Stephen J. Beard
@stephenbeard.bsky.social
Graphics journalist at @usatoday.com, based in Indy. News graphics + animation
The Internet is messing with my brain right now. Has it really only been four years since Sharon heated up that Marie Callender’s pie on the surface of the sun?
November 28, 2025 at 2:58 AM
The Internet is messing with my brain right now. Has it really only been four years since Sharon heated up that Marie Callender’s pie on the surface of the sun?
Canceled our annual Disney+ a while back (long before the Kimmel Kerfuffle) but was told service wouldn't officially stop until Nov. 19. Just got this email and had to double-check that cancellation was still on track (it is), but a $30 price hike for loyal annual subscribers seems a bit … goofy.
October 22, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Canceled our annual Disney+ a while back (long before the Kimmel Kerfuffle) but was told service wouldn't officially stop until Nov. 19. Just got this email and had to double-check that cancellation was still on track (it is), but a $30 price hike for loyal annual subscribers seems a bit … goofy.
lol post-call Microsoft Teams survey
October 7, 2025 at 5:27 PM
lol post-call Microsoft Teams survey
Hey, @kordcle.bsky.social … remember this? We were at this game! PD design team in Machaskee’s suite. I think we were among the last few left in the park by the time CLE bats came alive.
the only time in baseball history that a team was up twelve or more runs after five innings but lost the game
October 5, 2025 at 11:03 PM
Hey, @kordcle.bsky.social … remember this? We were at this game! PD design team in Machaskee’s suite. I think we were among the last few left in the park by the time CLE bats came alive.
Grand Canyon fire adds to the 7.5 million acres of national parkland that have burned in four decades. @usatoday.com
www.usatoday.com/story/graphi...
www.usatoday.com/story/graphi...
Grand Canyon fire adds to 7.5 million acres of burned national parkland, analysis shows
A USA TODAY analysis found more than 600 fires that burned at least partly inside national parks in the past four decades.
www.usatoday.com
July 31, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Grand Canyon fire adds to the 7.5 million acres of national parkland that have burned in four decades. @usatoday.com
www.usatoday.com/story/graphi...
www.usatoday.com/story/graphi...
“I do think this is part of a broader effort number one to lay the groundwork for attempts to overturn election results that they don’t like in 2026,” said Jonathan Diaz, the voting advocacy director at Campaign Legal Center.
Story by @erinmansfield.bsky.social
www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...
Story by @erinmansfield.bsky.social
www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...
Department of Justice wants to inspect swing state voter rolls
The Justice Department effort has targeted battleground states. It follows a March executive order.
www.usatoday.com
July 28, 2025 at 1:25 PM
“I do think this is part of a broader effort number one to lay the groundwork for attempts to overturn election results that they don’t like in 2026,” said Jonathan Diaz, the voting advocacy director at Campaign Legal Center.
Story by @erinmansfield.bsky.social
www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...
Story by @erinmansfield.bsky.social
www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...
Fun (fin?) look at the 50th anniversary of "Jaws" from @jennart3.bsky.social. #movies
www.usatoday.com/story/graphi...
www.usatoday.com/story/graphi...
‘Jaws’ scared swimmers out of the ocean 50 years ago. Real locations of Amity's terror
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, the 50th anniversary of "Jaws" is here. Here are some fun facts about the film.
www.usatoday.com
June 18, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Fun (fin?) look at the 50th anniversary of "Jaws" from @jennart3.bsky.social. #movies
www.usatoday.com/story/graphi...
www.usatoday.com/story/graphi...
Same, but tbh I’ve tried with BS, and my user experience here has flat-out sucked compared to The Other Place, esp for general news and (in the fun dept!) NBA Finals content/commentary. Still hoping BS can get there but it has a long way to go.
I want an alternative to Twitter to survive and thrive I think it’s important for BS to grow as a way to offset or diminish the cultural and political impact that Twitter has.
This is why I care.
This is why I care.
June 8, 2025 at 9:40 PM
Same, but tbh I’ve tried with BS, and my user experience here has flat-out sucked compared to The Other Place, esp for general news and (in the fun dept!) NBA Finals content/commentary. Still hoping BS can get there but it has a long way to go.
Yammer's ghost would like a word.
May 22, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Yammer's ghost would like a word.
Please talk to Zach for this, esp. if your theories go beyond my assumptions (some combo of high food/retail leases & captive audience pricing?).
Do you have thoughts on how much stuff costs at airports? Want to chat to me about it for next week's Cruising Altitude?
April 2, 2025 at 6:31 PM
Please talk to Zach for this, esp. if your theories go beyond my assumptions (some combo of high food/retail leases & captive audience pricing?).
Reposted by Stephen J. Beard
Relatedly, our friends at @spiegel.de found Trump officials personal information publicly available online: www.spiegel.de/internationa...
March 26, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Relatedly, our friends at @spiegel.de found Trump officials personal information publicly available online: www.spiegel.de/internationa...
Has there been this much hubbub at a performance of Stravinsky since the debut of Rite of Spring?
www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...
www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...
JD Vance booed by crowd at Kennedy Center concert after Trump takeover of arts venue
The vice president's arrival at the center Thursday comes one month after Trump launched a major, controversial overhaul.
www.usatoday.com
March 14, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Has there been this much hubbub at a performance of Stravinsky since the debut of Rite of Spring?
www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...
www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...
Teeth ain’t cheap, TF. Pay up! 🦷
For the second year in a row the Tooth Fairy has tightened her purse strings and the average gift per tooth has decreased across the U.S.
www.usatoday.com/story/graphi...
www.usatoday.com/story/graphi...
The Tooth Fairy is tightening the purse strings. See the latest average 'gift' per tooth.
For the second year in a row the Tooth Fairy has tightened her purse strings and the average gift per tooth has decreased across the U.S.
www.usatoday.com
March 14, 2025 at 1:16 PM
Teeth ain’t cheap, TF. Pay up! 🦷
Perhaps this is just the universe telling us it’s OK to let our guard down? [ackbar-its-a-trap.gif]
After weeks at the top of the Sentry list at the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies, the asteroid 2024 YR4 is no longer considered a threat to Earth.
The odds of a 'city-killer' asteroid hitting Earth have fallen to zero
After weeks at the top of the Sentry list at the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies, the asteroid 2024 YR4 is no longer considered a threat to Earth.
www.npr.org
February 26, 2025 at 12:01 AM
Perhaps this is just the universe telling us it’s OK to let our guard down? [ackbar-its-a-trap.gif]
“Scrumtrulescent,” hands-down.
February 12, 2025 at 9:03 PM
“Scrumtrulescent,” hands-down.
Loved the shout-out from Mirror Indy's Amanda Kingsbury in today's newsletter for the time I anthropomorphized a breaded tenderloin to explain how a bill becomes law in Indiana.
January 24, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Loved the shout-out from Mirror Indy's Amanda Kingsbury in today's newsletter for the time I anthropomorphized a breaded tenderloin to explain how a bill becomes law in Indiana.
Cat for scale is ALWAYS a valid comparison. :)
January 11, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Cat for scale is ALWAYS a valid comparison. :)
"One person wrote on the NextDoor app …"
January 6, 2025 at 12:38 AM
"One person wrote on the NextDoor app …"
New from the @usatoday.com Graphics team: a detailed look at how Hurricane Helene devastated five states in September.
www.usatoday.com/story/graphi... #storms #helene #news
www.usatoday.com/story/graphi... #storms #helene #news
Helene was one of the deadliest storms in recent history. How it devastated the Southeast
Follow Helene's path of destruction from Florida into Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
www.usatoday.com
December 31, 2024 at 4:10 PM
New from the @usatoday.com Graphics team: a detailed look at how Hurricane Helene devastated five states in September.
www.usatoday.com/story/graphi... #storms #helene #news
www.usatoday.com/story/graphi... #storms #helene #news
From the #Christmas vault: a one-minute version of the "A Christmas Carol" cast with my favorite depictions of each character.
www.indystar.com/story/entert...
www.indystar.com/story/entert...
A one-minute version of 'A Christmas Carol'
How would Charles Dickens' 1843 classic, "A Christmas Carol" look if assembled with noted versions of each role?
www.indystar.com
December 24, 2024 at 3:39 PM
From the #Christmas vault: a one-minute version of the "A Christmas Carol" cast with my favorite depictions of each character.
www.indystar.com/story/entert...
www.indystar.com/story/entert...
I can't believe I'm coming up on my fifth year with the Graphics team at @usatoday.com! If you have room in your life for another year-in-review retrospective, here's a look at our team's terrific work from 2024:
www.usatoday.com/story/graphi...
www.usatoday.com/story/graphi...
Election overload? Recall 2024's other top stories: Eclipse, bridge collapse, more
The presidential election took center stage throughout much of 2024. Here are some of the year's other news in graphics, maps and illustrations.
www.usatoday.com
December 19, 2024 at 4:01 PM
I can't believe I'm coming up on my fifth year with the Graphics team at @usatoday.com! If you have room in your life for another year-in-review retrospective, here's a look at our team's terrific work from 2024:
www.usatoday.com/story/graphi...
www.usatoday.com/story/graphi...
This morning I added a pat of butter to the pastry (blank) side of a frosted cherry Pop-Tart, and I’ve been thinking about that all day.
December 18, 2024 at 7:12 PM
This morning I added a pat of butter to the pastry (blank) side of a frosted cherry Pop-Tart, and I’ve been thinking about that all day.
Is this the year I finally unearth the box with my childhood Hot Wheels collection to see what’s parked in there? Here’s our @usatoday.com Graphics look at the vintage toy:
www.usatoday.com/story/graphi...
www.usatoday.com/story/graphi...
Remember those Hot Wheels you had as a kid? They're still popular and worth a fortune now.
While kids like Hot Wheels because they look good and go fast, collectors are buying back their childhoods by investing in rare toy cars.
www.usatoday.com
December 14, 2024 at 4:12 PM
Is this the year I finally unearth the box with my childhood Hot Wheels collection to see what’s parked in there? Here’s our @usatoday.com Graphics look at the vintage toy:
www.usatoday.com/story/graphi...
www.usatoday.com/story/graphi...
Drone sightings continue in New Jersey with no evidence that they’re a threat, but answers are still elusive. Here’s our latest from @usatoday.com Graphics.
www.usatoday.com/story/graphi...
www.usatoday.com/story/graphi...
US says drones flying over New Jersey aren't a threat, but lawmakers aren't so sure
The Homeland Security Department and the FBI say there's no evidence drones flying over New Jersey at night are a menace.
www.usatoday.com
December 14, 2024 at 1:39 AM
Drone sightings continue in New Jersey with no evidence that they’re a threat, but answers are still elusive. Here’s our latest from @usatoday.com Graphics.
www.usatoday.com/story/graphi...
www.usatoday.com/story/graphi...