Sense & Synthesis
@sensynthesis.bsky.social
Liberal Texan. Appalled American. Pro-democracy mom, strategist, nerd, advocate, accidental science communicator.
No Kings. Good must prevail. 🇺🇦 🇺🇸 Public health is a group project. We’re all vulnerable to disability. Ish shouldn’t be this hard.
No Kings. Good must prevail. 🇺🇦 🇺🇸 Public health is a group project. We’re all vulnerable to disability. Ish shouldn’t be this hard.
Pinned
It’s just wild to me that there has never been an easier time in history to be human and a few groups of lunatics are determined to undo that.
What he says.
Reposted by Sense & Synthesis
"As the U.S. administration tries to bully Ukraine and its allies into accepting an unjust “peace” that will never last, we must continue calling for Ukrainians to be heard, respected, and supported," writes historian Timothy Snyder in his recent op-ed.
The wrong way to peace in Ukraine
About the author: Timothy Snyder is an American author and historian who specializes in the history of Central and Eastern Europe and the Holocaust.
Last week, Russia attacked Ukrainian civilians wit...
kyivindependent.com
November 28, 2025 at 6:38 AM
"As the U.S. administration tries to bully Ukraine and its allies into accepting an unjust “peace” that will never last, we must continue calling for Ukrainians to be heard, respected, and supported," writes historian Timothy Snyder in his recent op-ed.
Reposted by Sense & Synthesis
This is my favorite piece on the Zero Units, the Afghan locals who actually fought the war under the direction of the CIA.
The Evacuation of the CIA’s Afghan Proxies Has Opened One of the War’s Blackest Boxes
Afghan Zero Units hold clues to many of the war’s mysteries, including how the CIA engineered deadly night raids that contributed to the Taliban’s victory.
theintercept.com
November 28, 2025 at 2:16 AM
This is my favorite piece on the Zero Units, the Afghan locals who actually fought the war under the direction of the CIA.
Reposted by Sense & Synthesis
So the progressive income tax would be replaced with a regressive consumption tax, enriching Trump's friends and impoverishing the remaining 99.9% of America? Is there a reason Reuters cannot report this story in that way, given that it's wholly factual and exactly what Trump is proposing right now?
Trump says he may cut income tax 'completely' because of tariff income reut.rs/4p65j0l
Trump says he may cut income tax 'completely' because of tariff income
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday his administration may slash income tax completely over the next couple of years because of government revenue generated from tariffs.
reut.rs
November 28, 2025 at 6:47 AM
So the progressive income tax would be replaced with a regressive consumption tax, enriching Trump's friends and impoverishing the remaining 99.9% of America? Is there a reason Reuters cannot report this story in that way, given that it's wholly factual and exactly what Trump is proposing right now?
Reposted by Sense & Synthesis
November 26, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Reposted by Sense & Synthesis
She’s not a casualty of war.
She’s a casualty of the President’s ego, the cowardice of Congress, and the collapse of the Supreme Court as an independent agency.
This is on them. She should have been home. They all should have been home & everyone knew that. They know it now & still won’t say it.
She’s a casualty of the President’s ego, the cowardice of Congress, and the collapse of the Supreme Court as an independent agency.
This is on them. She should have been home. They all should have been home & everyone knew that. They know it now & still won’t say it.
November 28, 2025 at 3:04 AM
She’s not a casualty of war.
She’s a casualty of the President’s ego, the cowardice of Congress, and the collapse of the Supreme Court as an independent agency.
This is on them. She should have been home. They all should have been home & everyone knew that. They know it now & still won’t say it.
She’s a casualty of the President’s ego, the cowardice of Congress, and the collapse of the Supreme Court as an independent agency.
This is on them. She should have been home. They all should have been home & everyone knew that. They know it now & still won’t say it.
Reposted by Sense & Synthesis
God.
f**king.
Dammit.
This is all so pointless and stupid.
This woman did not have to die.
She died because of stupid destructive thoughtless people.
She was barely more than a teenager.
f**king.
Dammit.
This is all so pointless and stupid.
This woman did not have to die.
She died because of stupid destructive thoughtless people.
She was barely more than a teenager.
November 28, 2025 at 2:14 AM
God.
f**king.
Dammit.
This is all so pointless and stupid.
This woman did not have to die.
She died because of stupid destructive thoughtless people.
She was barely more than a teenager.
f**king.
Dammit.
This is all so pointless and stupid.
This woman did not have to die.
She died because of stupid destructive thoughtless people.
She was barely more than a teenager.
Reposted by Sense & Synthesis
We are now further away from the theatrical release of Raiders of the Lost Ark (June 12, 1981) than it was from the year it takes place in (1936). We have reached the Indiana Jones event horizon.
November 27, 2025 at 12:49 AM
We are now further away from the theatrical release of Raiders of the Lost Ark (June 12, 1981) than it was from the year it takes place in (1936). We have reached the Indiana Jones event horizon.
Excellent reporting.
I would like an alternative word for “retribution” - one that conveys the injustice of the vengeance.
Quite a difference between holding an abuser accountable (perceived by abuser as an injury) and abuser’s malicious attacks aimed at intimidating, silencing, and ruining.
I would like an alternative word for “retribution” - one that conveys the injustice of the vengeance.
Quite a difference between holding an abuser accountable (perceived by abuser as an injury) and abuser’s malicious attacks aimed at intimidating, silencing, and ruining.
Reuters has done some really great investigative reporting on the impacts of Trump's retribution campaigns
Reuters reached out to everyone that Trump or his subordinates singled out publicly for retribution, and reviewed hundreds of official orders, directives and public records. The result: the most comprehensive accounting yet of his campaign of payback.
www.reuters.com/investigates...
www.reuters.com/investigates...
November 28, 2025 at 3:29 AM
Excellent reporting.
I would like an alternative word for “retribution” - one that conveys the injustice of the vengeance.
Quite a difference between holding an abuser accountable (perceived by abuser as an injury) and abuser’s malicious attacks aimed at intimidating, silencing, and ruining.
I would like an alternative word for “retribution” - one that conveys the injustice of the vengeance.
Quite a difference between holding an abuser accountable (perceived by abuser as an injury) and abuser’s malicious attacks aimed at intimidating, silencing, and ruining.
Reposted by Sense & Synthesis
A major motivation for me as an historian of the contemporary has always been to make sure that the perpetrators are not forgotten, such that their perpetual infamy serves as a warning and deterrent to future would-be evil-doers.
This shit will be a significant point in Elon’s eventual obituaries.
This shit will be a significant point in Elon’s eventual obituaries.
Public man-made death: The dismantling of USAID “has already caused the deaths of six hundred thousand people, two-thirds of them children.”
That’s 1000+ excess dead children every day. Every day.
hsph.harvard.edu/news/usaid-s...
That’s 1000+ excess dead children every day. Every day.
hsph.harvard.edu/news/usaid-s...
USAID shutdown has led to hundreds of thousands of deaths | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
The Trump administration’s decision to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths from infectious diseases and malnutrition, accord...
hsph.harvard.edu
November 27, 2025 at 1:53 PM
A major motivation for me as an historian of the contemporary has always been to make sure that the perpetrators are not forgotten, such that their perpetual infamy serves as a warning and deterrent to future would-be evil-doers.
This shit will be a significant point in Elon’s eventual obituaries.
This shit will be a significant point in Elon’s eventual obituaries.
Reposted by Sense & Synthesis
Michelle Bowman is reshaping US banking: slashing red tape, freeing up billions, and firing the starting gun on global reform. But is this smart money — or short memory?
Today’s Big Read is on #FTEdit 👉 on.ft.com/3KpAlRC
Register to read it for free (no card details required!) 👉 on.ft.com/48DxvBC
Today’s Big Read is on #FTEdit 👉 on.ft.com/3KpAlRC
Register to read it for free (no card details required!) 👉 on.ft.com/48DxvBC
The US is deregulating banks. Will the rest of the world follow?
New rules will boost lending and profits and entrench American dominance. But critics say they could lead to another crash
on.ft.com
November 27, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Michelle Bowman is reshaping US banking: slashing red tape, freeing up billions, and firing the starting gun on global reform. But is this smart money — or short memory?
Today’s Big Read is on #FTEdit 👉 on.ft.com/3KpAlRC
Register to read it for free (no card details required!) 👉 on.ft.com/48DxvBC
Today’s Big Read is on #FTEdit 👉 on.ft.com/3KpAlRC
Register to read it for free (no card details required!) 👉 on.ft.com/48DxvBC
Reposted by Sense & Synthesis
With DC shooter now identified as an Afghan national not the antifa secret agent White House hoped for a good time to remember the Trump admin has gutted domestic anti-terrorism capacity and reassigned many to finding grandmothers to arrest at immigration hearings.
November 27, 2025 at 4:06 AM
With DC shooter now identified as an Afghan national not the antifa secret agent White House hoped for a good time to remember the Trump admin has gutted domestic anti-terrorism capacity and reassigned many to finding grandmothers to arrest at immigration hearings.
Reposted by Sense & Synthesis
The folks at @afghanevac.bsky.social have in hand a new USCIS directive which largely targets Afghan refugees who fled the Taliban in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal in 2021.
In case you needed a reminder that the most loathsome people in the world work for DHS.
In case you needed a reminder that the most loathsome people in the world work for DHS.
November 25, 2025 at 2:34 AM
The folks at @afghanevac.bsky.social have in hand a new USCIS directive which largely targets Afghan refugees who fled the Taliban in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal in 2021.
In case you needed a reminder that the most loathsome people in the world work for DHS.
In case you needed a reminder that the most loathsome people in the world work for DHS.
Reposted by Sense & Synthesis
It says a lot about our country that the FBI had no interest in interviewing Brett Kavanaugh but wants to talk to Mark Kelly.
November 26, 2025 at 12:34 AM
It says a lot about our country that the FBI had no interest in interviewing Brett Kavanaugh but wants to talk to Mark Kelly.
Reposted by Sense & Synthesis
A New York Times investigation finds that the Trump regime gave false information to the Supreme Court about an incident in Chicago in order to support its bid to deploy the National Guard in the city. (Gift link)
Times Analysis Finds Errors in Trump’s Supreme Court Filing That Calls for National Guard in Chicago
www.nytimes.com
November 26, 2025 at 4:05 AM
A New York Times investigation finds that the Trump regime gave false information to the Supreme Court about an incident in Chicago in order to support its bid to deploy the National Guard in the city. (Gift link)
Reposted by Sense & Synthesis
The first official confirmation that Noem herself made the decision not to turn the planes around. A couple hundred men were tortured as a result — and soon after, the Supreme Court confirmed that the Trump admin’s Alien Enemies Act process was a total violation of due process.
BREAKING:
“After receiving that legal advice, Secretary Noem directed that the AEA detainees who had been removed from the United States before the Court’s order could be transferred to the custody of El Salvador. “
“After receiving that legal advice, Secretary Noem directed that the AEA detainees who had been removed from the United States before the Court’s order could be transferred to the custody of El Salvador. “
November 26, 2025 at 1:45 AM
The first official confirmation that Noem herself made the decision not to turn the planes around. A couple hundred men were tortured as a result — and soon after, the Supreme Court confirmed that the Trump admin’s Alien Enemies Act process was a total violation of due process.
Reposted by Sense & Synthesis
The CDC’s troubling new second in command, briefly explained
www.vox.com
The CDC’s troubling new second in command, briefly explained
twp.ai
November 25, 2025 at 11:34 PM
The CDC’s troubling new second in command, briefly explained
Reposted by Sense & Synthesis
The only Republican speaking with clarity on this issue. Sad that he’s the only one.
November 25, 2025 at 11:21 PM
The only Republican speaking with clarity on this issue. Sad that he’s the only one.
Reposted by Sense & Synthesis
This analysis of the current regime is one of the best I've read to date.
h/t The Other 98%
h/t The Other 98%
November 25, 2025 at 10:35 PM
This analysis of the current regime is one of the best I've read to date.
h/t The Other 98%
h/t The Other 98%
Reposted by Sense & Synthesis
In a memo drafted to Congress, Hegseth writes that he wants to cut the military’s support for Scouting America, the 115-year-old organization teaching kids survival and outdoor skills. In the draft leaked to NPR.
REMINDER: Hitler also banned the Boy Scouts.
apple.news/AV93GCrzwTsq...
REMINDER: Hitler also banned the Boy Scouts.
apple.news/AV93GCrzwTsq...
Pete Hegseth Has Found the Real Enemy: The Scouts — New York Magazine
The Defense secretary is cutting the U.S. military’s ties with the group because it’s too “woke” or something.
apple.news
November 25, 2025 at 10:16 PM
In a memo drafted to Congress, Hegseth writes that he wants to cut the military’s support for Scouting America, the 115-year-old organization teaching kids survival and outdoor skills. In the draft leaked to NPR.
REMINDER: Hitler also banned the Boy Scouts.
apple.news/AV93GCrzwTsq...
REMINDER: Hitler also banned the Boy Scouts.
apple.news/AV93GCrzwTsq...
Reposted by Sense & Synthesis
Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff isn’t working for the US, or for humanity. He’s working for Vladimir Putin. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
November 25, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff isn’t working for the US, or for humanity. He’s working for Vladimir Putin. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Reposted by Sense & Synthesis
November 25, 2025 at 10:14 PM
Reposted by Sense & Synthesis
NEWS --> BBC confirms to me that they did edit a line out of historian @rutgerbregman.com's speech. It called Trump "the most openly corrupt president in US history."
BBC also confirms this was done on the advice of lawyers. So Trump's threats worked.
New piece:
newrepublic.com/article/2036...
BBC also confirms this was done on the advice of lawyers. So Trump's threats worked.
New piece:
newrepublic.com/article/2036...
Trump’s Fury at BBC Gets Unnerving Results with Pro-MAGA Edit Stunner
First, British Broadcasting Corporation execs resigned after Trump complained about a segment. Now the BBC edited out a line from a historian that was critical of Trump. Where does this end?
newrepublic.com
November 25, 2025 at 4:10 PM
NEWS --> BBC confirms to me that they did edit a line out of historian @rutgerbregman.com's speech. It called Trump "the most openly corrupt president in US history."
BBC also confirms this was done on the advice of lawyers. So Trump's threats worked.
New piece:
newrepublic.com/article/2036...
BBC also confirms this was done on the advice of lawyers. So Trump's threats worked.
New piece:
newrepublic.com/article/2036...
Reposted by Sense & Synthesis
Trump Admin planning a rule to re-decide whether *every* refugee who entered under Biden meets their criteria for a refugee. That’s 230,000 people! And no appeals!
www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
www.reuters.com
November 25, 2025 at 2:44 AM
Trump Admin planning a rule to re-decide whether *every* refugee who entered under Biden meets their criteria for a refugee. That’s 230,000 people! And no appeals!
www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
Reposted by Sense & Synthesis
NEW: President Biden commuted the death sentences of most people on the federal death row before exiting office.
President Trump is now effectively looking to retaliate, and to detain those people in the most brutal conditions in the federal system. Bolts reports:
boltsmag.org/death-row-cl...
President Trump is now effectively looking to retaliate, and to detain those people in the most brutal conditions in the federal system. Bolts reports:
boltsmag.org/death-row-cl...
Death Row Prisoners Granted Clemency by Biden Brace for "Living Hell" Under Trump - Bolts
This story was produced by Bolts and published in partnership with The Nation. Inside the federal supermax tucked away in Colorado’s high desert, prisoners spend 22 to 24 hours a day... Read More
boltsmag.org
November 24, 2025 at 4:58 PM
NEW: President Biden commuted the death sentences of most people on the federal death row before exiting office.
President Trump is now effectively looking to retaliate, and to detain those people in the most brutal conditions in the federal system. Bolts reports:
boltsmag.org/death-row-cl...
President Trump is now effectively looking to retaliate, and to detain those people in the most brutal conditions in the federal system. Bolts reports:
boltsmag.org/death-row-cl...
Reposted by Sense & Synthesis
The last time America attempted regime change to lower the price of oil it embroiled us in a war for two decades
And that’s just ONE of the many, many reasons not to attack Venezuela
The criminality of extrajudicially killing thousands of innocent civilians would be another
And that’s just ONE of the many, many reasons not to attack Venezuela
The criminality of extrajudicially killing thousands of innocent civilians would be another
Bessent: "If something happens down in Venezuela, we could really see oil prices go down even more."
November 24, 2025 at 1:41 AM
The last time America attempted regime change to lower the price of oil it embroiled us in a war for two decades
And that’s just ONE of the many, many reasons not to attack Venezuela
The criminality of extrajudicially killing thousands of innocent civilians would be another
And that’s just ONE of the many, many reasons not to attack Venezuela
The criminality of extrajudicially killing thousands of innocent civilians would be another