They aren’t coming back, you know

Conservatives hate science. This is why they slashed budgets to science agencies, and put lunatic ideologues in charge of the NIH, NSF, and the environment, with the clear intent to cut the knees out from under science education and policy. Jessica Knurick is precisely right on this matter.

You can also see it in the staffing of all of these critical science organizations.

It’s like science got pushed off a cliff when Trump took office.

Perhaps you would like me to reassure you that once we throw the rascals out and elect responsible politicians who respect the role science has played in American prosperity, we’ll just hire them back. No, sorry, this isn’t like rehiring workers at the Amazon warehouse. A science hire is accompanied by a large investment in equipment and personnel. I’m at a small liberal arts college; when I was hired here, I was also offered tens of thousands of dollars in startup money to set up my lab the way I needed to be able to do my work. I was dirt cheap. I’ve known colleagues who were offered hundreds of thousands of dollars, and even a few who got somewhere near a million dollars, to cover the ancillary costs of setting up a major lab.

It’s not as if a custom lab and technicians and instruments are sitting around waiting for someone with the expertise to do cutting edge research to show up. This stuff needs to be assembled at great cost to fill a need.

The people are also not generic tools you can swap in and out. We pay science staff peanuts for years, and we hang in there to do the work we love — we generally don’t have a massive financial cushion to weather heavy shifts in employment. Some of those laid off personnel are going to leave the country, looking for work in a nation that doesn’t disrespect science, while most are going to simply give up, get a job at that Amazon warehouse or switch to writing software. Their hearts are broken by the American science establishment. They’re not going to revisit this occupation shown to be willing to discard them if an orange moron gets elected or a con man with half his brain eaten by worms gets appointed.

That is a graph of disillusionment. It would take decades and a new generation to repair it, if we even had the will to bring science back. Given that the damage is being delivered right down to support for grade school education, don’t even count on a single generation being enough.

It’s not just a few people being let go. It’s the demolition of a cultural heritage of science.

A resilient Minnesotan

An ugly old white man (I can say it, I’m one of them) took a seat in the front row of an Ilhan Omar speech, and then jumped up, shouted something unintelligible, whipped out a syringe, and sprayed something unpleasant and bad smelling on her. Then he was promptly tackled.

That’s a metaphor for something — ineffectual, horrible person making a stink and trying to disrupt a democratic event. Even more appropriate is the response by Omar.

Omar continued to talk after the disturbance, commenting: “We will continue. These f****** a**holes are not going to get away with it.”

Exactly right. Say it!

“We’re going to keep talking … just give me 10 minutes. Just give me 10 minutes. I beg you,” Omar told a man, who appeared to be security. “Please don’t let them have the show.”

“Here is the reality that people like this ugly man don’t understand. We are Minnesota strong, and we will stay resilient in the face of whatever they might throw at us,” she continued.

“Everybody settle down. I’m going to finish my remarks. It is important for me to continue to lead my Democratic colleagues in demanding her (DHS Secretary Kristi Noem) resignation. And like I said, if she does not resign, we are going to introduce articles of impeachment.”

I like representatives who have a clear idea of what needs to be done, and Ilhan Omar has that power.

Gruppenführer Bovino slinks away

We’ve gotten very familiar with Greg Bovino, the short stormtrooper who dresses in Hugo Boss and struts around the streets of Minneapolis surrounded by masked thugs — he’s almost comically chickenshit.

The Bovino gang of pathetic dumbshits

He’s going away. Apparently, we’ve finally gotten through to Trump’s narcissistic brain, and he’s become aware of the colossal PR catastrophe that is his Minnesota invasion, has chosen Bovino as his scapegoat, and is sending him back to California.

Sorry, California.

This is the way. Mock the executors of his policies to such a degree that even Trump begins to feel a faint hint of embarrassment, and TACO will look for a way to put the blame on someone. He’s even talking about a concept of a plan to maybe reduce the number of ICE goons in the state.

We should increase the pressure, not by getting any one else shot, but by making it clear that his anti-immigrant policies are failing and making him look weak. The next target: keep up the ridicule on Kristi Noem. I’d like to see her lose her status in this administration and go limping back to South Dakota.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, Bovino is being replaced by Tom Homan, a slobbering lunk who talks like he has a mouthful of marbles — or something — and is going to be equally easy to caricature. Isn’t it remarkable how so many of the Trump acolytes are like goofy comic book villains, with their ready suite of silly features? It’s Dick Tracy or Batman all over again.

Perfection.

It’s all lies

It’s hard to get going in the morning, because we’re all just swimming in lies. The administration lies non-stop — they’re repeating obvious lies over and over, despite the fact that we have multiple videos that allow us to see with our own eyes how false they are.

The echo is repeated over and over again by the media. Fox News only lies, and the lies are expanding into CBS News with the corruption named “Bari Weiss”. But occasionally they slip up.

Pam Bondi has delivered an ultimatum to Minnesota. They will pull ICE out of the state (they say…don’t believe them) IF we do just three things:

“You and your office must restore the rule of law, support ICE officers, and bring an end to the chaos in Minnesota,” Bondi wrote in the letter, which was published by The New York Times and other outlets. “Fortunately, there are common sense solutions to these problems that I hope we can accomplish together.”

To stop the crisis, Bondi directed Walz to repeal Minnesota’s “sanctuary policies” for migrants and share information on its welfare programs, which have been under scrutiny over alleged fraud in government-supported child care centers and million of dollars in funds stolen through a food aid program dating back to the pandemic.

She also requested access to the state’s voter registration records “to confirm that Minnesota’s voter registration practices comply with federal law.”

So she wants an end to policies that protect immigrants, and she wants unfettered access to all the state information on welfare and … voter registration? Donald Trump wants to be able to learn as much as possible about how our citizens vote. You know, our mostly Democratic citizens. This is a crude attempt to undermine democracy.

The state has told her no, flatly, which is good. I’d rather not have ICE knocking on my door because my record shows I’m a reliable, consistent Democratic voter and they want to intimidate people like me.

Impeach Pam Bondi. It would be a good start.

Murdered man identified

We now know a few things about the man killed by federal agents.

The man fatally shot by federal officers in Minneapolis this morning has been identified as Alex Jeffrey Pretti, according to sources familiar with the investigation.

Pretti, 37, has an address listed in south Minneapolis.

At a news conference, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the man who was shot was a 37-year-old white man with no serious criminal history and a record that showed only some parking tickets. Law enforcement sources said Saturday their records show Pretti had no serious criminal history.

O’Hara said the man was a “lawful gun owner” with a permit. Records show that Pretti attended the University of Minnesota. State records show Pretti was issued a nursing license in 2021, and it remains active through March 2026.

So they’re killing law-abiding white people? This isn’t part of the white nationalist agenda, I thought.

Meanwhile, CBP, Republican Tom Emmer, and Donald Trump are blaming “rhetoric” for the death.

Minnesotans are going to be insufferable for a while

Deservedly. This was the scene in Minneapolis yesterday:

The rabble are roused

Donald Trump fantasizes about crowd sizes like that. This one turned out in opposition to him, and they did it on the coldest day of the year so far. You tell Minnesotans that it’s going to be -20°F, and they shrug and pull another layer out of the mud room closet.

And not just Minnesotans: here are my sisters in the balmy Pacific Northwest (and my brother, who isn’t in the photo), declaring what they think in solidarity with the entire nation.

There’s a good feeling that comes with doing the right thing, and people across the country should be feeling that right now. There’s also a feeling of righteousness that comes with being a victim of injustice, and that’s rising hard here in Minnesota. We don’t deserve to be harassed and beaten and searched and murdered because we had done something wrong — those things are being done to us because 1) we are a blue state that voted against Trump in every election, and he takes that personally, and 2) because we have been welcoming to immigrants, and he (and Stephen Miller) are bigots who are lashing out at our friends and colleagues and community members. Punished by professing Christians for being kind to our neighbors, imagine that. It’s what I’ve come to expect from any vocal Christian.

OK, to be fair…

The decency of Minnesotans is mirrored in Lutheran churches seeding what has become the largest refugee population per capita in the United States. Minnesota has had a labor organizing movement since before it became a state. Minnesota created the first high-risk pool in the country to insure “the uninsurable” in 1976.

A word of warning: this isn’t over. We had a one day long general strike, and we can expect reprisals from the federal government. One day is not enough — we’re going to have to tighten our belts for a more prolonged effort, and this needs to spread beyond one state. I’m confident others will join in, because our enemy is a bully who doesn’t respond rationally, or in the best interest of the citizens.

Most importantly, know that what Trump is doing to Minneapolis is the template for what Trump wants to bring to your hometown next.

Minnesota’s general strike should be our template for how we respond nationally.

I’m going to stock up on dried beans and canned vegetables. My father was a blue collar union man, and we knew how to prepare for a strike.

The least we can do — do better, University of Minnesota

There is a planned walkout and protest statewide for 23 January, tomorrow. We want ICE out, and the hope is that a little poke in the pocketbook might send a message. The University of Minnesota sent out the message below to all students and employees.

Dear faculty, staff, and students,

The University is aware of the recently announced call for civic action on Friday, January 23, during which Minnesotans are being encouraged not to attend work, school, or participate in commercial activity in response to federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota.

We fully support the right of faculty, staff, and students to engage in lawful civic expression. We also must ensure continuity of operations and meet our responsibilities to students and the University community.

For all employees
Employees, including students with University jobs, who plan to be away on January 23 must use vacation or personal holiday time with the supervisor’s advance approval. Sick or Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST) cannot be used for these absences. Unapproved absences, including walking off the job or failing to report to work as scheduled, may result in corrective action in accordance with University policies and collective bargaining agreements.
Course delivery and attendance
As was noted to instructors last week, classes are expected to proceed (UMD-specific policy) as scheduled. Instructors who are considering not holding January 23 class sessions must work with their dean’s office to make appropriate alternate arrangements, including notifying students of these changes.

Regarding excused absences (UMD-specific policy), students must notify instructors of the circumstances causing them to miss a scheduled class meeting in advance or as soon as possible. University policy describes circumstances for excused absences and the opportunity for makeup work. Instructors may grant excused absences for reasons not listed in University policy, but those decisions must be made in a viewpoint-neutral way and in concurrence with your academic unit. Students will not be penalized for excused absences.

We appreciate the professionalism, care, and respect our employees demonstrate during moments of heightened community concern. University leaders and supervisors should offer flexibility where feasible, while also ensuring appropriate arrangements to maintain vital services.

If you have questions about time away, attendance, or supervisory responsibilities, please contact your local HR lead. Please note that we are also tracking potential weather impacts on Friday, January 23. Should there be any operational changes, your campus will communicate. Please connect with your Dean’s office for further guidance on instruction.

In short, they support our right to engage in lawful civic expression, but you better not participate in this one unless you’ve consulted your dean and filled out all the paperwork and you have a good excuse!

Too bad. I’ve emailed all my students and told them to join in the protest. I haven’t consulted my dean or filled out any paperwork, but my excuse is that the entire country has been seized by an incompetent fascist cabal, and a brief work stoppage is the least we can do. We ought to have a nationwide general strike for a period of time sufficient to let the ruling junta know that we mean business.

I wish my university had the conviction and the moral courage to speak out, rather than sending out long weasely excuses for doing nothing.

Trump doesn’t get a consolation prize

Look at that shit-eating grin as Trump is given a Nobel prize by María Corina Machado, who doesn’t have the authority to award Nobel peace prizes.

It’s another embarrassment for the United States, that we elected this childish buffoon to the presidency. No, Donald, holding someone else’s prize does not mean you won it. I once got to briefly hold Harold Kroto’s Nobel, it does not mean I’m one of the premiere chemists of the age, and I would not go around smirking because I’d received a great honor. This is more like a spoiled child demanding a toy at the store, and a grown up getting tired of his whining and giving it to him. It’s more shame than honor.

Apparently, Trump has been hectoring Norwegian PM Støre to give him the award. The Nobel Peace Prize is not issued by the Norwegian government, but is handled by an independent committee, and Støre has nothing to do with it. The Nobel Foundation has since posted a rebuke of Trump’s nonsense, plainly stating that NO, he has not been awarded a Nobel prize. Naughty child. Keep crying and you’ll be sent to bed without your supper.

Statement from the Nobel Foundation
One of the core missions of the Nobel Foundation is to safeguard the dignity of the Nobel Prizes and their administration. The Foundation upholds Alfred Nobel’s will and its stipulations. It states that the prizes shall be awarded to those who “have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind,” and it specifies who has the right to award each respective prize. A prize can therefore not, even symbolically, be passed on or further distributed.

Compounding our humiliation, is now complaining to Støre that he has to give him Greenland. Støre does not have the authority to bestow Greenland on anyone — that’s a possession of Denmark. Denmark and Norway are two different countries. So he sent of this stupid letter.

Dear Ambassador:
President Trump has asked that the following message, shared with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, be forwarded to your [named head of government/state]
“Dear Jonas: Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, | no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America. Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a “right of ownership” anyway? There are no written documents, it’s only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also. | have done more for NATO than any other person since its founding, and now, NATO should do something for the United States. The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland. Thank you! President DJT”

The country of Norway does not give Nobel prizes, Trump has not stopped 8 wars, Russia and China are not threatening to take over Greenland, we are. Well, Trump is — the majority of American oppose taking it over. Complaining that their only claim is because a boat landed there…well, yeah, that’s colonialism for you, and it’s the only basis for American ownership of this part of the continent.

This whole thing is the logic of a greedy baby.

Seriously, we need to get rid of this demented narcissist. And if Republicans can’t see reason, we need to get rid of them, too.