As Suzanne Simard brings out a new book, and a film inspired by her "Mother Tree"/ "Wood Wide Web" hypothesis is in development, please be aware that - to use the technical jargon - it's mostly bollocks. A huge media phenomenon, running miles ahead of the science.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Utah deserves its own Dinosaur Documentary. No other place in the world has such a continuous record in one place intersperced with spectacular National Parks and Monuments. @scinews.bsky.social @netflix.com @altnps.bsky.social @whydinosaurs.bsky.social @agu.org @societyofvertpaleo.bsky.social

HHS changed the name of transgender health leader on her official portrait Admiral Rachel Levine was the first transgender person to be confirmed by the Senate to serve in the federal government. Her official portrait at HHS headquarters has been altered.

Deadnaming a former Assistant Secretary of HHS and selfless public servant on her official portrait is an act of cruelty and a clear violation of basic dignity.

Admiral Levine served this country honorably. Targeting her, and all trans Americans, is bigoted, cruel, and completely unacceptable.

We are so far off the playing field here we can't even see the stadium.

Here are 10 provocations on climate and energy. Tell me if you agree, disagree or have a nuanced take. Drop your own provocations in reply or quote post.

Start:

1. By 2030, the use of air conditioning will lead to greater increase in electricity demand than data centers. And it's not even close!

This is one of the most beautiful things I have witnessed, the craft here is impeccable.

In the words of @timharford.ft.com‪: “Whatever records there may have been had been destroyed in the Blitz. The moral of the story: institutional memory is valuable, and if an organisation starts forgetting important matters (such as the existence of the plug) bad things happen”

This is info and expert analysis (thousands of pages of it) that US taxpayers paid for

These maps show where Trump's 'big beautiful' bill will cancel clean energy Analysis shows that by 2030, the bill could result in the loss of 840,000 potential clean tech jobs and raise annual energy costs by billions of dollars.

🔌💡 "China is sitting there, I'm sure, just watching this with delight," @robbieorvis.bsky.social said. "It's handing it to them on a silver platter."
www.newsweek.com/these-maps-s...
#greensky #energysky

States Are Hoarding $5.2 Billion in Welfare Funds Even as the Need for Aid Grows Bonnie Bridgforth supported five children with an $8.50-an-hour job when she was told she no longer qualified for welfare in Maine. But the state — like so many others — was sitting on a huge stockpil...

Opponents of social safety net programs claim that gobs of cash are being paid to people who refuse to work.

But as @propublica.org showed in 2021, several states have refused to spend BILLIONS in federal funds meant for families in need - or made it effectively impossible for them to qualify.

SCOTUS clears the way for some people to be U.S. citizens in some states but not others

Happy June 14th.
#NoKings

“[One] of our amazing grants that have been cut … looked into how … in the inner ear …neurotransmitters … help us hear. … It’s actually possible that the reason that got flagged early on is the word ‘neurotransmitter,’ because it has the word ‘trans’ in it.”

h/t @Cathy2NotToday on X.com

#illiberaldemocracy

‘This is “not a legitimate government interest, and the order’s unsupported assertion of national security will not save it!” he wrote.’

#illiberaldemocracy

Is the University Of Austin Betraying Its Founding Principles? Created as a haven for free thinkers, UATX was the last place where I’d expected to encounter ideological litmus tests.

looking at the photo that headlines this piece i think i know what the university of austin means when they say they don't tolerate "DEI" quillette.com/2025/05/16/i...

Photo of a woman sitting next to a large-scale ceramic artwork mounted on a white wall, the work reflects a swirl of coulours, shapes and contours

Artist Courtney Mattison creates large scale ceramic sculptural works inspired by the fragile beauty of coral reefs to raise awareness of the blue planet, urging protection of our oceans #womensart

Nachruf auf Dramaturg Carl Hegemann: Er war auf Erkenntnis aus Der Dramaturg Carl Hegemann prägte an der Volksbühne das Kulturleben Berlins. Er verzichtetet auf Machtgesten und demonstrativen Ehrgeiz. Ein Nachruf.

Nachruf auf Dramaturg Carl Hegemann: Er war auf Erkenntnis aus taz.de/Nachruf-auf-... “mehr Rhapsode als Denker”

Europe Alone and in Shock on V-E Day On the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany’s defeat, echoes of tyrannies past shake a continent that is trying to find its footing in the face of President Trump’s hostility.

News Analysis: On the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany’s defeat, echoes of past tyrannies are shaking Europe as the continent tries to find its footing in the face of President Trump’s hostility.

Read more: nyti.ms/3YABREs

Increase in productivity since 1979: 86%

Increase in hourly pay since 1979: 31%

Just so happens that ~25% of workers were unionized in 1979. Today? 10%.

As unions declined, the super-rich have taken a larger share of wealth generated by labor. We must build back union power.

On the other hand, our alliance with El Salvador has never been stronger

Video: Opinion | What Is the Defining Image of Trump’s First 100 Days? Opinion columnists share the piece of media that most defines the first 100 days of Donald Trump’s second term.

www.nytimes.com/video/opinio...

Clean energy is powering local economies in Texas » Yale Climate Connections Wind, solar, and battery storage projects are generating billions in tax revenue for communities, a University of Texas study finds.

A new study finds that wind, solar, & battery projects are creating enormous tax revenue for small Texas towns that don't have many other sources.

She Worked in a Harvard Lab to Reverse Aging, Until ICE Jailed Her President Trump’s immigration crackdown ensnared Kseniia Petrova, a scientist who fled Russia after protesting its invasion of Ukraine. She fears arrest if she is deported there.

“The customs official canceled Ms. Petrova’s visa on the spot and began deportation proceedings.” One way to understand Trump effect in govt: an ever widening circle of people, like low-level customs officials, get to make categorical decisions abt lives of others. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/11/s...

Here’s What’s in the House Republican Budget It calls for more tax cuts and fewer reductions in spending. It would increase the federal debt by a lot more.

The budget bill that House Republicans passed on Thursday calls for more tax cuts and fewer reductions in spending. It would increase the federal debt by a lot more. Here's a breakdown of what's in the budget.