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jacob biba

@jacobbiba.bsky.social

710 followers 320 following 470 posts

helene recovery reporter at asheville citizen times [email protected] [email protected] https://jacobbiba.tumblr.com

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jacob biba @jacobbiba.bsky.social · Apr 3

“People like to start fires,” said Robert Scheller, a professor at North Carolina State University’s department of forestry and environmental resources. “We’re really good at that.”

www.citizen-times.com/story/news/l...

No stranger to wildfires, a Helene-ravaged WNC now faces a complicated future battling them

“People like to start fires,” said Robert Scheller, a forestry and environmental resources professor at N.C. State. “We’re really good at that.”

www.citizen-times.com

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Apoorva Mandavilli @apoorvanyt.bsky.social · 13h

The mass layoffs of federal workers on Friday night swept up the top two leaders of the federal measles response team, those working on Ebola and dozens of other infectious disease experts
(Gift article)

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/h...

C.D.C. Layoffs Included 2 Top Measles Experts Amid Rising Cases

www.nytimes.com

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◥◤Kriston Capps @kristoncapps.bsky.social · 17h

HUD laid off so many fair housing investigators on Friday that it shuttered the regional offices that oversee discrimination cases in 9 states: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

HUD Issues Layoff Notices, Targeting Fair Housing Staff With Deep Cuts

Fair housing staffers who investigate claims of housing discrimination at field offices nationwide were among the hundreds of HUD staffers who received layoff notices.

www.bloomberg.com

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Ryan Mac 🙃 @rmac.bsky.social · 1d

Marc Benioff went full Tom Cotton to @heatherknightsf.bsky.social: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/u...

Marc Benioff Says Trump Should Send Guard Troops to San Francisco

www.nytimes.com

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jacob biba @jacobbiba.bsky.social · 2d

Early Thursday morning, Mr. Martin, who has nicknamed himself “Eagle Ed”…

www.nytimes.com/live/2025/10...

Live Updates: N.Y. Attorney General Letitia James Indicted After Trump’s Pressure Campaign

www.nytimes.com

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Connor Giffin @connorgiffin.bsky.social · 2d

The Trump administration is reportedly considering cutting hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for Kentucky energy projects.

If enacted, the cuts could be a death blow to one of the state's largest ongoing economic development projects.
www.courier-journal.com/story/news/l...

Trump reportedly eyeing further cuts to Kentucky energy projects, including $316M grant

If enacted, the reported cuts could be a death blow to at least one of Kentucky's largest ongoing economic development projects.

www.courier-journal.com

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Jeremy Markovich @ncrabbithole.com · 2d

Here’s @samwalkerobxnews.com and me answering every possible question you may have about the collapsing Outer Banks houses www.ncrabbithole.com/p/why-are-so...

Why Are SO MANY Outer Banks houses collapsing into the ocean?

Nine homes have been taken out by the Atlantic Ocean in just the last few weeks? Why so many? Why now? We asked a longtime Outer Banks journalist for some answers.

www.ncrabbithole.com

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The News & Observer @newsobserver.com · 3d

A 2023 records request to get the Durham County Jail policy manual has spurred a years-long legal dispute.

NC nonprofit still pushing for Durham County sheriff to release jail policies

A 2023 records request to get the Durham County Jail policy manual has spurred a years-long legal dispute.

bit.ly

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Reposted by jacob biba

Drew Magary @drewmagary.bsky.social · 3d

Holy shit this thread bsky.app/profile/olli...

Ollie Connolly @ollieconnolly.bsky.social · 3d

Per sources: Bill Belichick has discussed buyout options with North Carolina’s hierarchy. Belichick has signaled a willingness to trigger his own $1 million buyout if he can find a soft landing with another team or in media

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Seth Stern @sethstern.bsky.social · 4d

A federal grand jury declined to indict two people charged with assaulting law enforcement agents outside a suburban Chicago ICE facility, an attorney for one of the defendants said, Megan Crepeau and @benjaminpenn.bsky.social report

news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

Grand Jury Declines to Indict Two Chicago-Area ICE Protesters

A federal grand jury declined to indict two people charged with assaulting law enforcement agents outside a suburban Chicago ICE facility, an attorney for one of the defendants said.

news.bloomberglaw.com

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Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 4d

Gonna be thinking about this lede for a minute.

(RNS) — Last month, the Rev. David Black stood in front of a Chicago-area U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility and spread his arms wide. Adorned in all black and wearing a clerical collar, the pastor looked up at a group of masked, heavily armed ICE agents on the roof and began to pray.

“I invited them to repentance,” Black, a minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA), said in an interview. “I basically offered an altar call. I invited them to come and receive that salvation, and be part of the kingdom that is coming.”

But when Black began to lower his arms a few seconds later, the agents responded to his spiritual plea by firing pepper balls, or chemical agents that cause eye irritation and respiratory distress, video footage shows. One struck Black in the head, exploding into a puff of white pepper smoke and forcing him to his knees. Fellow demonstrators rushed to his aid, and as the pastor rubbed his face in pain, the agents continued to fire.

“We could hear them laughing,” Black said.

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Blue Ridge Public Radio @blueridgepublic.bsky.social · 4d

Read more: www.bpr.org/education/20...

Are the kids alright? Mental health problems spike for students post-Helene

A year after Helene, students are wrestling with heightened mental health challenges, from anxiety and depression to an uptick in sleep issues and “externalizing behaviors” like aggression and substan...

www.bpr.org

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Blue Ridge Public Radio @blueridgepublic.bsky.social · 4d

A year after Helene, students and teachers across Western North Carolina are wrestling with heightened mental health challenges, including anxiety and depression, sleep issues, aggression and substance use.

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Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 4d

A new draft Trump memo argues that furloughed federal workers aren't guaranteed compensation for their forced time off during the government shutdown.

Those who represent federal workers or advocate on their behalf say the White House is misreading the clear intent of the law.

Scoop: White House memo says furloughed federal workers aren't entitled to backpay

A move to deny backpay to up to 750,000 furloughed workers would dramatically escalate Trump's pressure on Democrats to end the shutdown.

www.axios.com

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Reposted by jacob biba

The Upshot @upshot.nytimes.com · 5d

Shutdown Politics Has G.O.P. Singing Government’s Praises

As Republicans try to pin blame for shutdown damage on Democrats, they are hailing a federal bureaucracy they normally bash as wasteful and overreaching. Via Carl Hulse of NYT Politics:

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/06/u...

Shutdown Politics Has G.O.P. Singing Government’s Praises

www.nytimes.com

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jacob biba @jacobbiba.bsky.social · 5d

!!!
www.nytimes.com/1979/07/12/a...

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jacob biba @jacobbiba.bsky.social · 5d

Seems like a job for Julian zelizer

jacob biba @jacobbiba.bsky.social · 5d

wlos.com/news/local/n...

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Sydney Haulenbeek @shaulenbeek.bsky.social · 5d

A Wake Forest athletic trainer has sued NC Rep. Pat Harrigan after he made posts that she was fired over her comments on Charlie Kirk. She was not terminated, and claims that he exposed her to "ridicule, hatred, contempt, and safety threats."

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Colin Campbell @raleighreporter.bsky.social · 5d

Crazy NC growth numbers here:
-Raleigh has now passed 500,000 residents
-Cary has way more people than Wilmington or Asheville
-Wendell's population grew by 73% in just four years
-Apex has more people than Chapel Hill

www.osbm.nc.gov/blog/2025/10...

Raleigh surpassed 500,000 people in 2024

Latest population estimates show rapid population growth in Triangle municipalities continues

www.osbm.nc.gov

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jacob biba @jacobbiba.bsky.social · 5d

www.citizen-times.com/story/news/l...

jacob biba @jacobbiba.bsky.social · 5d

That and most craft beer tastes like garbage

jacob biba @jacobbiba.bsky.social · 6d

2016

jacob biba @jacobbiba.bsky.social · 6d

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/05/b...

Craft Breweries Struggle as Sales and Appetites Wane