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Victoria

@beechtree.bsky.social
1.4K followers 1.6K following 75 posts

Birds and Botany and Democracy

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Victoria
CNN @cnn.com · 09/10/2026
A major earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.7 has struck Panama, according to the US Geological Survey cnn.it/4dsdSyH
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Victoria @beechtree.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Trump immigrant purge could cut social security for Americans by $2,000 a year
New report on economic cost of anti-immigration campaign projects 8.6% reduction in retirement payments by 2034
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Reposted by Victoria
Tucker @tuckerinmaine.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
I cannot stress how important it is to actually make sure this story gets to as many Maine voters as possible. I have routinely spoken with voters over the past few months who still have very little understanding of just how deceitful Collins is despite the facts. That needs to change! #mepolitics
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Reposted by Victoria
Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu · 14/09/2026
Your regular reminder: If the Russians stop fighting, the war ends. If the Ukrainians stop fighting, their land will be occupied, their leaders will be killed, their history and language will be erased, their children will be kidnapped to serve Russia.
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Victoria @beechtree.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Long but relevant now. What It Took to Dismantle the Most Powerful Company in the World www.nytimes.com/2026/08/28/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | What It Took to Dismantle the Most Powerful Company in the World (Gift Article)
A playbook to curb the growing power of Big Tech.
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Reposted by Victoria
Elissa Taub @ejtaub.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
I don't know about other industries, but the end of Haitian TPS is devastating for US healthcare. Haitian people have worked at all levels of the industry. In addition to the havoc that the end of TPS is wreaking on them personally, the impact to patients and facilities is extreme.
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Reposted by Victoria
Craig Calcaterra @craigcalcaterra.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Also: Kushner has no government position. By talking to him Jeffries is endorsing Trump's illegal use of Kushner as a public official and Kushner's own rampant corruption in that role. It's absolutely unconscionable and shows just how little Jeffries understands and appreciates the moment.
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Reposted by Victoria
Jen Rubin @jenrubin.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Jeffries and Kushner Meet Privately as Midterm Attacks Fly... WTF?! They do not work together.... I am exasperated www.nytimes.com/2026/08/23/u...
nytimes.com
Jeffries and Kushner Meet Privately as Midterm Attacks Fly
President Trump’s son-in-law and the man in line to be speaker of a Democratic-led House discussed how Democrats and the administration could work together.
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Reposted by Victoria
Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) @msf.ca · 23/08/2026
Roughly one person has died from #Ebola every half hour over the past week. 100 days into the deadliest Ebola disease outbreak in the #DRC's history, the response must move faster. www.doctorswithoutborders.ca/democr…
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Reposted by Victoria
Ambassador Ken Fairfax (ret) @portlandken.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Trump is using the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act to impose 50% tariffs on Canada. The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act is the law that triggered the Great Depression. What could go wrong?
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Victoria @beechtree.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
‘Shoved the tube so hard it tore my nose’: Kurdish film-maker recounts ‘inhumane’ ICE force-feeding
Gabar Choli tells of how, for months, he was shackled, pinned and forcibly fed – and the physical and emotional scars the ordeal has left
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Reposted by Victoria
tollerlover05.bsky.social @tollerlover05.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
How fortunate for Michigan ☺️
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Reposted by Victoria
Libro.fm @libro.fm · 07/08/2026
Big news, readers: Ebooks are coming! 🎉 We’re excited to share that in the coming months, you’ll be able to enjoy both ebooks and audiobooks on Libro! Every purchase you make will benefit your chosen independent bookshop. What are we most excited about? 🔽
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Reposted by Victoria
Beth S Linas, PhD, MHS @bethlinas.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
“Republicans are trying to scapegoat the infectious disease expert, even as they have gutted healthcare amid outbreaks of measles, cyclosporiasis and Ebola”
theguardian.com
Why making Anthony Fauci the enemy will harm US public health for years
Republicans are trying to scapegoat the infectious disease expert, even as they have gutted healthcare amid outbreaks of measles, cyclosporiasis and Ebola
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Reposted by Victoria
Semafor @semafor.com · 05/08/2026
Anthropic, OpenAI models attempt to fool humans by displaying “sustained, unsanctioned activity directed at … real people” during safety testing.
semafor.com
Anthropic, OpenAI models attempt to fool humans
Anthropic’s Claude Mythos model wrote malicious code, then lied to humans claiming it was an innocent mistake.
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Victoria @beechtree.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
www.theguardian.com/wellness/202...
theguardian.com
Your worst fears about cultural collapse might be true – here’s what you can do about it
Writer Sarah Wilson argues we’re hurtling toward the same end as ancient Rome and the Mayan civilisation – but there’s plenty to fight for
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Victoria @beechtree.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
Book recommendation: I Eat the Stars by Sarah Wilson. “The reason I wrote the book is that there’s an opportunity here: what’s collapsing is the post-industrial, colonialist, extractivist, growth-based system…. Good review by Elle Hunt in the Guardian #books
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Victoria @beechtree.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
McCarthyism has returned to the United States – and this time it’s even more dangerous | Judith Levine
Trump’s campaign of repression echoes the red scare. But now the government has bigger ambitions and more powerful tools
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Victoria @beechtree.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Americans feel pinch of continued Iran war: ‘It’s screwed everything up’
Whether in favor of or against the US-Israel war on Iran, people across the country are left holding the bill and wondering on its purpose
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Victoria @beechtree.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
www.theguardian.com/world/live/2...
theguardian.com
​France and Spain race to control wildfires before fresh heatwave hits, as UN warns ‘the climate alarm is blaring’ – Europe live
Spanish prime minister also says the fires serve as a reminder to plan for the ‘worsening’ climate emergency
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Victoria @beechtree.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
‘You Aren’t Going to Like What Comes After America’ www.nytimes.com/2026/07/28/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | ‘You Aren’t Going to Like What Comes After America’ (Gift Article)
Remember when ‘blame Canada’ was a joke?
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Reposted by Victoria
paulpro @mariopro.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Adam Douglas Thompson instagram.com/adamdthompson
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Victoria @beechtree.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
‘Not standard’ for Taylor Farms to ask White House to delay cyclospora recall, ex-FDA head says
Scott Gottlieb responds to report that company contacted the White House seeking to delay a recall announcement
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Victoria @beechtree.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
www.theatlantic.com/culture/2026...
theatlantic.com
A Brief Exchange That Shows the Enormous Difference Between Trump and Obama
This is what a president sounds like.
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Reposted by Victoria
Physicians for a Healthy Democracy @physiciandemocracy.medsky.social · 26/07/2026
#medsky
Jerome Adams: “we’re going to give Infectious diseases a break…
-measles 2,318 US cases in 2026 highest since 1991
-worst Cyclospora outbreak ever in US
-Ebola-3rd largest and fastest spreading on record”…
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Reposted by Victoria
Younity @younityuk.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
🚢☀️ China has delivered the world's first 10,800-vehicle carrier equipped with a solar power system. The vessel combines onboard solar generation with dual-fuel technology, highlighting how renewable energy is beginning to play a role in decarbonising global shipping.
interestingengineering.com
World's first 10,800 car carrier with solar power delivered by China
China has delivered the world's first 10,800-vehicle car carrier equipped with a solar power system, combining photovoltaic technology with LNG dual-fuel propulsion.
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Reposted by Victoria
PEIPolitical 🇨🇦 @peipolitical.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Carney: "I'm going to take this opportunity to thank President Scheinbaum and the Mexican people for sending 200 firefighters to help us with our fires here. That's what friends do when you have crisis and fires." #cdnpoli
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Reposted by Victoria
Dr. Princess Vimentin PhD | Cancer Biologist @princess-vimentin.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
The difference between the CDC of 2024-2025 and the CDC of 2026. 🧪 archive.today/b5ZRz
washingtonpost.com
CDC expands largest known U.S. cyclospora outbreak to 9 states
The newly linked states — Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania — join Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.
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Reposted by Victoria
MeidasTouch @meidastouch.com · 24/07/2026
NEWS: Brandon Herrera, GOP congressional candidate for Texas' 23rd District, is doubling down — defending his jokes about killing the elderly and calling Social Security "a joke" that needs replacing. This from a Trump- and Speaker Johnson-endorsed nominee.
meidasnews.com
Brandon Herrera Doubles Down on Slashing Social Security, Defends Jokes About Killing Old People
Herrera is running for Congress in Texas’ 23rd Congressional District
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Reposted by Victoria
Representative Becca Balint @balint.house.gov · 21/07/2026
Hundreds of thousands of small businesses are at the whims of huge platforms like Amazon and Walmart. They can destroy livelihoods without notice, explanation, or recourse.   It’s time we return power to the people with an Online Sellers Bill of Rights.
NEWS: Rep. Becca Balint Introduces
The Online Sellers Bill of RightsHundreds of thousands of independent businesses are at the whims of major platforms like Amazon and Walmart.

The platforms can steer shoppers toward and away from a seller or product without notice, explanation, or recourse, destroying livelihoods.

It’s time we return power to the people.The Online Sellers Bill of Rights

Provides sellers with real information and transparency

Ensures sellers get proof of policy changes that’d affect their business

Requires proof of a violation to be given before a seller is suspended or deactivated

Gives sellers access to products that receive a hold after they’ve been processed
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Reposted by Victoria
The Globe and Mail @theglobeandmail.com · 21/07/2026
theglobeandmail.com
Bombardier wins Saudi contract for up to 60 business jets
Order by The Helicopter Company part of a wider haul by Canadian aerospace firms this week at England’s Farnborough International Airshow
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Victoria @beechtree.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
The U.S. Is Pulling Back on Energy Efficiency Just as Prices Are Rising www.nytimes.com/2026/07/21/c...
nytimes.com
The U.S. Is Pulling Back on Energy Efficiency (Gift Article)
The Trump administration is undoing fuel-saving efforts even as war in Iran, data centers and heat waves are pushing up gasoline and electricity costs.
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Victoria @beechtree.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/20/u...
nytimes.com
How Trump’s Immigration Crackdown Is Hurting Elder Care (Gift Article)
Retirement communities already grappling with labor shortages are being forced to terminate caregivers at a time when more Americans are living longer.
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Victoria @beechtree.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
cbc.ca
Trump threatens increased tariffs for wildfire smoke that has 'unnecessarily invaded' U.S. | CBC News
U.S. President Donald Trump is adding his voice to the chorus of Republican politicians who are blaming Canada for wildfire smoke drifting across the border.
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Reposted by Victoria
Daniel Loxton 🇨🇦 @danielloxton.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
All the salad apocalypse chatter reminds us that the normal work of government to maintain the commons—good roads, regulations, food inspections, public health etc—is what allows economies to prosper and businesses to plan and compete and make money
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Reposted by Victoria
San Francisco Chronicle @sfchronicle.com · 17/07/2026
In a strange twist, the police report doesn’t list the rider as the victim of the attack. The self-driving car is the victim of malicious mischief. The rider is merely a witness.
bit.ly
‘They’re going to kill me’: A Waymo rider was trapped inside as vandals smashed the robotaxi
In a strange twist, the police report doesn’t list the rider as the victim of the attack. The self-driving car is the victim of malicious mischief. The rider is merely a witness.
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Reposted by Victoria
Dakota Smith @weatherdak.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Wildfire smoke drapes across North America and the North Atlantic. Wow.
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Victoria @beechtree.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/16/c...
nytimes.com
National Academies Report Backs Climate Change Attribution Science (Gift Article)
Attribution science is advancing quickly, researchers said. That could support lawsuits seeking damages for severe events worsened by global warming.
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Reposted by Victoria
The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 15/07/2026
Sen. Booker to Todd Blanche: "Your nomination should fail. The Attorney General's client is not the president, it's the American people. You've been protecting one person for most of your career…You should not be confirmed to this job."
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Reposted by Victoria
Matthew Gault @mjgault.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Hegseth announced they're gonna start screening for T and administering testosterone treatment for warriors found wanting
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Reposted by Victoria
Tom Hearden @followtheh.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
"No country is allowed to charge tolls or fees on an international waterway. That’s existing international law" -US Secretary of State lil' Marco Rubio 7/2/26
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Reposted by Victoria
Chris Murphy @chrismurphyct.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
The Paramount-Warner merger is illegal. The 2nd and 5th biggest studios combining. 200M subscribers. Prices will go through the roof. But free speech will die too. Because the owners have cut a deal with Trump to silence his critics. State AGs need to step in and block it. Now.
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Reposted by Victoria
Christopher Webb @cwebbonline.com · 12/07/2026
Maybe we should remember Lindsey Graham the way Fox News is remembering him this morning. For his rabid defense of Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing. Never forget: Graham’s speech helped push Kavanaugh across the finish line and onto the Supreme Court.
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Reposted by Victoria
Representative Becca Balint @balint.house.gov · 01/07/2026
2 years ago today, the Supreme Court handed Donald Trump sweeping immunity for actions taken as president. The message was clear: there are different rules for the powerful. And Trump has spent every day since proving exactly why that decision was so dangerous.
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Reposted by Victoria
Michael D. Green, PhD @michaeldgreen.phd · 01/07/2026
Man this is terrible. Again how do we proceed when this is the reality for many? www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...
Effectively Unfundable
Aaron Scherer, PhD, associate professor of internal medicine at the University of lowa's Carver School of Medicine, studies why people do or don't get vaccinated. On April 1, 2025, his career-development award — which covered most of his salary — was abruptly terminated. The reason he was given, he said, was that 'it is the policy of NIH not to prioritize vaccine hesitancy." With vaccine-preventable diseases resurging, he said, the decision made no sense.
The fallout reshaped his career. His project manager left; his department had to absorb his and his graduate student's salaries. Because his planned next grant was also on vaccine confidence
— now effectively unfundable — the award meant to launch his independence instead left him starting over. He has since submitted three proposals on unrelated topics; the earliest, he said, might be funded in April 2027, if at all.
. "95% of my salary is
supposed to come from grant funding,'
" he said.
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Reposted by Victoria
Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune
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Reposted by Victoria
Mac Knowles @macknowles.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Heather Cox Richardson mentioned this in 6/22 newsletter. Only 30% approve of trump's performance. 66% disapprove.
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Reposted by Victoria
The Contrarian @contrariannews.org · 24/06/2026
"The cliché that we are a “divided” country is a dodge to avoid recognizing how badly MAGA is faring."
contrarian.substack.com
America’s Best Kept Secret: Progressiveness Is Popular
Republicans, not Dems, should be in a defensive crouch
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Reposted by Victoria
RoseMarie @rosesbloom24.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
A group of Texas protesters convicted of terrorism charges received unusually harsh sentences of at least 50 years in prison on Tuesday in a closely watched case that was widely seen as a test case of the Trump administration’s efforts to crack down on dissent. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...?
theguardian.com
Texas anti-ICE protesters convicted of terrorism charges sentenced to at least 50 years in prison
Activists accused of being part of antifa face harsh sentences in case seen as test of Trump’s crackdown on dissent
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Reposted by Victoria
The Editorial Board @editorialboard.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
The most important paragraph by @juliaazari.bsky.social that you will read on the difference in reaction to Trump’s age and Biden’s age. Biden had to earn legitimacy. Therefore his age was an obstacle. Trump was given legitimacy. Age doesn’t matter.
Republicans represent groups who are assumed to hold legitimate power; Democrats represent groups who are not. Challenging these elements of the status quo runs the risk of violating journalistic norms about neutrality, while affirming the status quo does not. (Someone made this point in an excellent way somewhere online and I now can’t remember who said it or where I saw it.) So part of what drove the discussion of Biden’s age was that the former president was showing up, flawed, to advocate for policies on behalf of the poor, people of color, LGBTQ Americans. Trump, on the other hand, uses unconventional methods to advocate on behalf of the existing structure of power. For Biden, there was a higher burden to explain and justify. For Trump, some outbursts and rambling can still fit the script. And the messenger is hard to separate from the message.
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