'Universities are not just another organisation trying to stay on good terms with power. They have autonomy for a reason: to think beyond the concerns of the government of the day, question assumptions and sometimes say uncomfortable things.'

Universities need intellectual leaders, not political pawns

When I listen to or read what university leaders say in public, a familiar vocabulary often appears: relevance, employability, innovation, competitiveness, societal needs. There is nothing wrong with ...

timeshighereducation.com

The Venn diagram of the people who refuse COVID19 vaccines and the people who will buy untested, unapproved injectible peptides from a compounding pharmacy is a perfect circle.

RFK Jr. says compounding pharmacies can go right ahead and manufacture and sell peptides that have not been assessed for safety or efficacy and are not approved by the FDA. Many peptides are delivered by injection or IV. But he thinks vaccines are dangerous. This man is beneath contempt.

RFK Jr. takes shortcut to make some unapproved peptides available for use

HHS is pausing legal action against compounding pharmacies that make certain peptides, effectively allowing them to offer the unapproved drugs immediately.

nbcnews.com

Despite campaign promises, Trump and RFK Jr. have repeatedly failed to deliver meaningful action on harmful chemicals and pesticides, while undermining independent scientific recommendations and siding with corporate interests.

CNN@cnn.com · 3w ago

Calley Means, a prominent figure in the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, resigned from his position as a senior Trump health official over frustrations with the government’s progress tackling chronic disease, according to multiple people familiar with his decision.

My brain cannot process this level of corruption. She was being paid $50 million to engineer a pardon from Trump *while working at the Justice Department* as a "Special Government Employee." And it worked. He got the pardon, and she got the money. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/20/u...

A Billionaire Wanted a Trump Pardon. His Family Gave Alina Habba a $50 Million Deal. (Gift Article)

Julio Herrera Velutini, a prominent Venezuelan, was seeking clemency. He got it not long after his daughter gave Ms. Habba, a lawyer close to President Trump, an extraordinarily lucrative job.

nytimes.com

The Telegraph obtained information that it was Elon Musk’s idea to reduce the maximum speed of Starlink-controlled (interceptor-) drones in Ukraine, then got cold feet that this might backfire on Starlink in the European market and then finally blamed Trump for this episode.

Daniel Goris

This Too, JD Couch.......

Biden: The MAGA wing, well gosh, listen, they’re, it’s, a bit of a flirt with fascism, no kidding around Media: Democratic rhetoric invites political violence Trump: The nuclear flames that burn every mongrel soul in San Diego will be a cleansing fire. Media: Trump makes his case in Nebraska

measles is an entirely preventable disease that is being reintroduced to America by Republicans because Trump fucked up the federal pandemic response and so therefore science must be bad

FactPost@factpostnews.bsky.social · 2mo ago

At least 6 babies in Pennsylvania have been born infected with measles.

Using taxpayer money to run campaign commercials is theft. Trump mocks the law. He has turned the White House into the headquarters for his organized crime gang.

Did you know that the United States officially withdrew from the Human Rights Council last Friday. The day after a UN group accused the Administration of multiple war crimes in Iran. Seems like something shithole countries do.

If someone posted this about a Jewish Senator, it would be rightly condemned as anti-semitism. El-Sayed was born and raised in Michigan, but because he is Muslim he is perpetually foreign and under suspicion.

After illegally bulldozing half of the White House, Trump bans media that won’t lie for him from the other half. Every self-respecting media entity in America should boycott what’s left of the White House if he keeps violating press freedom.

The Associated Press@apnews.com · 2mo ago

BREAKING: President Trump says he is banning CNN, MSNOW and Politico from the White House over their coverage.

1. This is a naked attack on press freedom by a president who hates it. 2. There are limits to the president's ability to carry out this threat thanks to the First Amendment. 3. It's also a threat to the "Other Fake News Media Outlets" who can face similar punishment based on their reporting.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 2mo ago

Trump: "I am proud to announce that, effective immediately, I am banning Fake News CNN, MSNOW, and Politico ... from the White House as a result of their constant 'reporting' FAKE NEWS!"

Imagine a job where, faced with a difficult decision, you could just stop going to work www.nbcnews.com/politics/con...

House to leave early, punting Hegseth impeachment vote until after November elections

House Republican leaders cancelled votes planned for Thursday. Members won’t return to Washington until Nov. 9.

nbcnews.com

…

In a normal, functioning democracy, this would end his presidency tonight.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 2mo ago

Trump: "We spent more than $2 billion in FEMA funding. You're waiting for some additional funding. I'm gonna get that to you. Now if Michael loses, I'm not sending it." Crowd: *groans*

It's genuinely fascinating that the US president keeps announcing that he just flat out doesn't know what trade is, he legit doesn't appreciate the concept of exchange and instead views economic activity through the lens of a dragon attempting to maximise its gold hoard to sit upon.

Michael McKee@mckonomy.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Well, that took longer than I thought, but he hath spoken:

So the ‘negotiation’ involves blowing smoke up Putin’s arse, asking him what he wants then attacking Ukraine for refusing to concede it. Never forget the huge swathe of UK media & political figures who celebrated Trump’s ascent while claiming to care about Ukraine. Absolute heels, the lot of them.

Olga Nesterova@onestpress.onestnetwork.com · 2mo ago

Kushner on Ukraine: “President Putin's laid out his line of what he wants to achieve. If Ukraine, you know, wanted to withdraw to that line, then obviously, you know, we have the rest of the deal set up and put together. Ukraine right now does not want to do that.” Putin’s brain cell

The way British democracy is being bought by crypto billionaires is simply obscene - and a direct result of Labour’s unforgivable inaction

Burnham drops support for political funding cap aimed at curbing mega-donors

PM said he would set bar at £500k, but trade unions say funding reforms could undermine their ability to donate to Labour

theguardian.com

Here’s a handy reference.

"the money, which was supposed to be used to provide health insurance for poor children, was instead hastily passed through multiple organizations before eventually landing in the bank accounts of two political action committees and the Republican Party of Florida." www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/g...

Grand jury finds DeSantis administration "misappropriated" $10 million in taxpayer money to Hope Florida

A Florida grand jury found the DeSantis administration misappropriated $10 million in taxpayer money for political purposes.

cbsnews.com

What horseshit. She embraced gay people at the height of the AIDS crisis, embraced trans people at the height of the war against them, supported Black communities and artists, and wrote the most pro-worker's rights feminist pop song of all time. Neutral my ass

CNN@cnn.com · 3mo ago

"At a time when no American celebrity seems immune from the country’s many divisions, Dolly Parton was a crossover icon who stayed neutral in the culture wars while still speaking her mind," writes Zachary B. Wolf. | Analysis

Damanding this little tyrant be gone by morning of Nov 4 must be at the top of new majority public agenda.

tomwellborn3rd@wellborn.net · 3mo ago

Congress funded the CDC's Alzheimer's work, the sickle cell and epilepsy data programs and a rape prevention unit, and Vought simply will not release the money. Grassley told him to his face he lacks the authority. The pocket rescission alone took 4.9 billion.

Trump is threatening to bomb… Oman? What a fucking lunatic

The same people who want you to show specialized government ID to vote in popular elections don’t think you need to show *proof of life* to vote in the *United States Senate*

FelixTCat@felixtcat.bsky.social · 3mo ago

I didn’t know this happened. Did you know this happened. This is some BS for sure.

A decade ago, Elon Musk called burning fossil fuels “the dumbest experiment in history." Now he owns a gas turbine company and has quickly turned into a fossil fuel tycoon.

Elon Musk, the World’s Most Famous EV Pioneer, Is Now Leaning Into Fossil Fuels

SpaceX is planning a Texas natural gas plant to power a new chip facility, while gas turbines are already being used for campuses in Tennessee and Mississippi.

wsj.com