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H. Pike Oliver

@urbanexus.bsky.social
456 followers 1.3K following 1.2K posts

Interested in how built and natural environments can coexist. Learn about 6.5 decades of master-planned development and preservation on the Irvine Ranch in Southern California at thebigplanbooks.com. See other blog posts at urbanexus.com.

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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 17h
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
A midterm surprise from POTUS 47?https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-midterm-surprise
commondreams.org
Trump Keeps Giving Ominous Warnings About a Midterm 'Surprise.' Election Experts Say Whatever It Is, They're Ready | Common Dreams
“No one outside the administration knows what a ‘Midterm Surprise’ means, but nothing this administration has done so far has come out of nowhere," one expert told Common Dreams.
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
historyfacts.com/arts-culture...
historyfacts.com
The Rise and Fall of Drive-In Theaters
Explore the history of drive-in theaters, from Richard Hollingshead's 1933 invention in New Jersey to their post-WWII boom as a family moviegoing staple.
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
thenewurbanorder.substack.com/p/18-people-...
thenewurbanorder.substack.com
18 People Shaping Cities Today
This year, subscribers started new enterprises, studied megacities, launched Substacks, drafted model bills, and more. Here's what they're building.
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Seattle is #4 in the world, according to the Oxford Economics Global City Index www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
seattletimes.com
Where Seattle landed in new ranking of world's top cities
A new global index ranks Seattle fourth worldwide, powered by remarkable economic productivity, high quality of life and natural appeal, writes FYI Guy.
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
www.urbanexus.com/pikeurbanexu...
urbanexus.com
Peter Calthorpe's grid and the California Forever plan — URBANEXUS
The foundational principles of New Urbanism owe much to Peter Calthorpe, a highly regarded architect and planner out of San Francisco. Along with co-founding the Congress for the New Urbanism—where he...
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
I'm attending No Kings's event, “Old Town Scottsdale - No Kings Rally” - sign up now to join me! www.mobilize.us/nokings/even...
mobilize.us
Old Town Scottsdale - No Kings Rally · No Kings
**We decide who represents us. We decide what comes next.** For more than a year, millions of people have come together to reject the idea that power belongs to kings, billionaires, or politicians wh...
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Will A.I. make your brain lazy? What research shows. When students were given proctored tests away from computers, their results were worse than before A.I. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
From 16,000 to 185 to Zero: Trump administration claims of illegal voting in Nevada fizzle. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/24/u...
nytimes.com
From 16,000 to 185 to Zero: Trump’s Claims of Illegal Voting in Nevada Fizzle.
It was the Trump administration’s latest stumble in its effort to find proof of widespread noncitizen voting, despite decades of evidence that it is extremely rare.
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
I'm attending American Civil Liberties Union's event, “Phoenix Election Safeguarding: A Power and Purpose Training” - sign up now to join me! www.mobilize.us/aclu/event/1...
mobilize.us
Phoenix Election Safeguarding: A Power and Purpose Training · American Civil Liberties Union
Election Safeguarding: A Power & Purpose Training in Phoenix is a free, one-day, in-person training to build collective power to safeguard our elections. Whether you’re new to organizing or looking ...
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
The Economist's polling model gives the Democrats more than a 90% chance of flipping the House, and about a 60% chance of taking the Senate.
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
On September 18, 2026, a major coalition led by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund filed a federal lawsuit in Washington, D.C., asking to rule against any deployment of federal agents near polling locations during the 2026 mid-term elections in the USA. www.nationofchange.org/2026/09/21/n...
nationofchange.org
NAACP sues Trump administration over armed agents at the polls | NationofChange
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
How Phoenix is preparing for Colorado River water cuts www.axios.com/local/phoeni...
axios.com
How Phoenix is preparing for Colorado River water cuts
The city has prepared, but it's still going to hurt.
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
The Economist reports that artificial intelligence now beats some of the best human forecasters. economist.com/science-and-...
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Per Elaine Kamarck and Jordan Muchnik of Brookings, mainstream candidates in both major parties outperformed their ideological flanks in many of America's most competitive primaries this year. They analyzed 33 congressional districts and 10 Senate races. www.brookings.edu/articles/ele...
brookings.edu
Electability over ideology: Takeaways from the 2026 primaries | Brookings
Elaine Kamarck and Jordan Muchnick analyze the 2026 primaries, revealing what candidates addressed—and avoided—ahead of November.
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Donald Trump’s net approval rating continues to languish at -25, according to The Economist’s tracker of YouGov polling.
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Microscopic Videos That Show the Invisible Wonders Around Us www.nytimes.com/2026/09/16/s...
nytimes.com
Microscopic Videos That Show the Invisible Wonders Around Us
The winners of this year’s Nikon Small World in Motion competition showcase the wiggly, feathery, undulating beauty of invisible life.
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Graph showing increase in the interest rate paid on a U.S. Treasury 10- year note from September 2025 to September 2026.
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Flashlight Night at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, AZ,USA, on 2026-09-05.
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
The American Real Estate Society (ARES) provides updates on metropolitan trends, real estate development, and investment, curated by H. Pike Oliver, FAICP. Click below to access the latest issue.
open.substack.com
ARES Urbanexus Update #181
The American Real Estate Society (ARES) provides updates on metropolitan trends, real estate development, and investment news and articles, curated by H.
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
A depressing but important story about Hegseth’s purge of capable U.S. Army leadership. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/06/u...
nytimes.com
The Battle to Save General Donahue From Hegseth’s Army Purge
Gen. Christopher T. Donahue’s vision for fighting future wars won him powerful supporters around the world. Could they save his career?
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
open.substack.com/pub/gelliott...
open.substack.com
Voters want one thing and it's disgusting (for the president to focus on their problems)
Voters want a president who works on their problems. They say Trump isn’t — and he and Republicans are losing support because of it
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Fascinating and concerning discussion, including the possibility of Russia attacking a NATO country and China attacking Taiwan simultaneously. www.blueamp.co/p/world-war-...
blueamp.co
Putin Needs a War Bigger Than Ukraine
Danish intelligence veteran Jacob Kaarsbo: a new mobilization means Putin needs new enemies, and Europe is answering sabotage with press releases.
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Former White House counsel Ty Cobb, on the DEFIANCE.ORG podcast on 9/1/2026 at 46:09, made a pithy comment about how the founders never contemplated that we would elect a convicted felon, rapist, demented, malignant narcissist to be our president.
defiance.news
Whistleblower Blows Open Trump’s Mail Ballot Violation | DEFIANCE Daily
Plus, SCOTUS Says Trump’s Ballroom Is “Likely Unlawful.” He Can Keep Building.
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Jordan Dworkin's website shows everyday items—like refrigerators, eyeglasses, or running tap water—with historical quotes from individuals of past eras who viewed those items as unimaginable luxuries or technological marvels. ordinaryabundance.com
ordinaryabundance.com
Ordinary Abundance
A walk through a modern apartment, through the eyes of the people for whom everything in it was new.
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Interest rates increasing
nytimes.com
Bond Sell-Off Threatens to Squeeze Borrowers Around the World
Government bond yields are hitting multi-decade highs, reflecting anxiety about debt levels, deficits and inflation. The effects will extend to mortgages, business loans and other types of credit.
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Parallel parking contest in Portland, OR, USA.
replica.seattletimes.com
Hundreds pack Portland street to watch contestants parallel park - The Seattle Times
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
2026-08-28 What It Took to Dismantle the Most Powerful Company in the World (NYTIMES William Dalrymple) www.nytimes.com/2026/08/28/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | What It Took to Dismantle the Most Powerful Company in the World
A playbook to curb the growing power of Big Tech.
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
open.substack.com
YIMBYs already have a bold vision for solving the housing crisis
Don’t listen to the haters — there’s nothing narrow about this.
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
The cover of the August 29, 2026 issue of The Economist news magazine.
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
The forces driving the U.S. Treasury bond rate surge likely include: high government borrowing competing with big spending on AI; uncertainty about how the Fed will operate in the coming months; and growing concern about rapidly rising government debt.
Chart showing the increase in the US 10 Year Note bond yield for the past six months -- late March through late August 2026.
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Ronald Reagan and Dolly Parton.
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
The U.S. has low overall taxes compared with other advanced nations. The chart shows tax receipts as a percentage of GDP for the U.S. and other wealthy Western countries:
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
I just wrote a @theactionnetwork.bsky.social letter: Stop Bulldozing in Big Bend!. Write one here: actionnetwork.org/letters/stop...
actionnetwork.org
Stop Bulldozing in Big Bend!
Big Bend is home to some of America’s most extraordinary and irreplaceable landscapes. Now, a massive border infrastructure project threatens to carve new roads, barriers, and other infrastructure the...
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
urbanexus.com
What happens if the 119th Congress of the United States of America refuses to seat the 120th? — URBANEXUS
Democracies do not collapse all at once. They fray, distort, and bend under pressure — and then, if their internal architecture is strong enough, they return to lawful order. The United States has abs...
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
The Splashpad at Scottsdale Quarter in Scottsdale, AZ, on a hot August evening—100 degrees at 7:30 PM.
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
This one is worth a read, and you don't have to subscribe to Judge Luttig's Substack to read it: judgeluttig327269.substack.com/p/the-final-...
judgeluttig327269.substack.com
The Final Battle for America's Democracy
January 3, When the Republican House Refuses to Seat the Democrat Majority-Elect to the 120th Congress
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
A comment on the confirmation of Todd Blanche as Attorney General of the United States of America.
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
From the ECONOMIST, approval for POUTUS 47 is at the lowest point so far.
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
Naked hairy sex
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
9 August 2026 is the 83rd anniversary of the execution of Franz Jägerstätter in Germany
Headshot of Jägerstätter and an image of the area where he lived along with the words, "My conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not revoke anything." Description of him as a husband, father, and farmer who refused to serve Hitler's war because love of God and neighbor comes before any oath. Executed on 9 August 1943 for conscientious objection. His witness endures.
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent is pushing risky financial engineering.
finance.yahoo.com
How Scott Bessent used financial engineering to finance the $2 trillion deficit while leaving it untouched—and created a $1.45 trillion shortfall
The alarm is coming from inside the house. The Treasury Borrowing Advisory Committee says the borrowing math no longer adds up.
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Emily Keegan's collection of 25 objects that she believes reveal something special about the USA. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
nytimes.com
Opinion | These 25 Artifacts Explain America
Want to understand this country? Look at our stuff.
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Matthew Cullen of the NY Times posted a graph of the month-to-month change in jobs in the USA from 2023 to mid 2026. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/07/b...
nytimes.com
Labor Market Shifts Into Reverse
Also, Trump officials are searching for Cuba’s next leader. Here’s the latest at the end of Friday.
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
The ECONOMIST notes that most deaths from wildfires occur far away from the actual burning.
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Right wing media influence is declining www.nytimes.com/2026/07/31/u...
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H. Pike Oliver @urbanexus.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Bison grazing in Yellowstone National Park
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