Atlantic puffins (Fratercula arctica) engaging in a behavior known as "billing," where they tap or rub their colorful beaks together Puffin BillingThe behavior: Puffins 🐧 often rub their bills together as part of a greeting or to strengthen their pair bond during the breeding season.

Periodically confirming your voter registration is preventative maintenance for your role as a participant in a democracy

Hansi Lo Wang (he/him)@hansilowang.bsky.social · last wk.

Dear registered voters, When was the last time you checked your registration status and verified your current name and address? You can find the links you need to do that at npr.org/vote

Any day spent on the PCT is a good day!

Marianne Denton@mariannedenton.bsky.social · last wk.

There is a feeling I experience, maybe an emotional connection. When I hike short sections of the Pacific Crest Trail, I imagine countless people, from distant lands, walking this path, experiencing this awe, wonder for the first time. For me, it’s a reverence. I sense them. They’re so fortunate.

Truer words never spoken.

If you haven’t yet seen this, here’s Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, and Linda Ronstadt doing “After the Gold Rush” on Letterman. Amazing. m.youtube.com/watch?v=o2Xc...

Harris, Parton, Ronstadt on Late Show, March 24, 1999 (full, stereo)

YouTube video by Don Giller

m.youtube.com

If you’re worried about our elections – or yesterday’s Supreme Court order – we have some good news: yesterday's order was a procedural ruling, nothing more. #orpol

🚨CATS NEED HELP🚨 Northeast folk: CATS NEED HOME.

Shecky@shecky.bsky.social · 3w ago

UPDATE: Yes, their owner passed away Thursday. We're taking them in today, but as I said, that CAN'T be permanent; they NEED a HOME NOW. We're willing to drive pretty much anywhere in the Northeast for the right adopter. We're begging.

Optimist: The cup is half full Pessimist: The cup is half empty Quantum physicist: Until you actually measure what's in the cup, you can't say whether it's half full or half empty.

Mar Hicks@histoftech.bsky.social · 3w ago

Optimist: The cup is half full Pessimist: The cup is half empty Historian: The cup can teach you a lot of things that you do not want to know

This statement works both literally and metaphorically.

Julia Barton@bartona104.bsky.social · 3w ago

You don't call a wildfire-devastated landscape "mainstream forest" just because a few trees are left standing.

He’s going to…bomb the bond market?

Acyn@acyn.bsky.social · 3w ago

Reporter on Bond Market: The yields have come back up since then. Have you talked to Bessent about another type of intervention.? Trump: The ultimate intervention is our military. And if we have to use that, we will.

“Because we all know that the Flock cameras are not only following the license [plates]; they are following children. They are following children in parks and gymnasiums, and we need this,” the sith lord continued. “I need this so I can stalk my ex-girlfriend.”

Electronic Frontier Foundation@eff.org · 3w ago

The Force is strong with this one.

Given rising interest in the rapidly strengthening El Niño event in the tropical Pacific Ocean, I've created a one-page fact sheet succinctly describing what El Niño is, this year's (remarkable) forecast, and potential impacts from California to global scales. [Thread]

Computer scientist Margaret Hamilton coined the term “software engineer.” She directed the Software Engineering Division at MIT’s Instrumentation Lab & led development of the on-board flight software for NASA’s Apollo Guidance Computer. She was born #OTD in 1936 & turns 90 today! #WomenInSTEM

My god. Personally diverted 9 aircraft and a hot shot crew , as a start, for a 7 acre road accessible fire given everything else burning -- and this after slashing overall USFS fire fighting capacity by 1/3 or so.

Eric Umansky@ericumansky.bsky.social · 4w ago

The billionaire bro in charge of Forest Service, Michael Boren, ordered underlings to deploy a fleet aircraft to put out a tiny fire near his megaranch Acre-size of fire: 7 Number of aircraft sent: 9 “it was easily accessible by ground,” said an official www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2026...

And it's not just recent non-US citizen PhDs who are leaving: "The report also found a significant increase in the percentage of US-citizen graduates leaving the country, around 12%, compared to 9% after the 2023-24 school year and 5% after the 2022-23 school year."

Michael Brown@mjibrown.bsky.social · 3w ago

A government actively (and not just passively) against science and scientists is producing predictable results in the US. jobs.physicstoday.org/article/phys...

The global superpower is in the midst of an unparalleled campaign of self-sabotage, utterly without precedent historically, via the deliberate destruction of state capacity and the elimination of professional expertise.

New MSU study finds clear connection between low snowpack and human-caused climate change.

Scientists link the West’s extreme snow drought to climate change

New MSU study finds clear connection between low snowpack and human-caused climate change.

montanafreepress.org

"The $15 million includes $9.3 million for the Spokane Conservation District to 'mitigate increasing wildfire risks in [Spokane] county and $5.5 million for the Spokane Valley Fire Department' to significantly reduce wildfire risks in Spokane Valley,” according to USDA." Absurd USDA mission creep!

Chelsea Harvey@chelseaeharvey.bsky.social · last mo.

NEW: The Trump administration withheld for months millions of dollars in wildfire prevention funds from two Spokane communities now fighting devastating blazes. The delays occurred amid a dispute over new USDA grant terms requiring compliance on DEI and immigration. www.eenews.net/articles/dei...

My 4-year/old just learned about the concept of infinity and is now throwing a tantrum over it. “It’s weird! I don’t like it. I just want numbers to stop!”

The Heritage Foundation asserts that women never needed sports in the first place. To prove that Title IX has become a tool of “feminist social engineering.” To demonstrate that women don’t need sports and that “clubs, intramurals, and exercise classes” is enough. open.substack.com/pub/jesspipe...

Give Them an Inch...

And they'll take away women's sports...

open.substack.com

Happy #OwlAwarenessDay! 🦉 Shredding coconuts is one of 21-year-old Eurasian eagle owl Forrest’s favorite enrichment activities behind the scenes, and he wants you to know about it. As one of the largest owl species in the world, Eurasian eagle owls are very impressive!

To learn more about wildfire smoke, how it impacts your health, and steps you can take to reduce your exposure, visit doh.wa.gov/smokefromfires

Level 1 (Be Ready) was extended for the Mount Hood corridor from Government Camp west towards Rhododendron due to the Grasshopper Fire a few minutes ago. Yesterday the fire started a run towards the west in the direction of OR-35. Not want anyone wants to see ... app.watchduty.org/i/110721

Watch Duty - Wildfire Maps & Alerts

Real-time information about wildfire and firefighting efforts nearby

app.watchduty.org

Yep. Earlier this year I was interviewed by Sharyn Alfonsi of 60 Minutes about my Epstein investigation. Subsequently, CBS pulled the segment and fired the reporter. The MAGA buyout of media is aiding the Trump administration’s Epstein cover up.

The New Republic@newrepublic.com · last mo.

Banks permitted millions in suspicious transactions tied to Epstein—and former 60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi had the story months ago. But the report would never air. trib.al/ZShZlIS

The front page of this morning’s Spokesman-Review, Aug. 2, 2026, the day after one of the worst wildfires in Washington state history. More than 600 structures, mostly homes, have been lost in the #OldTrailsFire. Read local news.

Susan asked if wildlife eat wild mushrooms. They do! I've seen squirrels and deer eat them in my yard. Bears, rabbits, turtles, snails, wild turkeys, and crows eat them too. These ruby mushrooms were in my yard this week and disappeared quickly. I bet they got eaten. #FungiFriday #fungifriends 📷🍄

Is transitioning to 24/7 trading the only way to end this war?

GOLIKEHELLMACHINE@golikehellmachine.com · last mo.

what do you even say at this point

"Risk mitigation and adaptation measures such as strengthened flood defenses, upgraded design standards for structures and infrastructure systems, and improved alert or early warning systems will be critical to lessen these impacts."

Kelly Hereid@kellyhereid.bsky.social · last mo.

Future hurricane rainfall increases... a lot. Especially in Northeast. iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1... Lin @adamsobel.bsky.social @monahemmati.bsky.social Env Res Clim

Big-time 😱 for folks east of the Cascades!

Anthony Edwards@edwardsanthonyb.bsky.social · last mo.

Eek. Not what the Northwest needs. Elevated to critical fire weather conditions forecast Saturday, Aug. 1 as a dry cold front whips up strong winds east of the Cascades. #WAwx #ORwx #IDwx

Yearly bear cam maintenance staff reporting for duty.