Cindy Wu
@cindywu.bsky.social
My avatar photo, my hand cradling a red maple leaf, was taken during early autumn in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Big supporter of the NPS and any other public spaces where we can learn and enjoy.
Trump eliminated NPS free-free days on Dr. MLK, Jr. Day and Juneteenth but added one for his birthday.
National Parks are now free on Trump's birthday, but not on MLK Jr. Day or Juneteenth
The Trump administration overhauled the list of free National Park days for 2026.
axios.com
Giving Tuesday post. Are you a frequent national park visitor? If so, please consider donating to an organization that serves the community near a national park. Many of these towns find social services hard to come by. I just sent the Family Crisis Center of the Big Bend a donation: fccbb.org
FCCBB Home - Family Crisis Center of the Big Bend
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fccbb.org
“The National Parks Conservation Association warned that national parks will lose up to $1 million in fee revenue for every day the shutdown lasts, and communities outside of the parks could lose up to $80 million in spending from tourists.”
How the government shutdown affects national parks
The federal government shutdown overnight after Republicans and Democrats failed to reach an agreement to avoid a funding lapse ahead of an Oct. 1 deadline.
cbsnews.com
Did a Brooklyn Couple Kill a Neighbor’s Trees for a Better View in Maine? “Stephen Antonson, a Brooklyn home furnishings artisan, and his wife, Kathleen Hackett, an interior design writer, are fighting accusations that they poisoned trees on the waterfront property of their 95-year-old neighbor...”
Did a Brooklyn Couple Kill a Neighbor’s Trees for a Better View in Maine?
nytimes.com
Do you have a photo of an interpretive sign you think is at risk for elimination by the Trump administration? If so, please submit it to the Save Our Signs project.
Save Our Signs Campaign Has Amassed Nearly 5,000 Photos Of National Park Signs
Tidbits and details of American history, captured in nearly 5,000 photographs, have been amassed in a grassroots campaign launched to memorialize interpretation in the National Park System against the...
nationalparkstraveler.org
Gateway towns to public lands are feeling the pinch as Trump’s policies scare international visitors away. “The downturn at Utah’s parks is part of a broader travel trend this summer. It appears to be driven by a dip in international tourism….”
Utah national parks and their gateway towns are feeling a summer tourism slump
Visitation is down at all of Utah’s parks, driven by a decline in international visitors. Economic uncertainty and political rhetoric may be keeping them away, with big implications for local economie...
kuer.org
"For Border Patrol to arrest two firefighters battling a growing wildfire shows once again that President Trump’s immigration crackdown has never been about the dangerous, hardened, criminal murderers he rants about. It’s about keeping America white and free of immigrants from south of the border."
Immigration Agents Arrest Firefighters in Middle of Battling Wildfire
Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown is becoming more disturbing by the day.
newrepublic.com
The National Park Service has bipartisan support, and yet, the Trump administration has made all these budget cuts and intends to cut even more next year.
Trump Shrank Staffing of National Parks. See How Many Are Struggling.
nytimes.com
NPS employee who hung a transgender pride flag on El Capitan is fired.
'A direct attack': Yosemite employees furious over firing of scientist
SJ Joslin is now considering a wrongful termination lawsuit.
sfgate.com
University of Virginia President Resigns Under Pressure From Trump Administration
University of Virginia President Resigns Under Pressure From Trump Administration
nytimes.com
In Joyful Speech, Mamdani Vows to Work for ‘Each and Every New Yorker’
In Joyful Speech, Mamdani Vows to Work for ‘Each and Every New Yorker’
nytimes.com
"The Army estimates the cost at $25 million to $45 million. But it could be higher because [of]... the cost of cleanup and police.... [I]t comes as the administration seeks to slash funding for education, health and public assistance."
Military Parade Concerns Dissolve With a More Acquiescent Pentagon
nytimes.com
“While the park is enjoyed by millions of visitors each year, NPS encourages them to stay out of the water…. In 2015, the D.C. Department of Energy and the Environment (DEE) found bacteria levels over 2,420 times the most probable number of colonies in 100 milliliters.”
RFK Jr. swam with grandchildren in DC creek with 'high bacteria levels'
The NPS explicitly prohibits swimming and wading in Rock Creek, citing health risks from elevated E. coli and other pathogens.
newsweek.com
“How can I challenge my students to ask hard questions, to follow the research wherever it goes, when I am worried about what might happen to me if I do that? And how can I follow the rules when even university administrators are not always sure of how to interpret them?”
Opinion | Did One of My Students Hate Me So Much They’d Lie to Get Me in Trouble?
nytimes.com
Great news for South Korea! Hey, U.S... hint, hint.
What to Know About South Korea President Yoon’s Impeachment Over Martial Law (Gift Article)
The country’s Constitutional Court on Friday upheld the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol, dismissing him from office four months after his short-lived imposition of martial law.
nytimes.com
I opened an account at Hoosier Hills Credit Union. I mentioned to the account manager that I was avoiding corporate banks because they only care about profit. When she heard this, her eyes lit up. She said she used to work for a bank, and credit unions treat their workers so much better, too.
Home - Hoosier Hills Credit Union
We're a credit union, not a bank. As a not-for-profit, we can offer you better banking with great rates and fewer fees. Let us save you money!
hoosierhills.com
"Thousands of Israelis gathered on Wednesday outside the Parliament building in Jerusalem to call for a renewed cease-fire deal in Gaza and to protest political moves by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu..."
Israelis Take to Streets Day After Strikes on Gaza (Gift Article)
Israeli protests are converging over national security and domestic politics amid concerns about the government’s renewed push to reduce the power of state watchdogs.
nytimes.com
"The student government association president said three of her five instructors had been dismissed.... A senior had wondered whether the university, a sanctum for Native American students shaped by tradition and tragedy, would remain open long enough for him to receive his degree.
Federal Cuts Came to Native Schools. Students Are Livid. (Gift Article)
As the Trump administration trims the federal work force, students and educators at Haskell Indian Nations University in Kansas fear for the future of a school that was already facing troubles.
nytimes.com
One last set of photos from my day trip to the Hoosier National Forest. Isn't this little church twee? There's so much history preserved here. Thank you to the *federal employees* who make it possible for us to enjoy. Grateful. Sending all my support.
Hickory Ridge fire tower in the Charles Deam Wilderness area of the Hoosier National Forest was built in 1936 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. It was an intense experience climbing it during a wind advisory.
Scenic View Restaurant is locally and family-owned. Paying with cash on Economic Blackout Day so the credit card companies don’t get a cut. Come to think of it, I may use cash more often.
