Mark Sumner 🇺🇦
@devilstower.bsky.social
Author, journalist, old guy.
Science, climate, space, transportation, energy, and how human selection drives the evolution of all of the above.
www.unchartedblue.com
Science, climate, space, transportation, energy, and how human selection drives the evolution of all of the above.
www.unchartedblue.com
Pinned
The biggest problem, in both government and business, is that too many people can’t tell the difference between cruelty and leadership.
With AI, we’re creating a “first contact” situation. One where we are the unsuspecting islanders watching a warship steam into our harbor.
November 26, 2025 at 4:28 PM
With AI, we’re creating a “first contact” situation. One where we are the unsuspecting islanders watching a warship steam into our harbor.
Introduce yourself with four spaceships.
November 26, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Introduce yourself with four spaceships.
Reposted by Mark Sumner 🇺🇦
November 25, 2025 at 10:14 PM
Reposted by Mark Sumner 🇺🇦
Countries that have abortion access, DEI policies or protection for LGBTQ+ people will be considered “human rights violators“ by the Trump regime
We’re in the upside down.
www.forbes.com/sites/maryro...
We’re in the upside down.
www.forbes.com/sites/maryro...
Abortion And DEI Policies Now Considered Violations Of Human Rights, U.S. Says
The Trump administration has overhauled how the State Department conducts its annual Human Rights Report.
www.forbes.com
November 25, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Countries that have abortion access, DEI policies or protection for LGBTQ+ people will be considered “human rights violators“ by the Trump regime
We’re in the upside down.
www.forbes.com/sites/maryro...
We’re in the upside down.
www.forbes.com/sites/maryro...
Reposted by Mark Sumner 🇺🇦
The word 'Orwellian' is overused, but calling countries with active human rights protections 'human rights violators' is pure doublespeak.
Countries that have abortion access, DEI policies or protection for LGBTQ+ people will be considered “human rights violators“ by the Trump regime
We’re in the upside down.
www.forbes.com/sites/maryro...
We’re in the upside down.
www.forbes.com/sites/maryro...
Abortion And DEI Policies Now Considered Violations Of Human Rights, U.S. Says
The Trump administration has overhauled how the State Department conducts its annual Human Rights Report.
www.forbes.com
November 25, 2025 at 11:02 PM
The word 'Orwellian' is overused, but calling countries with active human rights protections 'human rights violators' is pure doublespeak.
Seventeen years later, and the Republican healthcare plan is still “Let it all fall apart, then we’ll think of something. Eventually.”
Trump was going to roll out a health care plan. Then Republicans weighed in.
Lawmakers just have a few weeks left to reach a deal to avoid a massive premium spike for ACA enrollees.
www.politico.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Seventeen years later, and the Republican healthcare plan is still “Let it all fall apart, then we’ll think of something. Eventually.”
Wall Street Journal comes about one inch from saying Meta is engaged in a $27 billion fraud.
“… a marvel of financial engineering: Meta Platforms is building a $27 billion data center in Louisiana, financed with debt, and neither the data center nor the debt will be on its own balance sheet.”
“… a marvel of financial engineering: Meta Platforms is building a $27 billion data center in Louisiana, financed with debt, and neither the data center nor the debt will be on its own balance sheet.”
AI Meets Aggressive Accounting at Meta’s Gigantic New Data Center
Favorable treatment off the balance sheet hinges on some convenient assumptions.
www.wsj.com
November 24, 2025 at 9:41 PM
Wall Street Journal comes about one inch from saying Meta is engaged in a $27 billion fraud.
“… a marvel of financial engineering: Meta Platforms is building a $27 billion data center in Louisiana, financed with debt, and neither the data center nor the debt will be on its own balance sheet.”
“… a marvel of financial engineering: Meta Platforms is building a $27 billion data center in Louisiana, financed with debt, and neither the data center nor the debt will be on its own balance sheet.”
The message from the six lawmakers says only that service personnel are not required to follow illegal orders—that’s also in the uniform code of military conduct. It doesn’t mention Trump or Hegseth.
But the fact this message has them so infuriated should tell you something.
But the fact this message has them so infuriated should tell you something.
November 24, 2025 at 9:17 PM
The message from the six lawmakers says only that service personnel are not required to follow illegal orders—that’s also in the uniform code of military conduct. It doesn’t mention Trump or Hegseth.
But the fact this message has them so infuriated should tell you something.
But the fact this message has them so infuriated should tell you something.
Reposted by Mark Sumner 🇺🇦
This is likely unlawful command influence
November 24, 2025 at 7:00 PM
This is likely unlawful command influence
Reposted by Mark Sumner 🇺🇦
Seeing how much of the right-wing on Twitter is just bot farms, kinda lays bare how much hate and hatred is a project that needs to be constantly maintained, a fire that needs to be fed all the time lest it go out for a moment, so much time, effort, and resources to keep people angry and hateful.
November 24, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Seeing how much of the right-wing on Twitter is just bot farms, kinda lays bare how much hate and hatred is a project that needs to be constantly maintained, a fire that needs to be fed all the time lest it go out for a moment, so much time, effort, and resources to keep people angry and hateful.
I’ve been saying this for over 20 years, but it seems like it still needs to be repeated: If your campaign ever sends me an email, text, or letter that is from James Carville or cites James Carville, I will block you, never give you a penny, and work for your primary opponent.
November 24, 2025 at 8:48 PM
I’ve been saying this for over 20 years, but it seems like it still needs to be repeated: If your campaign ever sends me an email, text, or letter that is from James Carville or cites James Carville, I will block you, never give you a penny, and work for your primary opponent.
When British people are asked which TV shows deserve another season, they mention some shows that I’ve never heard of, some UK shows that were Transatlantic hits, and — Firefly.
Did Egg get a Michelin star? Did Super Hans make it to Macedonia? The TV shows that most need a comeback
From a newer, greener Top Gear to the greatest comedy of all time, here are the series Guardian readers most want back on our screens
www.theguardian.com
November 24, 2025 at 1:49 PM
When British people are asked which TV shows deserve another season, they mention some shows that I’ve never heard of, some UK shows that were Transatlantic hits, and — Firefly.
Reposted by Mark Sumner 🇺🇦
Most accounts on Twitter turn out to be Russian MAGA bots. Here’s why Bluesky has an intellectual diversity problem
November 23, 2025 at 10:35 PM
Most accounts on Twitter turn out to be Russian MAGA bots. Here’s why Bluesky has an intellectual diversity problem
Reposted by Mark Sumner 🇺🇦
A depraved and decadent Trump WH dinner for MBS was a stunning low for an American ruling class that's stopped pretending to carry a moral compass
It was really a celebration of death - of democracy, of an overheating planet, and ultimately themselves. My new column www.inquirer.com/opinion/ceos...
It was really a celebration of death - of democracy, of an overheating planet, and ultimately themselves. My new column www.inquirer.com/opinion/ceos...
The night America’s doomed ruling class gorged on lamb, blood, and oil
For America’s deeply corrupt billionaires, time heals all wounds — even from a murderous Saudi prince’s bone saw.
www.inquirer.com
November 23, 2025 at 6:10 PM
A depraved and decadent Trump WH dinner for MBS was a stunning low for an American ruling class that's stopped pretending to carry a moral compass
It was really a celebration of death - of democracy, of an overheating planet, and ultimately themselves. My new column www.inquirer.com/opinion/ceos...
It was really a celebration of death - of democracy, of an overheating planet, and ultimately themselves. My new column www.inquirer.com/opinion/ceos...
Reposted by Mark Sumner 🇺🇦
This is not a peace plan. It is a proposal that weakens Ukraine and divides America from Europe, preparing the way for a larger war in the future. In the meantime, it benefits unnamed Russian and American investors, at the expense of everyone else.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Trump Has a Recipe for War and Corruption, Not Peace
Who would benefit from the White House’s 28-point proposal for Ukraine?
www.theatlantic.com
November 22, 2025 at 11:11 AM
This is not a peace plan. It is a proposal that weakens Ukraine and divides America from Europe, preparing the way for a larger war in the future. In the meantime, it benefits unnamed Russian and American investors, at the expense of everyone else.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Reposted by Mark Sumner 🇺🇦
Pretty remarkable that Trump has installed someone on the Saudi dole — Jared Kushner collects millions in fees from the Saudis every year — in a key role for America's most sensitive and consequential foreign policy negotiations (Gaza, Ukraine), and it is largely TREATED AS A NON-STORY
November 23, 2025 at 11:33 PM
Pretty remarkable that Trump has installed someone on the Saudi dole — Jared Kushner collects millions in fees from the Saudis every year — in a key role for America's most sensitive and consequential foreign policy negotiations (Gaza, Ukraine), and it is largely TREATED AS A NON-STORY
Trump is holding 200,000 Ukrainians—invited to come here—hostage. Just another part of buckling to Putin.
www.reuters.com
November 23, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Trump is holding 200,000 Ukrainians—invited to come here—hostage. Just another part of buckling to Putin.
Reposted by Mark Sumner 🇺🇦
West Point is committing "a crime of serious proportion" then.
November 23, 2025 at 4:56 PM
West Point is committing "a crime of serious proportion" then.
You know the best way to increase your wages, benefits, and quality of life? That’s also by moving from a red state to a blue state. Median income is $74K in blue states and $63K in red states.
But as someone who lives in a red state, how about we just make things better for everyone?
But as someone who lives in a red state, how about we just make things better for everyone?
Bessent: "You know the best way to bring your inflation rate down? Move from a blue state to a red state. Blue state inflation is half a percent higher."
November 23, 2025 at 4:18 PM
You know the best way to increase your wages, benefits, and quality of life? That’s also by moving from a red state to a blue state. Median income is $74K in blue states and $63K in red states.
But as someone who lives in a red state, how about we just make things better for everyone?
But as someone who lives in a red state, how about we just make things better for everyone?
Name one. And no, it cannot be Alan Dershowitz.
November 23, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Name one. And no, it cannot be Alan Dershowitz.
Reposted by Mark Sumner 🇺🇦
Hard for me to say how this is different from Fox News's entire business model, except that it's less sophisticated. This is transparently and obviously bad — and Elon should ban these accounts — but the spirit here of trading rage for money is pretty much a lot of right-wing media.
November 23, 2025 at 9:53 AM
Hard for me to say how this is different from Fox News's entire business model, except that it's less sophisticated. This is transparently and obviously bad — and Elon should ban these accounts — but the spirit here of trading rage for money is pretty much a lot of right-wing media.
Reposted by Mark Sumner 🇺🇦
Twitter pays people based on engagement (views, retweets, comments, etc). It appears that many MAGA accounts are based abroad and they use AI technology to generate low-effort rage bait.
My guess is that this will get worse as AI tech improves. For instance, fake videos of minorities doing crime.
My guess is that this will get worse as AI tech improves. For instance, fake videos of minorities doing crime.
November 23, 2025 at 9:23 AM
Twitter pays people based on engagement (views, retweets, comments, etc). It appears that many MAGA accounts are based abroad and they use AI technology to generate low-effort rage bait.
My guess is that this will get worse as AI tech improves. For instance, fake videos of minorities doing crime.
My guess is that this will get worse as AI tech improves. For instance, fake videos of minorities doing crime.
Reposted by Mark Sumner 🇺🇦
Russia laundering its Ukraine "wish list" through Axios and getting the Trump regime to claim it as a "U.S. peace plan" should have been on all of our bingo cards.
November 23, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Russia laundering its Ukraine "wish list" through Axios and getting the Trump regime to claim it as a "U.S. peace plan" should have been on all of our bingo cards.
In the wake of the Epstein vote, Trump is pushing a “peace plan” written by Russia. Which raises a question: DOES Putin have the Bubba video?
More evidence that the Trump/Witkoff “peace plan” for Ukraine came straight from the Russians - it uses Russian syntax.
www.theguardian.com/world/live/2...
www.theguardian.com/world/live/2...
November 23, 2025 at 5:54 AM
In the wake of the Epstein vote, Trump is pushing a “peace plan” written by Russia. Which raises a question: DOES Putin have the Bubba video?
Reposted by Mark Sumner 🇺🇦
They planned to force him to crash or shoot him for recording their crimes. They then accused him of assaulting them. www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/c...
ICE video shows officers planned to ‘smash’ into Charlotte man filming Border Patrol
Immigration agents had a 12-pack of Modelos in their car while making arrests, Miguel Angel Garcia Martinez told investigators.
www.charlotteobserver.com
November 22, 2025 at 9:59 PM
They planned to force him to crash or shoot him for recording their crimes. They then accused him of assaulting them. www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/c...