David Kerstetter, Ph.D.
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fishguydave.bsky.social
David Kerstetter, Ph.D.
@fishguydave.bsky.social

NSU Fisheries & Avian Ecology Lab PI. Proud 3x W&M grad. Posts on non-biology topics too, especially regarding academia and enviro/ed politics. Opinions solely my own.

Environmental science 68%
Geography 17%

Yes, exactly.
one of the coolest things about ChatGPT is how you can actually just never use it. you can fill your whole entire life with simply not once using it. it's incredible.
one of the coolest things about ChatGPT is how you can actually just never use it. you can fill your whole entire life with simply not once using it. it's incredible.

FYI, the statement this morning from Scouting America.

Some mornings, there just aren't enough facepalms.

As a Scouting adult leader, it’s laughable to be lectured about “meritocracy” by Pete Hegseth.

Both parties were at least Constitutional-adjacent until Gingrich.

These were always it's goals (per Project 2025; data access
goals were incidental to Heritage). We need to hound every DOGE person legally until their only remaining option versus jail-time is exile in some pariah nation-state.

The challenge was limiting it to four, lol.

My first Grateful Dead show -- details below -- was there, bought a ticket on the road outside, then worked my way down to the floor by the end. Doubly supernaturally old, lol. www.gdao.org/items/show/3...
Grateful Dead Live at RFK Stadium on 1991-06-14 · Grateful Dead Archive Online · Grateful Dead Archive Online
www.gdao.org

Has no-one asked RFK Jr about what’s going on in other agencies in the Administration he’s part of? If he’s railing against food colorings, you’d think PFAS products would be… concerning.

Oligarchic increased access to Russian natural resources, with the bonus of further destabilizing what’s left of the post-WWII nation-based international system?

There will be doctoral dissertations written about DOGE, assuming any records were properly kept (as legally required). What we know about that quasi-agency was already so bonkers that I can’t imagine what happened behind the scenes.

The AI bubble should burst — there’s much less demand for the product than marketed — but the Musks and Altmans won’t be affected to the same degree as those of us with 401Ks and SSI. We’ll hear about “too big to fail” federal backstops again before this cycle is over.

Frankly, ditto for any of UM’s remaining hopes — however faint — for the CFB playoffs.

Is she named, like Wisdom the Laysan albatross?
🎵 “Join Ice” - @wellesmusic on Colbert

Not to mention, all the pundits trying to explain this as some “Trumpian, 11-dimensional chess” will conveniently forget his dismal polling numbers and the coming Epstein file release.

Shiny object, see squirrel.

Have to wonder if the USCG is the trial balloon for the DoD next?

Funny enough, all active US carriers are now nuclear-powered (CVNs)… but point taken on Venezuela.

We could do a lot indeed regarding educational incentives, but it requires a party that isn’t anti-higher ed. Hard to have BSN/RN programs without colleges.

Perhaps it’s worthwhile to ask the name of the editor that approved it? Like with US government actions, someone has to sign for everything.

Republicans have shown time-and-time again that it’s not about the economic gains or losses, whether TPS or SNAP or a half-dozen other programs (including education).
Over 700,000 TPS recipients lose legal status by the end of 2025, including 550,000 who are legally working. TPS recipients contribute over $36B in annual GDP. Withdrawing their work authorization could add to labor shortages in construction, cleaning, and hospitality, especially in FL, TX, NY
550,000 Workers Lose Status by End of 2025: Potential Impact by State and Industry — Penn Wharton Budget Model
Over 700,000 Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients lose legal status by the end of 2025, including 550,000 who are legally working. We estimate that TPS recipients contribute over $36 billion in...
budgetmodel.wharton.upenn.edu
Over 700,000 TPS recipients lose legal status by the end of 2025, including 550,000 who are legally working. TPS recipients contribute over $36B in annual GDP. Withdrawing their work authorization could add to labor shortages in construction, cleaning, and hospitality, especially in FL, TX, NY
550,000 Workers Lose Status by End of 2025: Potential Impact by State and Industry — Penn Wharton Budget Model
Over 700,000 Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients lose legal status by the end of 2025, including 550,000 who are legally working. We estimate that TPS recipients contribute over $36 billion in...
budgetmodel.wharton.upenn.edu

“ours” isn’t the same as “the United States”

Or, because it's more important that they individually have access via AF1 than to stick up for each other in the WH Pool.

Correction for Reuters: not "US" but "Trump Administration"

For the life of me, I don’t know why this is surprising. None of these people were brought in to manage an agency or make it run better. Their sole goal was to destroy the effectiveness of federal government actions in the public eye. FFS.
The acting chief of the FEMA left his job Monday after just six months, according to the Department of Homeland Security, the latest disruption in a year of mass staff departures, program cuts and policy upheaval at the agency. https://to.pbs.org/483ys51
FEMA acting chief departs after 6 months on the job, officials say
David Richardson is leaving the post after replacing previous acting head, the latest disruption in a year of mass staff departures, program cuts and policy upheaval at the agency charged with managin...
www.pbs.org
THIS IS BIG

For non-academics who might not understand why:
1. Sen. Warren is still a Harvard professor so this is a call coming from inside the house
2. As a tenured law prof, Warren knows it is a VERY big deal from a labor standpoint to call on Harvard to ignore tenure. The bar for this is HIGH.
Per CNN, Elizabeth Warren is calling on Harvard to cut ties with Larry Summers after Jeffrey Epstein's emails released last week by House Dems featured Summers making sexist comments + asking for Epstein’s romantic advice.

“Surroundings”

It’s not you.