MarkMan
@madmanmark84.bsky.social
Just another older white guy, 1st-gen college in a purple state & family
More green shoots of conservative pushback against Trump?
CATO says immigrants are GOOD for our economy, and REDUCE budget deficits (meaning, they contribute more taxes than they get in benefits)
CATO says immigrants are GOOD for our economy, and REDUCE budget deficits (meaning, they contribute more taxes than they get in benefits)
A new Cato Institute study underscores that working immigrants have been a massive net positive to our economy for decades.
Not only are Trump’s policies cruel, they’re also really dumb.
www.cato.org/blog/cato-st...
Not only are Trump’s policies cruel, they’re also really dumb.
www.cato.org/blog/cato-st...
Cato Study: Immigrants Reduced Deficits by $14.5 Trillion Since 1994
The best way to balance the budget is to reduce spending—particularly on wealthy retirees—but rather than hinder our efforts to control deficits, immigrants are helping.
www.cato.org
February 10, 2026 at 1:17 PM
More green shoots of conservative pushback against Trump?
CATO says immigrants are GOOD for our economy, and REDUCE budget deficits (meaning, they contribute more taxes than they get in benefits)
CATO says immigrants are GOOD for our economy, and REDUCE budget deficits (meaning, they contribute more taxes than they get in benefits)
Though written from an investor perspective, this article is a pretty good statement of both the strengths and weaknesses of the current state of the art in AI agents, as embodied in Claude Cowork.
TL;DR: They're REAL productivity tools for preparing drafts, BUT one must CHECK everything they do.
TL;DR: They're REAL productivity tools for preparing drafts, BUT one must CHECK everything they do.
MSN
www.msn.com
February 6, 2026 at 1:29 PM
Though written from an investor perspective, this article is a pretty good statement of both the strengths and weaknesses of the current state of the art in AI agents, as embodied in Claude Cowork.
TL;DR: They're REAL productivity tools for preparing drafts, BUT one must CHECK everything they do.
TL;DR: They're REAL productivity tools for preparing drafts, BUT one must CHECK everything they do.
Sunday I was humming CSNY's "Four Dead in Ohio," wondering if any artists would step up to make an equivalent protest song
"Tin soldiers and Nixon coming
We're finally on our own
This summer I hear the drumming
Four dead in Ohio"
My money was on Neil Young to do it again, but ... way to go, Boss!
"Tin soldiers and Nixon coming
We're finally on our own
This summer I hear the drumming
Four dead in Ohio"
My money was on Neil Young to do it again, but ... way to go, Boss!
I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis. It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.
Stay free
Stay free
Bruce Springsteen - Streets Of Minneapolis (Official Audio)
YouTube video by Bruce Springsteen
youtu.be
January 28, 2026 at 6:18 PM
Sunday I was humming CSNY's "Four Dead in Ohio," wondering if any artists would step up to make an equivalent protest song
"Tin soldiers and Nixon coming
We're finally on our own
This summer I hear the drumming
Four dead in Ohio"
My money was on Neil Young to do it again, but ... way to go, Boss!
"Tin soldiers and Nixon coming
We're finally on our own
This summer I hear the drumming
Four dead in Ohio"
My money was on Neil Young to do it again, but ... way to go, Boss!
Latest Fox spin, as they desperately grasp for excuses that'll stick even with THEIR audience
To summarize:
Poorly trained agents escalated a situation, disarmed a citizen legally carrying a holstered weapon, accidentally discharged a firearm, & then overreacted to that. But all's well. Really!
To summarize:
Poorly trained agents escalated a situation, disarmed a citizen legally carrying a holstered weapon, accidentally discharged a firearm, & then overreacted to that. But all's well. Really!
January 27, 2026 at 5:01 AM
Latest Fox spin, as they desperately grasp for excuses that'll stick even with THEIR audience
To summarize:
Poorly trained agents escalated a situation, disarmed a citizen legally carrying a holstered weapon, accidentally discharged a firearm, & then overreacted to that. But all's well. Really!
To summarize:
Poorly trained agents escalated a situation, disarmed a citizen legally carrying a holstered weapon, accidentally discharged a firearm, & then overreacted to that. But all's well. Really!
This is a really worthwhile read. One of the few things I'm finding hope in over these dark days is the incredible example the Twin Cities are providing the rest of the country
There's a feeling in the air in my city that ICE is coming here in force soon, maybe next, and there's a lot to learn here
There's a feeling in the air in my city that ICE is coming here in force soon, maybe next, and there's a lot to learn here
"behind the violence in Minneapolis—captured in so many chilling photographs in recent weeks—is a different reality: a meticulous urban choreography of civic protest."
from Robert worth, @theatlantic.com
www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
from Robert worth, @theatlantic.com
www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
Welcome to the American Winter
In the frozen streets of Minneapolis, something profound is happening.
www.theatlantic.com
January 26, 2026 at 3:43 PM
This is a really worthwhile read. One of the few things I'm finding hope in over these dark days is the incredible example the Twin Cities are providing the rest of the country
There's a feeling in the air in my city that ICE is coming here in force soon, maybe next, and there's a lot to learn here
There's a feeling in the air in my city that ICE is coming here in force soon, maybe next, and there's a lot to learn here
RIP Alex Pretti. On his sacrifice, in his own voice here:
"Today we remember that freedom is not free. We have to work at it, nurture it, protect it and even sacrifice for it."
(personal video from Mac Randolph on Facebook)
"Today we remember that freedom is not free. We have to work at it, nurture it, protect it and even sacrifice for it."
(personal video from Mac Randolph on Facebook)
37K views · 32K reactions | RIP Alex Pretti,
he was my Dads ICU nurse, he read my dad’s final salut at the VA after he passed away. Never wanted to share this video but his speech is very on point. A...
RIP Alex Pretti,
he was my Dads ICU nurse, he read my dad’s final salut at the VA after he passed away. Never wanted to share this video but his speech is very on point. Also my Fathers final words.....
www.facebook.com
January 25, 2026 at 1:57 PM
RIP Alex Pretti. On his sacrifice, in his own voice here:
"Today we remember that freedom is not free. We have to work at it, nurture it, protect it and even sacrifice for it."
(personal video from Mac Randolph on Facebook)
"Today we remember that freedom is not free. We have to work at it, nurture it, protect it and even sacrifice for it."
(personal video from Mac Randolph on Facebook)
Reposted by MarkMan
Alex from our time working together, while he was in nursing school. Later, he moved to ICU, working as a nurse to support critically ill Veterans. He had such a great attitude. We’d chat between patients about trying to get in a mountain bike ride together. Will never happen now
January 24, 2026 at 7:39 PM
Alex from our time working together, while he was in nursing school. Later, he moved to ICU, working as a nurse to support critically ill Veterans. He had such a great attitude. We’d chat between patients about trying to get in a mountain bike ride together. Will never happen now
Reposted by MarkMan
Invoking the legacy of Walter Cronkite, Acosta said the late journalist would be “spinning in his grave” over CBS’s recent Trump coverage, before adding that he wished Cronkite could rise from the dead and “choke the living sh*t” out of Dokoupil ...
open.substack.com/pub/beinglib...
open.substack.com/pub/beinglib...
Jim Acosta Torches CBS Anchor for Normalizing Trump on National News: 'Cronkite Would Choke the Living Sh*t Out of Him!'
For years, corporate news executives have insisted that what looks like capitulation is actually “balance,” that what feels like propaganda is really just “tone,” and that bending over backward for authoritarian politics is simply “meeting viewers where they are.”
open.substack.com
January 18, 2026 at 11:18 PM
Invoking the legacy of Walter Cronkite, Acosta said the late journalist would be “spinning in his grave” over CBS’s recent Trump coverage, before adding that he wished Cronkite could rise from the dead and “choke the living sh*t” out of Dokoupil ...
open.substack.com/pub/beinglib...
open.substack.com/pub/beinglib...
Worth reading through to the end of this (paywall-free) link. But if you just want the biggest takeaways, I've excerpted mine below.
I know Minnesota, very well. What I know makes me see that Trump, Noem, and Stephen Miller really, REALLY don't.
I know Minnesota, very well. What I know makes me see that Trump, Noem, and Stephen Miller really, REALLY don't.
January 19, 2026 at 2:41 PM
Worth reading through to the end of this (paywall-free) link. But if you just want the biggest takeaways, I've excerpted mine below.
I know Minnesota, very well. What I know makes me see that Trump, Noem, and Stephen Miller really, REALLY don't.
I know Minnesota, very well. What I know makes me see that Trump, Noem, and Stephen Miller really, REALLY don't.
It's gross diplomatic incompetence, how Trump is pushing our longstanding natural allies & economic partners into closer ties with our biggest rival.
But these chickens will take years to come home to roost, and I sincerely don't think Trump cares much what happens to the USA after he's gone.
But these chickens will take years to come home to roost, and I sincerely don't think Trump cares much what happens to the USA after he's gone.
Xi Welcomes Stream of Leaders Shaken by Trump’s New World Order
Donald Trump’s tariff war occupied US allies for much of last year. Now, President Xi Jinping is welcoming a procession of leaders looking to mend fences with the world’s other major economy.
www.bloomberg.com
January 14, 2026 at 1:20 PM
It's gross diplomatic incompetence, how Trump is pushing our longstanding natural allies & economic partners into closer ties with our biggest rival.
But these chickens will take years to come home to roost, and I sincerely don't think Trump cares much what happens to the USA after he's gone.
But these chickens will take years to come home to roost, and I sincerely don't think Trump cares much what happens to the USA after he's gone.
Reposted by MarkMan
ICE has recently bought the capability of monitoring the location histories of entire neighborhoods worth of phones. The data is likely harvested from apps that sell your data, which filters up through data brokers and eventually to companies that sell to ICE:
www.404media.co/inside-ices-...
www.404media.co/inside-ices-...
Inside ICE’s Tool to Monitor Phones in Entire Neighborhoods
404 Media has obtained material that explains how Tangles and Webloc, two surveillance systems ICE recently purchased, work. Webloc can track phones without a warrant and follow their owners home or t...
www.404media.co
January 8, 2026 at 4:12 PM
ICE has recently bought the capability of monitoring the location histories of entire neighborhoods worth of phones. The data is likely harvested from apps that sell your data, which filters up through data brokers and eventually to companies that sell to ICE:
www.404media.co/inside-ices-...
www.404media.co/inside-ices-...
Interesting US housing statistic: As anxiety about housing affordability mount, the share of unmortgaged homes has increased 20% over the last 15 years, from ~32% to ~40%
Suggests the true root problem may be inequality, not "affordability?"
Suggests the true root problem may be inequality, not "affordability?"
January 6, 2026 at 3:53 PM
Interesting US housing statistic: As anxiety about housing affordability mount, the share of unmortgaged homes has increased 20% over the last 15 years, from ~32% to ~40%
Suggests the true root problem may be inequality, not "affordability?"
Suggests the true root problem may be inequality, not "affordability?"
@nytimes.com article on something that could stoke further US economic "malaise" over coming months. Article states energy assistance directors group "expects four million accounts to be shut off this year."
Heating Costs Expected to Rise 9.2% This Winter
www.nytimes.com
December 17, 2025 at 11:42 AM
@nytimes.com article on something that could stoke further US economic "malaise" over coming months. Article states energy assistance directors group "expects four million accounts to be shut off this year."
From @torstenslok.bsky.social: "... the US economy remains incredibly resilient ... the upside risks to growth and inflation are significant ... a data-dependent Fed would come to the conclusion that it should not cut interest rates next week."
www.apolloacademy.com
December 5, 2025 at 3:47 PM
From @torstenslok.bsky.social: "... the US economy remains incredibly resilient ... the upside risks to growth and inflation are significant ... a data-dependent Fed would come to the conclusion that it should not cut interest rates next week."
Reposted by MarkMan
Trump national security strategy: Make Europe White Again.
"Over the long term, it is more than plausible that within a few decades ...certain NATO members will become majority non-European"
"the real and more stark prospect of civilizational erasure"
www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u...
"Over the long term, it is more than plausible that within a few decades ...certain NATO members will become majority non-European"
"the real and more stark prospect of civilizational erasure"
www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u...
www.whitehouse.gov
December 5, 2025 at 7:35 AM
Trump national security strategy: Make Europe White Again.
"Over the long term, it is more than plausible that within a few decades ...certain NATO members will become majority non-European"
"the real and more stark prospect of civilizational erasure"
www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u...
"Over the long term, it is more than plausible that within a few decades ...certain NATO members will become majority non-European"
"the real and more stark prospect of civilizational erasure"
www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u...
WSJ article today on potential investment opportunities in commercial real estate
"... if the AI rally slows, or slumps, property could eventually go from being unpopular to a place where investors want to shelter."
"... if the AI rally slows, or slumps, property could eventually go from being unpopular to a place where investors want to shelter."
December 2, 2025 at 11:48 AM
WSJ article today on potential investment opportunities in commercial real estate
"... if the AI rally slows, or slumps, property could eventually go from being unpopular to a place where investors want to shelter."
"... if the AI rally slows, or slumps, property could eventually go from being unpopular to a place where investors want to shelter."
*Please* take advantage of gift link, then READ ALL of it!
Title is clever & engaging, but it does not capture the essence of the article: the discussion of churlish behavior of Trump admin figures is only an appetizer to serve the main course, about how WE collectively need to act to counter this.
Title is clever & engaging, but it does not capture the essence of the article: the discussion of churlish behavior of Trump admin figures is only an appetizer to serve the main course, about how WE collectively need to act to counter this.
Now that Pete Hegseth is making cartoon jokes about the accusations that he gave illegal "no quarter" orders, good time to reup this:
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
A Confederacy of Toddlers
The Trump administration is a regime of troubled children.
www.theatlantic.com
December 1, 2025 at 2:18 PM
*Please* take advantage of gift link, then READ ALL of it!
Title is clever & engaging, but it does not capture the essence of the article: the discussion of churlish behavior of Trump admin figures is only an appetizer to serve the main course, about how WE collectively need to act to counter this.
Title is clever & engaging, but it does not capture the essence of the article: the discussion of churlish behavior of Trump admin figures is only an appetizer to serve the main course, about how WE collectively need to act to counter this.
Reposted by MarkMan
It's only a matter of time before this geodata gathering to formulate theories of "pattern of life and movement" is integrated with the extensive secret NSA data gathering about US citizens that Edward Snowden exposed 15 years ago.
I'm willing to bet its already happened.
I'm willing to bet its already happened.
"The U.S. Border Patrol is monitoring millions of American drivers nationwide in a secretive program to identify and detain people whose travel patterns it deems suspicious, The Associated Press has found."
apnews.com/article/immi...
apnews.com/article/immi...
Border Patrol is monitoring US drivers and detaining those with 'suspicious' travel patterns
The U.S. Border Patrol is monitoring millions of American drivers nationwide in a secretive program to identify and detain people whose travel patterns it deems suspicious.
apnews.com
November 20, 2025 at 5:37 PM
It's only a matter of time before this geodata gathering to formulate theories of "pattern of life and movement" is integrated with the extensive secret NSA data gathering about US citizens that Edward Snowden exposed 15 years ago.
I'm willing to bet its already happened.
I'm willing to bet its already happened.
I'm an American who has pride about the "idea" at the foundation of my country, even if it's always been an "imperfect Union" (Lincoln). Why I was literally crying by the 9-minute mark of this.
I hope non-subscribers can view this? There was no option for "gift link" as there is for text articles.
I hope non-subscribers can view this? There was no option for "gift link" as there is for text articles.
Video: Opinion | We Came Here Legally. ICE Locked Us Up Anyway.
The brutal detention of three people who came to the United States reveals a cruel system that operates with impunity.
www.nytimes.com
November 17, 2025 at 3:40 PM
I'm an American who has pride about the "idea" at the foundation of my country, even if it's always been an "imperfect Union" (Lincoln). Why I was literally crying by the 9-minute mark of this.
I hope non-subscribers can view this? There was no option for "gift link" as there is for text articles.
I hope non-subscribers can view this? There was no option for "gift link" as there is for text articles.
Reposted by MarkMan
A terrific AFP fact check uses reverse image searches to expose how a White House video took scenes from Florida, Texas, South Carolina and Nebraska and lied that they showed "Chicago is in chaos."
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
October 16, 2025 at 2:07 PM
A terrific AFP fact check uses reverse image searches to expose how a White House video took scenes from Florida, Texas, South Carolina and Nebraska and lied that they showed "Chicago is in chaos."
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
Reposted by MarkMan
Reposted by MarkMan
The ICE Officer, Greg Bovino, who got a US Attorney in California fired with a phone call to the WH, is now leading his troops through downtown Chicago, looking for people who look illegal.
chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...
chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...
September 29, 2025 at 12:58 PM
The ICE Officer, Greg Bovino, who got a US Attorney in California fired with a phone call to the WH, is now leading his troops through downtown Chicago, looking for people who look illegal.
chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...
chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...
55 years of data supports that "summertime" temperatures in US are persisting later into the year, and how this is upsetting established patterns for schools, farming, etc.
Even those who won't admit that climate change is man made should be able to at least acknowledge it exists & is a problem?
Even those who won't admit that climate change is man made should be able to at least acknowledge it exists & is a problem?
It's not just you: Summer is sticking around longer
Summer temps are sticking around for 30 days or longer compared to historical norms in some places.
www.axios.com
September 16, 2025 at 3:33 PM
55 years of data supports that "summertime" temperatures in US are persisting later into the year, and how this is upsetting established patterns for schools, farming, etc.
Even those who won't admit that climate change is man made should be able to at least acknowledge it exists & is a problem?
Even those who won't admit that climate change is man made should be able to at least acknowledge it exists & is a problem?