Laura J Mixon

@laurajmg.bsky.social

Six SF novels. Environmental engineer. Spousal unit. Genderqueer motherbeast. Hatch green, Chimayo red—NM nerd, born & bred. Severe MEcfs. Black Lives Matter, now and forever.

the funny thing about people in the western world being angry at sikhs for taking all the trucking jobs is that people in India are also angry with them for taking all the trucking jobs. It's not you. It's what we do. We are the Truck Guys.

For those who look to support or oppose candidates based on their stance on #UBI, the Michigan election today is interesting in how both El-Sayed and Stevens seem open to UBI. El-Sayed actually has it on his Senate platform page while Stevens backed monthly non-means-tested $1,000/mo checks in 2020.

A screencap from abdulforsenate.com/priority/money-in-your-pocket

Artificial Intelligence 
Government decisions around world-changing technology like AI should not be left to unaccountable corporations. Rather than replace us, AI should be a tool to enhance our lives. Further, the speed and lack of transparency with which these technologies are being developed opens the door to serious risks that powerful AI may fall into the wrong hands or escape human control altogether. That’s why I support legislation to create guardrails around when, how, and for what purposes AI is deployed. And I oppose efforts to pre-empt state action without federal legislation in place. 

To address the risk of massive automation of our jobs, I support exploring income protection programs such as wage insurance and basic income, worker investment through unions, adjusting our tax system to stop penalizing human employment and rewarding automation, and investment in small business revolving loan funds. 

And to address the security risks, I believe we must develop clear “rules of the road” for AI development that governs which hands this technology falls into and requires us to better test and understand the models being developed. This includes clear safety testing standards for frontier models; liability and incident reporting standards; compute controls, including “know your customer” requirements for compute providers; and the creation of an independent technical agency with real enforcement power, like to the Food & Drug Administration, for AI. stevens.house.gov/media/press-releases/stevens-opposes-targeted-approach-direct-cash-assistance

March 20, 2020
Press Release
Yesterday, Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11) sent a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi arguing that a targeted approach to direct cash assistance as part of forthcoming COVID-19 relief packages could cause families that urgently need this assistance to fall through the cracks.  

ICYMI: Congresswoman Haley Stevens Backs $1,000 Cash Assistance — Or More — In Response to COVID-19 (WDET, 3/19/2020) 

“As the House and Senate work to establish an economic relief package to secure the economic foundations of this country and most importantly the financial security of every American, I would like to support ongoing efforts to ensure direct payments are getting into the hands of Americans who need it as soon as possible,” wrote Congresswoman Stevens. “This week, your office has indicated your support for a targeted approach to cash assistance, refundable tax credits, and unemployment insurance to those below a certain income level. In addition to increasing administrative burden and time to disbursements, such an approach may cause families that urgently need this assistance to fall through the cracks.”

The full text of the letter can be found attached or below.

“As the House and Senate work to establish an economic relief package to secure the economic foundations of this country and most importantly the financial security of every American, I would like to support ongoing efforts to ensure direct payments are getting into the hands of Americans who need it as soon as possible.  

This week, your office has indicated your support for a targeted approach to cash assistance, refundable tax credits, and unemployment insurance to those below a certain income level. In addition to increasing administrative burden and time to disbursements, such an approach may cause families that urgently need this assistance to fall through the cracks.

Michigan: Today is election day and a chance to build our progressive majority in the Senate and elect Abdul El-Sayed. We need him as a Senator who will fight back against corporate interests, abolish ICE, and stand up for Medicare for All. Get out and vote for Abdul today.

Abdul El-Sayed@abdulelsayed.bsky.social · 2d ago

Michigan, it’s Election Day. If you haven’t voted yet, the polls are open now until 8PM. Make your voice heard. Find your polling location at abdulforsenate.com/vote!

It’s past time to BAN CONGRESSIONAL STOCK TRADING!  No member of Congress [or the White House] should be trading stocks. Period. The American people deserve to know their representatives are working for them, not corporations and stock portfolios. It’s time to ban Congressional stock trading.

Whitehouse: "Today I think is a sad and embarrassing day for this committee as it looks like on a party-line vote we are going to advance out of this committee probably the most discreditable person ever to seek the office of attorney general. Let's start with the Epstein files ... "

WHY WOULD ANY USA CITIZEN BE EXEMPT FROM A TAX AUDIT??? Especially The President? He is not a KING ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️

BREAKING: Bombshell report alleges the Trump Administration and CBS News have engaged in covering-up how banks and Wall Street bankrolled Epstein. United States runs out of long range missiles. Trump demands reparations. DOJ drops more reflecting pool cases. Subscribe to support my work:

NEWS: Bombshell Epstein Report Reveals Trump/CBS Cover-Up of Money Trail, Military Runs out of Munitions, DOJ Drops More Cases

Good morning everyone.

open.substack.com

I like to read about past medical breakthroughs: it gives me hope that, one day, the same will happen to ME/CFS. In 1989, scientists found the major gene defect that causes cystic fibrosis, as reported in this article in Science. Francis Collins was one of its discoverers.

Bild

We have been fighting for this for so long. If we can possibly convince them to fund the ME/CFS Roadmap, that could be a game changer. We really need the kind of breakthrough that fires up the scientific and medical communities. That could happen at any time - IF they do the work.

This year’s budget is over $47 billion. They have the money. The problem is the this administration is blocking the spending of the money in particular areas. ME/CFS shouldn’t come under those areas, but the decision makers have to make a serious commitment to funding us.