Brian Wilcox
@brianwilcox.bsky.social
Social scientist, retired professor, former Senate staffer, enthusiastic guitarist and bass player. Unrepentant audiophile. Policy (not politics) and books guy. Californian who's lived in TX, OH, VA, DC, NE, and Porto Alegre (Brazil) but returned home.
Parents! Are you throwing away your life interacting with your children when you could be profitmaxxing? Take Sam Altman’s latest suggestion and you never have to speak to your kids again, @petridishes.bsky.social writes:
Now, Thanks to Sam Altman, You Never Have to Speak to Your Kids Again
AI can handle these kinds of pointless interactions.
bit.ly
😂😆🤣 Susan Collins is banking on Maine voters never being able to figure out what game she's playing here. She thinks Maine voters are all dumb as stumps. Drop the ads tonight.
Collins Watch@collinswatch.bsky.social · yesterdaySusan comes out against Todd Blanche now that he's got the votes. So tiresome. (We called it: tinyurl.com/3bepafkz) #MEpolitics
My wife says I remind her of James Bond. I’m not good at following orders, I’m emotionally dead, and she’d like to see the role go to Idris Elba.
Anyone voting to confirm Todd Blanche is voting to: --end access to safe, legal abortion everywhere in the US; --permanently end efforts to bring justice to Jeffrey Epstein's victims; --give Donald Trump dictatorial powers over who is prosecuted for what in the US.
Catherine Rampell@crampell.bsky.social · yesterdayAs his confirmation to lead the Justice Department hung by a thread last week, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told faith leaders on a private call that he was preparing to take action to roll back abortion access nationwide. www.politico.com/news/2026/08...
🧵 Towards a globalized human rights infrastructure.
By Cory Doctorow (GPG 0xBF3D9110957E5F4C)@doctorow.pluralistic.net · 2d agoObviously, the non-American world has a digital sovereignty problem - Trump has means, motive and opportunity to order his tech companies to shut down any public official, large corporation, or individual who displeases him: pluralistic.net/2026/06/18/t... 1/
Later this week, we can replace one of Trump’s favorite Democrats with a real Democratic fighter: www.mobilize.us/indivisible/...
I just want to make sure that @toni.bsky.team hears this, loud and clear. And there are plenty of non-political normies here. But this whole community is invested in keeping the lunatics that have so badly stained Xitter at bay here.
John Scalzi@scalzi.com · 2d agoBluesky is a "liberal bubble" because fascist chuds can't get traction without algorithmic assistance and because people here trained themselves to block "debate me" trybois the instant they roll up
See! Trump is working to help some people out. Just happens to be oil executives and investors.
Steve Rattner@steverattner.bsky.social · 2d agoWhile Americans struggle with rising gas prices and inflation, big oil is making billions from the Iran War. Oil industry profits have more than doubled in just a year, reaching their third highest level in history.
Local newscaster said that Trump has announced the outline of a detailed to end the war in Iran. She laughed, apologized, and then laughed again before continuing with the story.
How is Skubal at the plate? Because the Dodgers have stopped producing runs.
I was thinking for a moment there should be a drinking game where everyone downs a shot when the United States Attorney's office for the District of Columbia has to drop a frivolous indictment but then I realized only the United States Attorney herself could survive that game
Oopsie! Hopefully Dana Bash will show this clip when reporting on the collapse of this case. He and Pirro should be tarred, feathered, and forced to leave DC on mules.
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · last mo.BASH: But it peeled off. Why did that happen? BURGUM: It didn't peel off. There was vandalism. There was box cutters. There have been 7 arrests. BASH: There are photographs of people cutting a 350 foot gash in the reflecting pool? BURGUM: Dana, I'm not sure why you keep questioning it
Judge BoxWine Pirro racks up another L. I thought Trump didn't like losers. She does nothing but lose.
MeidasTouch@meidastouch.com · 5d ago🚨 BREAKING: The DOJ is moving to dismiss the indictment against David Hearn in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool case and is admitting the damage was the result of a flawed, botched installation job, not vandalism.
Well this is true I suppose. trump can’t be bought; he is subscription based. You have to keep bribing him forever www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
Exclusive | ‘The Boss Wants This Money’: Inside Trump’s Unprecedented Fundraising Operation
Meredith O’Rourke, nicknamed ‘princess of darkness,’ carries out the president’s desire to wring hundreds of millions from companies for his projects.
wsj.com
Two wonderful souls
Rich Raho@richraho.bsky.social · 5d agoPope Leo received singer and songwriter Patti Smith in private audience this morning. The Pope and Smith are both Chicago natives. She was accompanied by @antoniospadaro.bsky.social, undersecretary for the Vatican's Dicastery for Culture and Education.
First it was reality show stars becoming cabinet members. Now it's cabinet members becoming reality show stars. It's all just theater to these clowns.
Brandy Zadrozny@brandyzadrozny.bsky.social · 6d agoSomeone posted this in slack and I actually thought it was The Onion. www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...
No more avocados for Republicans. Sorry. That's just the way it is.
Carolyn Fiddler@cfidd.bsky.social · 6d agoRepublicans: [[immediately ban avocadoes from sports...bars]]
Buying a home just got a bit more expensive. Thanks, Trump!
George Pearkes@peark.es · 6d ago*US MORTGAGE RATES RISE TO 6.66%, HIGHEST LEVEL IN A YEAR
It's past time for Infantino to go. His corrupt chasing of ever more $$$ is destroying the World Cup.
Uefa to boycott World Cup in protest against Fifa sell-off
European governing body takes decision at crisis meeting in move that would essentially kill Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in tournament to private investors
thetimes.com
"Over the past six months, he notes, “real” inflation-adjusted income has also fallen overall, and at a rate not seen since the height of the inflation spike in 2022." I've heard from many people who got "sorry, no salary increase this year" notices. Thanks, Trump!
U.S. GDP Growth Slowed in Second Quarter of 2026
Gross domestic product expanded at a 1.5 percent annual rate over the past three months, as war in the Middle East shook energy prices and supply chains.
nytimes.com
Can we nominate Rand Paul's neighbor for the Congressional Medal of Honor? Paul may not be the stupidest member of the Senate (looking at you, Tommy T.), but along with Ted Cruz he is the most punchable.
Another war lost by Trump: the trade war. Looks like China won. The manufacturing was never coming back home. Trump has no idea how to utilize America's strategic economic advantages. He just keeps pissing them away.
Trump’s Tariffs Are Sending Some Companies Back to China
For some U.S. brands seeking a location for their factories, the economic logic is once again pointing to China.
nytimes.com
RIP, Glen Hansard. He made music that truly touched the listener's soul. And he could rock with the best of them.
Luke O'Neil@lukeoneil47.bsky.social · last wk.Ah hell RIP Glen Hansard www.youtube.com/watch?v=cavb...
Perhaps the AI systems at the competing airlines have declared war on one another.
Matt Novak@paleofuture.bsky.social · last wk.American Airlines flights grounded nationwide due to IT outage: FAA