polling in West Virginia, and even more so with national polls about West Virginians, is that they represent a few folks from our larger cities. West Virginia is a hard place to poll for geographical and infrastructure reasons. Quick 🧵. 🏛️🌐🗺️
November 24, 2025 at 4:12 PM
One of the central problems with opinion polling in West Virginia, and even more so with national polls about West Virginians, is that they represent a few folks from our larger cities. West Virginia is a hard place to poll for geographical and infrastructure reasons. Quick 🧵. 🏛️🌐🗺️
Reposted by Sam Workman
In every dystopian novel: the government bans books.
In reality: we gave up reading voluntarily.
In reality: we gave up reading voluntarily.
November 24, 2025 at 11:14 AM
In every dystopian novel: the government bans books.
In reality: we gave up reading voluntarily.
In reality: we gave up reading voluntarily.
Reposted by Sam Workman
Explore this PSJ article from our latest issue examining how local agendas evolve in response to national signals, population growth, and institutional change.
By Peter B. Mortensen & Brooke Nicole Shannon
Read more here: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
#PSJ #PolicyStudiesJournal
By Peter B. Mortensen & Brooke Nicole Shannon
Read more here: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
#PSJ #PolicyStudiesJournal
November 24, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Explore this PSJ article from our latest issue examining how local agendas evolve in response to national signals, population growth, and institutional change.
By Peter B. Mortensen & Brooke Nicole Shannon
Read more here: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
#PSJ #PolicyStudiesJournal
By Peter B. Mortensen & Brooke Nicole Shannon
Read more here: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
#PSJ #PolicyStudiesJournal
This week's cocktail comes from Scotland. Its OLD and perfect for Argyle weather. But disrespect it, and like a muscular Scot, it'll throw you down a well. This is the Atholl Brose. 🍸🍹 #cocktails
Samuel Workman, Ph.D. - Atholl Brose
This is one of the world's oldest cocktails. It originates in the 1400s and gets its name from Earl Atholl, who used the mixture to quash a rebellion from th...
samuelworkman.owlstown.net
November 23, 2025 at 9:43 PM
This week's cocktail comes from Scotland. Its OLD and perfect for Argyle weather. But disrespect it, and like a muscular Scot, it'll throw you down a well. This is the Atholl Brose. 🍸🍹 #cocktails
🧵 🛟
1. #Flu 🧵: #CDC reports that #influenza activity has been "trending upward slowly" in the US over the past few weeks. This could change markedly after Thanksgiving, with all the cross country travel & intergenerational mingling. Right now only 2 places are reporting moderate activity, LA & PR.
November 22, 2025 at 12:10 AM
🧵 🛟
Interesting paper 🔌💡
🚨 New draft 🚨
We built an LLM-enabled system to measure greenwashing scores in 1 million worldwide Facebook ads.
We found vast networks of Facebook pages sharing pro-fossil fuel messages & show that ads are targeted at left-leaning areas with fossil fuel investments.
Link: doi.org/10.48550/arX...
We built an LLM-enabled system to measure greenwashing scores in 1 million worldwide Facebook ads.
We found vast networks of Facebook pages sharing pro-fossil fuel messages & show that ads are targeted at left-leaning areas with fossil fuel investments.
Link: doi.org/10.48550/arX...
November 20, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Interesting paper 🔌💡
Reposted by Sam Workman
🚨New report!🚨 Small modular reactors are seen as neat, carbon-free solutions to the problems of energy-hungry tech like AI. But our analysis @stpp-um.bsky.social argues it will have serious environmental, social, and justice impacts and offers 12 policy recommendations across the nuclear fuel cycle.
The Reactor Around the Corner: Understanding Advanced Nuclear Energy Futures
stpp.fordschool.umich.edu
November 19, 2025 at 6:47 PM
🚨New report!🚨 Small modular reactors are seen as neat, carbon-free solutions to the problems of energy-hungry tech like AI. But our analysis @stpp-um.bsky.social argues it will have serious environmental, social, and justice impacts and offers 12 policy recommendations across the nuclear fuel cycle.
Behavioral lock-in. Abysmal.
A majority of U.S. adults (59%) say they don’t want to get an updated COVID-19 vaccine. This is roughly identical to the share who said in October 2024 that they probably wouldn’t get the updated vaccine.
November 19, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Behavioral lock-in. Abysmal.
Reposted by Sam Workman
44% of Americans say they have heard nothing at all about the CDC’s changes to COVID-19 vaccine recommendations (issued in early October). Among those who have heard at least a little, 63% say the changes have had no influence on their decision whether to get an updated vaccine.
November 19, 2025 at 2:00 PM
44% of Americans say they have heard nothing at all about the CDC’s changes to COVID-19 vaccine recommendations (issued in early October). Among those who have heard at least a little, 63% say the changes have had no influence on their decision whether to get an updated vaccine.
Reposted by Sam Workman
1/ Announcing GovScape – a public search system for 10 million U.S. government PDFs (70 million pages)! GovScape offers visual search, semantic text search, and keyword search. Explore below:
Website: www.govscape.net
ArXiv link: arxiv.org/abs/2511.11010
Website: www.govscape.net
ArXiv link: arxiv.org/abs/2511.11010
www.govscape.net
November 18, 2025 at 8:19 PM
1/ Announcing GovScape – a public search system for 10 million U.S. government PDFs (70 million pages)! GovScape offers visual search, semantic text search, and keyword search. Explore below:
Website: www.govscape.net
ArXiv link: arxiv.org/abs/2511.11010
Website: www.govscape.net
ArXiv link: arxiv.org/abs/2511.11010
It'll be interesting to see whether these turn out to be intraparty resistance or realizing there is a credible threat of retaliation in tit-for-tat.
The Indiana State Senate rejected President Donald Trump’s call for a special session to redraw the state’s congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterms. The move preserves Indiana’s current map and represents yet another rebuke of Trump’s national gerrymander push.
Indiana GOPers Defy Trump, Vote Against Gerrymander Session
Read more here.
www.democracydocket.com
November 19, 2025 at 2:28 AM
It'll be interesting to see whether these turn out to be intraparty resistance or realizing there is a credible threat of retaliation in tit-for-tat.
I agree. Also, I also think we underestimate the untold damage that the academy's collective allergy to structural discussions/arguments has done to the cause of good public policy. It's more than pundits.
I think a lot about Harris putting out a price gouging policy, and getting piled on by liberal economist pundits, whose criticism immediately got turned into Trump ads.
November 18, 2025 at 11:58 PM
I agree. Also, I also think we underestimate the untold damage that the academy's collective allergy to structural discussions/arguments has done to the cause of good public policy. It's more than pundits.
Reposted by Sam Workman
1. Public utility commissions rubber stamping rate increases
2. Households being taxed to pay for infrastructure used by industry
3. Electric grid not designed for climate change, extreme weather driving rebuilding costs up
Solutions:
1. VPPs & efficiency
2. Build clean energy
3. Accountable PUCs
2. Households being taxed to pay for infrastructure used by industry
3. Electric grid not designed for climate change, extreme weather driving rebuilding costs up
Solutions:
1. VPPs & efficiency
2. Build clean energy
3. Accountable PUCs
You are a random Dem running in 2026 -- say, for some House seat in some swing state. You're on local media. You're asked: "what are three reasons that energy prices are rising & what are three things you'd like to do to bring them down?" What's your answer?
November 18, 2025 at 12:58 AM
1. Public utility commissions rubber stamping rate increases
2. Households being taxed to pay for infrastructure used by industry
3. Electric grid not designed for climate change, extreme weather driving rebuilding costs up
Solutions:
1. VPPs & efficiency
2. Build clean energy
3. Accountable PUCs
2. Households being taxed to pay for infrastructure used by industry
3. Electric grid not designed for climate change, extreme weather driving rebuilding costs up
Solutions:
1. VPPs & efficiency
2. Build clean energy
3. Accountable PUCs
Reposted by Sam Workman
David Richardson, the senior official performing the duties of the administrator at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has resigned and moved to the “private sector,” a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said Monday, reports @jennifershutt.bsky.social.
Latest FEMA acting administrator steps down, with no permanent chief tapped by Trump • West Virginia Watch
David Richardson, the senior official performing the duties of the administrator at FEMA, has resigned and moved to the “private sector."
westvirginiawatch.com
November 17, 2025 at 11:00 PM
David Richardson, the senior official performing the duties of the administrator at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has resigned and moved to the “private sector,” a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said Monday, reports @jennifershutt.bsky.social.
Reposted by Sam Workman
A combined approach of aggressive clean air policies and climate action could allow China to achieve “triple control” of fine particles, ozone, and carbon dioxide by 2030, and provide a roadmap for developing countries. In PNAS: https://ow.ly/1TNG50XsWmm
November 17, 2025 at 8:01 PM
A combined approach of aggressive clean air policies and climate action could allow China to achieve “triple control” of fine particles, ozone, and carbon dioxide by 2030, and provide a roadmap for developing countries. In PNAS: https://ow.ly/1TNG50XsWmm
"gap in the literature"
November 17, 2025 at 7:59 PM
"gap in the literature"
🤦 Might as well try to push it in with his thumb.
True comedy is watching Dave Portnay trying to use a hammer
November 15, 2025 at 8:23 PM
🤦 Might as well try to push it in with his thumb.
The conversation about social media is interesting. I'm not a substack member, so I went and signed up. In the "get to me" part of signing up, I noted that I was only interested in food and drinks (I know, shocker). Once in the system, ALL of my recommendations for content were politics and pundits.
November 12, 2025 at 2:51 PM
The conversation about social media is interesting. I'm not a substack member, so I went and signed up. In the "get to me" part of signing up, I noted that I was only interested in food and drinks (I know, shocker). Once in the system, ALL of my recommendations for content were politics and pundits.
Still learning. Training: "Ashley shows up to the office and you notice she has been punched in the face. Should you be concerned?"
I dunno. This is tough.
I dunno. This is tough.
Update. Currently, have been paid for nearly the last 3 hours for NSF "research training." So far, some highlights: the definition of "availability" and that if someone requests replication materials, I should search the project folder. Stuck in Dante's 8th Circle of hell.
The amount of money that taxpayers of a poor state (or funders) pay for us to sit in asinine research trainings is truly a travesty, and effectively, a tax. If anything should be DOGE'd, this is it. If we need this much training, our Ph.D.'s aren't worth the paper they are printed on. #endrant
November 10, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Still learning. Training: "Ashley shows up to the office and you notice she has been punched in the face. Should you be concerned?"
I dunno. This is tough.
I dunno. This is tough.
If there is/was no path to ACA subsidy extension and you make it your core (only?) demand, there is some deftness lacking. Like a child demanding to see aliens before agreeing to go to bed.
November 10, 2025 at 1:21 AM
If there is/was no path to ACA subsidy extension and you make it your core (only?) demand, there is some deftness lacking. Like a child demanding to see aliens before agreeing to go to bed.
So, the caving, what's the "real" core concern? I'd guess:
1. The hungry? ❌
2. The uninsured ❌
3. Societal air travel addiction ✅
We'll see I guess.
1. The hungry? ❌
2. The uninsured ❌
3. Societal air travel addiction ✅
We'll see I guess.
November 9, 2025 at 11:32 PM
So, the caving, what's the "real" core concern? I'd guess:
1. The hungry? ❌
2. The uninsured ❌
3. Societal air travel addiction ✅
We'll see I guess.
1. The hungry? ❌
2. The uninsured ❌
3. Societal air travel addiction ✅
We'll see I guess.
This. Lots of titting no tatting.
If the Dems fail to preserve ACA subsidies in the shutdown, it will be another manifestation of an organizational failure beyond this particular political fight, and one that will reflect the weaknesses of a party built around clienteles w/ no structural power. catalyst-journal.com/2025/07/why-...
Why the Democrats Are So Useless
The Democratic Party’s transformation into a network of policy clientele organizations has left it incapacitated as an opposition party. These groups, which lack strong mass-membership bases and sourc...
catalyst-journal.com
November 9, 2025 at 11:16 PM
This. Lots of titting no tatting.