James Schmeling
@jschmeling.bsky.social
Speaking only for myself. Nonprofit leader. Military, Veterans, Family supporter/advocate. #NatSec #Defense #NDU #NDUF Air Force veteran. Born and raised in Iowa. #IowaLaw #IowaState Midwesterner by temperament (I wave at passing cars and neighbors)!
Reposted by James Schmeling
imagine investing in public media and ensuring that media literacy (and spotting unreliable narrators) was integral in primary school education
Finland has emerged as a global leader in countering “fake news”. Here's how they've done it
Teaching when to trust
As fake news accelerates, we need to teach our children how to think critically. Finnish schools are leading the charge
newhumanist.org.uk
December 7, 2025 at 2:32 PM
imagine investing in public media and ensuring that media literacy (and spotting unreliable narrators) was integral in primary school education
Love José Andrés - great article: www.ft.com/content/6cb0...
Where José Andrés eats in Washington DC
‘I’m telling you, we have one of the best food scenes in the country,’ says the chef and humanitarian, who has called the city home for more than 30 years
www.ft.com
December 6, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Love José Andrés - great article: www.ft.com/content/6cb0...
December 5, 2025 at 3:21 AM
Reposted by James Schmeling
No-strings-attached, zero-means-testing, no-questions-asked cash payouts have been proven, over and over again, to be the most effective form of charity/aid going.
It gets people in housing, and it saves the state money. We know this. It's fact, not theory.
It gets people in housing, and it saves the state money. We know this. It's fact, not theory.
An Oregon pilot program giving cash to homeless youths sees a staggering reduction in homelessness. The program gave participants $1,000 cash payments each month for two years, and at the end of the project's first phase, 91% of participants reported being in stable housing.
Oregon pilot program giving cash to homeless youths sees staggering reduction in homelessness
The state program gave participants $1,000 cash payments each month for two years. At the end of the project's first phase, 91% of participants reported being in stable housing.
www.streetroots.org
December 3, 2025 at 7:12 AM
No-strings-attached, zero-means-testing, no-questions-asked cash payouts have been proven, over and over again, to be the most effective form of charity/aid going.
It gets people in housing, and it saves the state money. We know this. It's fact, not theory.
It gets people in housing, and it saves the state money. We know this. It's fact, not theory.
Blue is (im)patiently waiting for it to be dinner time. Which is not until 5 pm.
December 1, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Blue is (im)patiently waiting for it to be dinner time. Which is not until 5 pm.
Reposted by James Schmeling
DOJ says immigration judges, as "inferior officers," may be fired on the basis of sex, religion, race, or national origin. Leaving aside the law, it's *politically* remarkable they're taking this position.
washingtonlitigationgroup.org/news/former-...
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
washingtonlitigationgroup.org/news/former-...
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
December 1, 2025 at 6:40 PM
DOJ says immigration judges, as "inferior officers," may be fired on the basis of sex, religion, race, or national origin. Leaving aside the law, it's *politically* remarkable they're taking this position.
washingtonlitigationgroup.org/news/former-...
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
washingtonlitigationgroup.org/news/former-...
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Reposted by James Schmeling
Boeing will build 96 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters for Poland under a US Army foreign military sales contract valued at nearly $4.7 billion.
ukdefencejournal.org.uk/?p=64479
ukdefencejournal.org.uk/?p=64479
Poland to receive 96 Apache helicopters in new Boeing deal
Boeing will build 96 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters for Poland under a US Army foreign military sales contract valued at nearly $4.7 billion.
ukdefencejournal.org.uk
December 1, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Boeing will build 96 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters for Poland under a US Army foreign military sales contract valued at nearly $4.7 billion.
ukdefencejournal.org.uk/?p=64479
ukdefencejournal.org.uk/?p=64479
Reposted by James Schmeling
Lol, Zillow tried to rate the climate risks facing individual properties. The real estate industry *hated* it, precisely because it worked -- it made selling risky properties more difficult. So they rebelled & Zillow caved.
Don't look up!
Don't look up!
Zillow Removes Climate Risk Scores From Home Listings
www.nytimes.com
November 30, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Lol, Zillow tried to rate the climate risks facing individual properties. The real estate industry *hated* it, precisely because it worked -- it made selling risky properties more difficult. So they rebelled & Zillow caved.
Don't look up!
Don't look up!
Fascinating thread.
‘So it's what happens when these helpers become gatekeepers, become so powerful that they usurp the relationship they're supposed to be facilitating. And it follows a characteristic pattern.’
Cory Doctorow on stage with the Nerve: ‘The web is five giant websites filled with screenshots of text from the other four’
In our first live event, the author shares with Nerve co-founder Carole Cadwalladr his strong opinions on Facebook, Peter Thiel, AI – and what we can do to combat the enshittification of the internet
www.thenerve.news
November 28, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Fascinating thread.
Panoramic skyscape.
November 27, 2025 at 12:07 AM
Panoramic skyscape.
How do I know I used to travel way too much? When I see a scene in a movie and go "I know that parking garage entry, it's the Westin in Atlanta."
November 24, 2025 at 10:26 PM
How do I know I used to travel way too much? When I see a scene in a movie and go "I know that parking garage entry, it's the Westin in Atlanta."
Reposted by James Schmeling
Rubio in the hot seat after telling senators the 28 points is a Russian plan US is passing along to Ukraine
According to Republican Senator Mike Rounds, Rubio told senators that the 28-point peace plan drawn by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and his Russian counterpart, Kirill Dm...
According to Republican Senator Mike Rounds, Rubio told senators that the 28-point peace plan drawn by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and his Russian counterpart, Kirill Dm...
Rubio in the hot seat after telling senators the 28 points is a Russian plan US is passing along to Ukraine
kyivindependent.com
November 23, 2025 at 2:54 AM
Rubio in the hot seat after telling senators the 28 points is a Russian plan US is passing along to Ukraine
According to Republican Senator Mike Rounds, Rubio told senators that the 28-point peace plan drawn by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and his Russian counterpart, Kirill Dm...
According to Republican Senator Mike Rounds, Rubio told senators that the 28-point peace plan drawn by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and his Russian counterpart, Kirill Dm...
Reposted by James Schmeling
Unusually recent satellite imagery of a Chinese port uploaded to Google Earth shows Chinese extra-large uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) undergoing trials
November 20, 2025 at 7:11 AM
Unusually recent satellite imagery of a Chinese port uploaded to Google Earth shows Chinese extra-large uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) undergoing trials
Reposted by James Schmeling
“A fully digitised collection of the records of the Nuremberg trials is being launched online to mark the 80th anniversary of the start of the groundbreaking legal effort to bring Nazi leaders to justice.”
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Nuremberg trial records made available online after painstaking 25-year project
Launch of digitisation project marks 80th anniversary of start of legal effort to bring Nazi leaders to justice
www.theguardian.com
November 21, 2025 at 2:37 AM
“A fully digitised collection of the records of the Nuremberg trials is being launched online to mark the 80th anniversary of the start of the groundbreaking legal effort to bring Nazi leaders to justice.”
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
So interesting! One of my favorite sculptures in DC. Anonymous Bidder Pays Nearly $1 Million for Secret to Decode C.I.A. Sculpture www.nytimes.com/2025/11/20/s...
Anonymous Bidder Pays Nearly $1 Million for Secret to Decode C.I.A. Sculpture
www.nytimes.com
November 21, 2025 at 3:12 AM
So interesting! One of my favorite sculptures in DC. Anonymous Bidder Pays Nearly $1 Million for Secret to Decode C.I.A. Sculpture www.nytimes.com/2025/11/20/s...
I feel like this should have at least one like. I shivered in the cold to take it.
November 20, 2025 at 12:37 AM
I feel like this should have at least one like. I shivered in the cold to take it.
Late in the season. Wow.
a tornadic supercell just west of the Missouri River on the border of North Dakota and South Dakota between Selfridge, ND and McLaughlin, SD - this storm produced multiple tornadoes west of the river before the real show began a few hours later near Mound City, SD - 8/28/2024
November 20, 2025 at 12:34 AM
Late in the season. Wow.
This is somewhat shocking to me that the Russians pointed lasers from a ship at UK pilots. Wow. www.reuters.com/world/uk-say...
www.reuters.com
November 20, 2025 at 12:33 AM
This is somewhat shocking to me that the Russians pointed lasers from a ship at UK pilots. Wow. www.reuters.com/world/uk-say...
I know there are things going on now and this doesn’t make them go away but this is the world I’m nostalgic for. Can’t believe I was only 17 when it came out.
40 years ago today the world was introduced to a small boy and his best friend. Happy birthday Calvin & Hobbes.
November 18, 2025 at 8:44 PM
I know there are things going on now and this doesn’t make them go away but this is the world I’m nostalgic for. Can’t believe I was only 17 when it came out.
Old news on purchase of an insurer of CIA and FBI agents by Chinese firmed linked to China's government, but new news on scope and scale of investments in businesses across the US and with our allies and partners. Fascinating, and prob gives far more information than we know. bbc.com/news/article...
A Chinese firm bought an insurer for CIA agents - part of Beijing's trillion dollar spending spree
When an insurer for FBI and CIA agents was sold to a Chinese entity, it led the US to tighten investment laws.
bbc.com
November 18, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Old news on purchase of an insurer of CIA and FBI agents by Chinese firmed linked to China's government, but new news on scope and scale of investments in businesses across the US and with our allies and partners. Fascinating, and prob gives far more information than we know. bbc.com/news/article...
Also interesting that this mirrors the physical world and choke points. Different locations in some cases. But infrastructure, compute, communication, services are all similar to ports, straits, passes, mountains, rivers, oceans, and more.
As we all crawl through the Cloudflare slowdown, it is a powerful reminder that the international economy is not flat but built around key chokepoints. And those chokepoints are sites of vulnerability as well as opportunity.
www.amazon.com/Underground-...
www.amazon.com/Underground-...
Underground Empire: How America Weaponized the World Economy
Underground Empire: How America Weaponized the World Economy [Farrell, Henry, Newman, Abraham] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Underground Empire: How America Weaponized the World Economy
www.amazon.com
November 18, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Also interesting that this mirrors the physical world and choke points. Different locations in some cases. But infrastructure, compute, communication, services are all similar to ports, straits, passes, mountains, rivers, oceans, and more.
Cold skies. Maryland.
November 18, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Cold skies. Maryland.
What is wrong with people? Gift link.
Tree murders and the economics of crime
economist.com/finance-and-...
Tree murders and the economics of crime
economist.com/finance-and-...
Tree murders and the economics of crime
Rich people can’t stop cutting down each other’s woodland
economist.com
November 16, 2025 at 7:26 PM
What is wrong with people? Gift link.
Tree murders and the economics of crime
economist.com/finance-and-...
Tree murders and the economics of crime
economist.com/finance-and-...
Today I got rid of my old water heater with a "bulk material pickup" for the county to come pick up large scrap metal. All good, but I forgot I had to get it to the curb. By myself. It fell off the (too small) dolly so I rolled it up the driveway. Then again after it rolled down. Felt like Sisyphus.
November 14, 2025 at 1:23 AM
Today I got rid of my old water heater with a "bulk material pickup" for the county to come pick up large scrap metal. All good, but I forgot I had to get it to the curb. By myself. It fell off the (too small) dolly so I rolled it up the driveway. Then again after it rolled down. Felt like Sisyphus.