Leah Shaffer
@leahshaffer.bsky.social
Science writer, mostly puttering about the garden.
she/her
she/her
I recall running into a bunch of em around the SuperValu campus. The headquarters had extensive trails surrounded by trees. Next thing I know, I am being menaced by a gang of wild turkeys at a corporate business park. 🦃
The free-roaming turkeys of Saint Paul, Minnesota:
- are enormous
- don’t know where they’re going
- have no plans or motivations
- don’t understand roads
- or anything at all, really
- are enormous
- don’t know where they’re going
- have no plans or motivations
- don’t understand roads
- or anything at all, really
February 5, 2026 at 12:33 AM
I recall running into a bunch of em around the SuperValu campus. The headquarters had extensive trails surrounded by trees. Next thing I know, I am being menaced by a gang of wild turkeys at a corporate business park. 🦃
Jason was really helpful during a @sciencewriters.org session about how worker-owned publications can work. It's also just really good for journalists to hear from other journalists about how incredibly stressful these times have been. To know we are not alone. These are extraordinary times.
With the awful WaPo layoffs and the state of journalism more broadly, if it's useful for any writers and reporters considering going indy, @molly.wiki, @xoxogossipgita.bsky.social of Aftermath, @jasonkoebler.bsky.social of 404 Media, @edzitron.com and me will do a little workshop next week.
February 5, 2026 at 12:20 AM
Jason was really helpful during a @sciencewriters.org session about how worker-owned publications can work. It's also just really good for journalists to hear from other journalists about how incredibly stressful these times have been. To know we are not alone. These are extraordinary times.
Fantastic thread with suggestions for hours of good playlists. Here's mine, good old Stereolab.
"Come and Play in the Milky Night"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i71...
"Come and Play in the Milky Night"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i71...
February 5, 2026 at 12:11 AM
Fantastic thread with suggestions for hours of good playlists. Here's mine, good old Stereolab.
"Come and Play in the Milky Night"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i71...
"Come and Play in the Milky Night"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i71...
My ancestors fled Russia from persecution by who grandfather called "the princes"
In America, he warned my father to keep his nose down to avoid persecution, hide from "the princes"
My dad (hippie baby boomer that he is) said "No"
"Here, I am the prince"
Abolish ICE! No Kings and No "Princes"
In America, he warned my father to keep his nose down to avoid persecution, hide from "the princes"
My dad (hippie baby boomer that he is) said "No"
"Here, I am the prince"
Abolish ICE! No Kings and No "Princes"
First, a story about a St. Paul woman who was detained by ICE. They keep coming back to her house
After ICE release St. Paul woman, she says agents keep returning to her home
Thi Dua Vang legally came to the U.S. two years ago. So when ICE showed up, she thought it must have been a mistake.
www.kare11.com
February 5, 2026 at 12:02 AM
My ancestors fled Russia from persecution by who grandfather called "the princes"
In America, he warned my father to keep his nose down to avoid persecution, hide from "the princes"
My dad (hippie baby boomer that he is) said "No"
"Here, I am the prince"
Abolish ICE! No Kings and No "Princes"
In America, he warned my father to keep his nose down to avoid persecution, hide from "the princes"
My dad (hippie baby boomer that he is) said "No"
"Here, I am the prince"
Abolish ICE! No Kings and No "Princes"
This won a grammy. And ain't it just the perfect song for days of vengeance. www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkeP...
Tyler Childers - Bitin' List (Audio)
YouTube video by TylerChildersVEVO
www.youtube.com
February 4, 2026 at 10:57 PM
This won a grammy. And ain't it just the perfect song for days of vengeance. www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkeP...
When People's Republic of China be like, "you in danger, girl! get your shit together"
this goes so fuckin hard
”A revolution must be started by yourself. An egg, opened from the outside, is food; opened from the inside, it is a new life.“
Ovum exteriore apertum cibus, interiore vita nova.
Revolutio exteriore est incursio.
”A revolution must be started by yourself. An egg, opened from the outside, is food; opened from the inside, it is a new life.“
Ovum exteriore apertum cibus, interiore vita nova.
Revolutio exteriore est incursio.
February 4, 2026 at 10:39 PM
When People's Republic of China be like, "you in danger, girl! get your shit together"
Maybe this tiny quiche will fix me.
February 4, 2026 at 9:47 PM
Maybe this tiny quiche will fix me.
The public is gonna have to do some variation of this wherever ICE pops up: commercial pressure, public shaming. Repeat, repeat and repeat.
This is a fascinating story. ICE tried to buy a warehouse in VA from a Canadian company, to turn into a detention center. One of the company’s advertising partners basically told them that if they sold, they could kiss their ads goodbye.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/01/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/01/u...
Canadian Company Cancels Sale of Virginia Warehouse to ICE
www.nytimes.com
February 4, 2026 at 8:40 PM
The public is gonna have to do some variation of this wherever ICE pops up: commercial pressure, public shaming. Repeat, repeat and repeat.
Even with the largest zoom on a classic compound optical system, scientists struggle to make sense of finer details. Microbiologists are turning to an unexpected source to clear things up: a moisture-absorbing material found in diapers. www.quantamagazine.org/expansion-mi...
Expansion Microscopy Has Transformed How We See the Cellular World | Quanta Magazine
How physically magnifying objects using a key ingredient in diapers has opened an unprecedented view of the microbial world.
www.quantamagazine.org
February 4, 2026 at 6:48 PM
A great day to support @thexylom.com !
I founded @thexylom.com to cover *global* environmental and health disparities.
As regime-aligned media turn more insular, we are committed to documenting how the world is sicker, poorer, and dirtier everywhere from South Texas to South Sudan, from Nepal to Ukraine.
Please support my colleagues:
As regime-aligned media turn more insular, we are committed to documenting how the world is sicker, poorer, and dirtier everywhere from South Texas to South Sudan, from Nepal to Ukraine.
Please support my colleagues:
Every month, we have a goal of gaining 15 new members, which covers the costs of commissioning five new stories!
Support the only Asian American-run news outlet covering health, climate, and the environment, starting at $2/month:
Support the only Asian American-run news outlet covering health, climate, and the environment, starting at $2/month:
February 4, 2026 at 6:45 PM
A great day to support @thexylom.com !
Apparently an important part of the ongoing work of being a good citizen in the year of 2026 involves stalking warehouse spaces to either chase off data centers or concentration camps. Or the combo data center/concentration camp/ Kentaco Hut I presume is on its way.
Update: In the past week we've learned ICE has secured property to build human warehouses in Merrimack, NH and Williamsport, MD *as well as* Surprise, AZ; Upper Bern, PA; and Tremont, PA.
Facts that bear repeating.
Facts that bear repeating.
In the past week we've learned ICE has secured property to build human warehouses in Merrimack, NH and Williamsport, MD. Just some facts I think bear repeating.
February 4, 2026 at 6:12 PM
Apparently an important part of the ongoing work of being a good citizen in the year of 2026 involves stalking warehouse spaces to either chase off data centers or concentration camps. Or the combo data center/concentration camp/ Kentaco Hut I presume is on its way.
Please donate and share.
Whatever you think of the Washington Post at this moment, here's a chance to support the dedicated, hard-working journalists who were just laid off. If you have the means, your donation is most welcome. If you don't, a kind thought and maybe spreading the word to others is support enough 💙
Donate to Washington Post 2026 layoff fund, organized by Rachel Siegel
On Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, The Washington Post laid off hundreds of journalists. We ar… Rachel Siegel needs your support for Washington Post 2026 layoff fund
www.gofundme.com
February 4, 2026 at 4:42 PM
Please donate and share.
well, I appreciate that she tried to do the classic exit
February 4, 2026 at 4:35 PM
well, I appreciate that she tried to do the classic exit
“As horrible and dark as this time is, we are generally showing the world what’s possible when you focus on what matters and you try to take care of one another,” Elizabeth said. “I can’t think of anything more beautiful than that.”
We are all we have but that will be enough.
We are all we have but that will be enough.
The suburban observers, heavily women, say they share a personality type.
“Many of us have encountered bullies our entire lives...I think that turns you into somebody that, even if that bully is wearing full tactical gear, I'm not interested in laying down for you.” www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
“Many of us have encountered bullies our entire lives...I think that turns you into somebody that, even if that bully is wearing full tactical gear, I'm not interested in laying down for you.” www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
Pursued by federal agents, suburban ICE observers remain resolved
After a frightening pursuit by federal agents, suburban ICE observers say fear hasn’t stopped them from protecting their communities.
www.mprnews.org
February 4, 2026 at 4:31 PM
“As horrible and dark as this time is, we are generally showing the world what’s possible when you focus on what matters and you try to take care of one another,” Elizabeth said. “I can’t think of anything more beautiful than that.”
We are all we have but that will be enough.
We are all we have but that will be enough.
A bunch of incredibly talented journalists are being tossed aside and I want everyone at #WashingtonPost to know about @theopennotebook.bsky.social an incredible free resource for independent journalists. Provides databases of resources and connections to networks of editors and science journalists.
For a TON International Students Slack Community pitch slam, @scigat.bsky.social hosted guests @rachelcourtland.com, @wwrfd.bsky.social, and @laurenjyoung.bsky.social. He condensed their best tips into this free resource, edited by @laurahelmuth.bsky.social, to help everyone pitch with success. 🧪
Twelve Tips to Tune Up Your Next Pitch - The Open Notebook
Saugat Bolakhe Making your pitch stand out is a crucial skill for any freelancer or staff reporter. This may seem like an elusive talent, but with practice and careful attention to detail, you can lea...
www.theopennotebook.com
February 4, 2026 at 3:14 PM
A bunch of incredibly talented journalists are being tossed aside and I want everyone at #WashingtonPost to know about @theopennotebook.bsky.social an incredible free resource for independent journalists. Provides databases of resources and connections to networks of editors and science journalists.
It shall be a sad day for @washingtonpost.com but Bezos' gutting of the paper is the end of a long hit job on the entire journalism ecosystem. Journalists rarely sit still. They've been busy building new Washington Posts. bsky.app/starter-pack...
February 4, 2026 at 1:41 PM
It shall be a sad day for @washingtonpost.com but Bezos' gutting of the paper is the end of a long hit job on the entire journalism ecosystem. Journalists rarely sit still. They've been busy building new Washington Posts. bsky.app/starter-pack...
Oh God, we need to bring them all home.
Elizabeth is a Columbia Heights fourth-grader who loves volleyball, learning English and giggling in the halls with her friends. She's been held in the Dilley Immigration Processing Center for nearly a month, and she and her mom have both fallen ill. sahanjournal.com/education/co...
Sick fourth-grader among 4 Columbia Heights students held by ICE
Columbia Heights Public Schools says four students remain detained by ICE after Liam’s return, including 10-year-old Elizabeth, who has fallen ill.
sahanjournal.com
February 4, 2026 at 12:40 AM
Oh God, we need to bring them all home.
"Slenderman normally unhinges his jaw when consuming baby chicks with such aplomb," the WSJ chided.
Stephen Miller called Alex Pretti a “domestic terrorist” after the VA nurse was killed by federal agents, a rare misstep for Miller, the White House aide stoking Trump’s boundary-pushing impulses.
How Stephen Miller Stokes Trump’s Boundary-Pushing Impulses
The White House aide has been an architect of aggressive immigration sweeps in U.S. cities and deadly boat strikes in the Caribbean.
on.wsj.com
February 4, 2026 at 12:27 AM
"Slenderman normally unhinges his jaw when consuming baby chicks with such aplomb," the WSJ chided.
Was it the bloody diarrhea that helped you learn and grow?
This is bonkers. MAHA 'farmers' with ecoli tainted raw milk admit they really don't know how to make the stuff after all.
"Producing raw milk takes careful planning from a facility and infrastructure standpoint. Unfortunately, we learned this after the fact."
people.com/ballerina-fa...
"Producing raw milk takes careful planning from a facility and infrastructure standpoint. Unfortunately, we learned this after the fact."
people.com/ballerina-fa...
Hannah Neeleman's Ballerina Farm Halts Sale of Raw Milk Due to Bacteria Concerns: Report
Hannah and Daniel Neeleman have paused Ballerina Farm's sale of raw milk following health violations discovered during routine testing. Screenings from summer 2025 showed high levels of coliform, the ...
people.com
February 3, 2026 at 11:58 PM
Was it the bloody diarrhea that helped you learn and grow?
DANCE LIKE THE ALGORITHM ISN'T WATCHING
artologica.etsy.com/listing/4447...
Original, not a print, there's only one and it can be yours
artologica.etsy.com/listing/4447...
Original, not a print, there's only one and it can be yours
February 3, 2026 at 10:20 PM
I don't understand how people don't lose their shit in these situations.
Trump to Kaitlan Collins after she pressed him on getting justice for Epstein survivors:
"No wonder CNN has no ratings because of people like you. You know, she‘s a young woman. I don‘t think I‘ve ever seen you smile. I‘ve known you for 10 years. I don‘t think I‘ve ever seen a smile in your face."
"No wonder CNN has no ratings because of people like you. You know, she‘s a young woman. I don‘t think I‘ve ever seen you smile. I‘ve known you for 10 years. I don‘t think I‘ve ever seen a smile in your face."
February 3, 2026 at 10:19 PM
I don't understand how people don't lose their shit in these situations.
Hey, it's me and my mouth stones. I never get cavities but my deep bite has lost me some teeth.
I've narrowed my problem down to the fact that I am a vicious little mammal that likes to tear the flesh from my prey's bone and grind my teeth at night like a tiny ball of hair and rage.
I've narrowed my problem down to the fact that I am a vicious little mammal that likes to tear the flesh from my prey's bone and grind my teeth at night like a tiny ball of hair and rage.
🧬🦷 When force meets biology.
This FASEB Journal review breaks down how orthodontic pressure can disrupt tooth root homeostasis, triggering inflammation and cell damage that lead to root resorption—and why understanding these mechanisms is key to safer orthodontic treatments.
🔗 buff.ly/CiakNqS
This FASEB Journal review breaks down how orthodontic pressure can disrupt tooth root homeostasis, triggering inflammation and cell damage that lead to root resorption—and why understanding these mechanisms is key to safer orthodontic treatments.
🔗 buff.ly/CiakNqS
February 3, 2026 at 8:53 PM
Hey, it's me and my mouth stones. I never get cavities but my deep bite has lost me some teeth.
I've narrowed my problem down to the fact that I am a vicious little mammal that likes to tear the flesh from my prey's bone and grind my teeth at night like a tiny ball of hair and rage.
I've narrowed my problem down to the fact that I am a vicious little mammal that likes to tear the flesh from my prey's bone and grind my teeth at night like a tiny ball of hair and rage.
Viva la France! www.youtube.com/watch?v=unYu...
February 3, 2026 at 7:38 PM
Viva la France! www.youtube.com/watch?v=unYu...