A black background with scrolling charts reads, “The Sick Times. COVID-19 spreads year round. Here’s how to track it. This webinar will help you find data on COVID-19 and other pathogens in your area, and interpret those data to inform safety measures for you and your community. Thursday, April 28. 6 PM - 7 PM EDT. Photos of the three panelists are featured up top.

We get loads of questions from readers about how to find and interpret COVID-19 data for their local area. Join us for a free webinar on April 28. We'll discuss prepping for a potential summer wave, keeping an eye on measles, tick-borne illnesses, and other infectious diseases. luma.com/5mthaudg

and handing politicians more control over which species get protected. These changes would weaken the ESA at every stage slower listings, faster delisting before recovery is real, and less accountability. Please call your Reps: (202) 224-3121

Federal judge unloads on ‘unserious’ RFK Jr., says anti-trans policy showed his ‘cruelty’ Judge Mustafa T. Kasubhai vacated the “Kennedy Declaration,” finding it unlawfully attempted to override medical standards and restrict care for transgender youth.

Breaking: HHS’s ban on gender-affirming care is struck down. Rarely have I read a ruling this sharply worded.

“This case is one of a long list of examples of how a leader’s wanton disregard for the rule of law causes very real harm to very real people.”

www.advocate.com/politics/nat...

Right-wingers keep spelling out the link between regressive gender politics and authoritarian rule if people would only pay attention.

Two people pedaling bikes in the country at night and the large text Go Dark.

International #DarkSkyWeek is this week. You can help preserve dark skies. Celebrate dark night skies and help limit light pollution by raising awareness during the week of April 13 to 20. This year's theme is “Go Dark."

Find links here: buff.ly/VB3JLrZ

📸 IDA.

Help Needed— Comments
(Shared via DM)

There is a lot going on— they are trying to distract us. This is a Government-wide issue related to Reduction In Force (RIF).

Comments due by 05/04/2026 (only 243 so far— we need many more):

This is pretty dense reading so I will summarize issues:

Finland is Incredibly Bad at Treating Transgender Young People — Assigned A new study out of Finland casts doubt on the efficacy of the country’s lengthy assessments, harsh, invasive questioning, and delayed medical treatments.

A study from Finland has been used to cast doubt on gender affirming care for youth.

But Finland never offered gender affirming care.

Perhaps invasive, adversarial, fruitless years of assessment harm trans youth? New opinion by @evanurquhart.bsky.social:

www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-new...

A collection of 6 books on Paul Robeson including his personal autobiography

It's April 9th, so you know what that means?

That's right....you guessed it.

It's Paul Robeson Day.

If ever there was any person whose image & legacy deserves an immediate resurrection, it's Robeson.

Born 128 years ago today, his name should be as (or more) recognizable as 'Elvis.'

The polling is far too close for comfort. Are you a Virginia voter? You can help stop Trump’s national gerrymander plan from stealing seats. Vote yes on Redistricting! The future is counting on you.
Video: buff.ly/l2dOVth

hey @abigailspanberger.com please pay some attention to the BOV at Virginia Tech. GOP members are trying to kill our on campus living learning programs using your name.

they claim "affordability" but what it'll do is drive upperclassmen off campus and into housing owned by some members of the BOV

He still needs to be removed from office. A war powers resolution will not suffice. He circumvented Congress to start the war. He circumvented them on tariffs and appropriations. Why anyone thinks he'd adhere to a Congressional war powers resolution is beyond me.

⚠️ TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO COMMENT TO SAVE CHACO. We need your help. Please share.

The comment deadline is TODAY, April 7. Please submit your comment now at protectchaco.org. Not sure what to say? They have a copy and paste message 😉.

KEEP ON REPOSTING.
KEEP THE TRENDING HIGH.

#EpsteinFiles #NoPedophiles #NoKings
#NoPEDODENTS #NoTrump

Also true of research in general, where serendipity is often the source of discovery

Condolences on your loss

When I hear someone proudly talking about how they use "A.i." to "write," I assume everything they write is written by "A.i." and I have no interest in interacting with them because I have no idea if anyone's home.

Why would I use "AI," I actually know how to fucking write

Bar graph titled "Women are paid less than men at every education level" and subtitled "Average horly wages, by gender and education, 2025"

Women with an advanced degree are paid the same as men with just a bachelor's. And at every education level, women's hourly wages are about 20% lower than men's

Barnes & Noble Premium & Rewards Members online exclusive: 25% off upcoming books with code preorder 23. Includes eBooks and Audiobooks. Premium members save an extra 10%.

The cover of a book called Birding Is My Favorite Video Game: Cartoons about the Natural World from Bird and Moon. It features a variety of birds and one balloon soaring against a blue sky with fluffy clouds, labeled with points values (the ivory-billed woodpecker is 5000 points and balloon is zero points).

My very first comic collection, Birding Is My Favorite Video Game, is being reprinted in a larger format and comes out July 28. Barnes & Noble Premium & Rewards Members get a steep discount on preorders www.barnesandnoble.com/w/birding-is...

Love the poster idea!

Long Covid Awareness Day 2026 It's 2026 and the Covid pandemic rages on despite many pretending it no longer exists. Today is a day to remind people of the disabling nature of the virus and how they can protect themselves.

This Long Covid Awareness Day let us remember the millions who've been disabled by the virus.

The people who've been forgotten and left behind.

The folks who have to hide their diagnosis because of the stigma attached to it.

You think you don't know anyone with Long Covid?

I promise, you do:

This was also a nightly observation in Chicago during Operation Midway Blitz. I’m so glad some reporting is out on it now.

Trump Removes Sanctions on Russia to Help Oil Flow Amid Iran Conflict

1. Donald Trump starts a war with Iran, deeply unpopular with the American people, that causes oil prices to spike.

2. Trump allows Russia to sell its oil at those inflated prices, giving Russia far more money for its war with Ukraine.

3. Trump is Russia First.
www.nytimes.com/2026/03/12/u...

These ants navigate with a newly discovered ‘Moon compass’ Insects must perform tricky internal calculations to travel in a straight line

i'm back in @science.org reporting on a newly discovered "lunar compass" used by bull ants!

these ants return home from foraging trips by observing the arc of the moon and integrating it with their sense of time—the first animals known to do so 🧪

learn more in the link below:

I love my Nissan Leaf as a commuter car!

Scalawag – Reckoning with the South Journalism and storytelling that illuminates dissent, unsettles dominant narratives, pursues justice and liberation, and stands in solidarity with marginalized people and communities in the South.

This book did so much to open my eyes and expand my thinking! It was a subscription gift from Scalawag magazine and I'm so grateful to them, and you, for it. scalawagmagazine.org

One of the things I like about @adapalmer.bsky.social is her sincere belief in the better angels of human nature.

Saying "it's a distraction" is saying you care nothing for the little girls bombed out of existence for being born where they were.

Epstein, ICE, Iran - all of it - are Crimes against Humanity by the MAGA Murder Regime.

Praying for the people of Iran and an end to this hell.

1/ The U.S. Department of Education is redefining “professional degree.”

If this stands, programs like public health, nursing, social work, physician assistant programs, engineering, and others could see reduced access to federal student loans.

There's still time to change this point down👇

MAKE AN EMERGENCY DONATION to Trans Continental Pipeline right now.

They are a Colorado based org that helps trans people relocate there and they are overwhelmed with requests. CO borders KS, and TCP has the infrastructure to help get people out.

GO DONATE.

tcpipeline.org