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Christopher Mims

@mims.bsky.social

33K followers 4.2K following 2.9K posts

WSJ tech columnist. Dog person. Author of Arriving Today, an unfortunately timely book about the global system of trade we're currently flushing down the toilet: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/arriving-today-christopher-mims

www.harpercollins.com

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Christopher Mims @mims.bsky.social · 21d

The world is on fire and the future in question but, small ray of sunshine:

Solar-powered cars are coming next year. Yeah, you read that right.

Imagine getting 10-40 miles a day of range from just parking your car someplace sunny. It's coming.

www.wsj.com/business/ene...

Solar-Powered Cars and Trucks Are Almost Here

New, power-sipping EVs due next year are efficient enough to gain 10 to 40 miles of daily charge from the sun alone.

www.wsj.com

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Christopher Mims @mims.bsky.social · 17h

BREAKING: MIT Rejects Trump’s Sweeping ‘Compact’ Offering Colleges Funding Advantages

* The school became the first university to reject the terms, saying they would undermine independence

* UT Austin, on the other hand, has indicated enthusiasm for the proposal

www.wsj.com/us-news/educ...

MIT Rejects Trump’s Sweeping ‘Compact’ Offering Colleges Funding Advantages

In a letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon Friday, MIT President Sally Kornbluth said the proposal—called the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education”— would restrict freedom of expression and MIT’s independence.

www.wsj.com

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Reposted by Christopher Mims

Carl Zimmer @carlzimmer.com · 2d

Today my @nytimes.com colleagues and I are launching a new series called Lost Science. We interview US scientists who can no longer discover something new about our world, thanks to this year‘s cuts. Here is my first interview with a scientist who studied bees and fires. Gift link: nyti.ms/3IWXbiE

nyti.ms

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Christopher Mims @mims.bsky.social · 2d

There is so much in this WSJ piece on what Trump has done / plans to do with the Justice Dept it's impossible to sum it up, but:

* Indictments planned for a half dozen current / former officials Trump dislikes

* So many have resigned from that whole sections are gutted

www.wsj.com/politics/pol...

Inside the Justice Department Where the President Calls the Shots

The president has executed a wholesale transformation of the Justice Department, taking control in ways he could have only dreamed of in his first term.

www.wsj.com

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Christopher Mims @mims.bsky.social · 2d

"Trump ignored the advice of aides, Justice Department officials, and even Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican" in ousting a prosecutor who refused to indict former FBI director James Comey

Sean O’Kane @seanokane.bsky.social · 2d

WSJ is reporting that the Truth Social post where Trump told Pam Bondi to prosecute Comey *really was supposed to be a private message*

www.wsj.com/politics/pol...

Inside the Justice Department Where the President Calls the Shots

The president has executed a wholesale transformation of the Justice Department, taking control in ways he could have only dreamed of in his first term.

www.wsj.com

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Christopher Mims @mims.bsky.social · 2d

hard to remember the last time something on the internet made me this happy

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Reposted by Christopher Mims

David Roberts @volts.wtf · 2d

The historically volatile Texas grid was entirely stable this summer, despite extreme temperatures. Grid operators never once had to ask Texans to conserve energy or shut off their air conditioners.

Why? Solar & batteries. Want a stable grid? Try solar & batteries.

Solar and batteries had a record-setting, grid-stabilizing summer in…

Solar has set 17 power generation records in Texas so far this year, shoring up the grid alongside batteries as some gas plant developers step back.

www.canarymedia.com

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Greg Greene (he/him/his) @greene.haus · 2d

I gotta say: the papacy of a Chicagoan with the cultural competency to comment firmly, yet carefully, on U.S. events has been a hell of a plot twist.

Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 2d

Oh — new reporting on Pope Leo from El Paso Matters, citing footage they have of yesterday's meeting.

Sounds like the pope was even *more* forceful in urging U.S. bishops to speak out about immigration than first reported.

I mean, that's…not subtle. elpasomatters.org/2025/10/08/e...

“I was struck at the beginning (of the video), it talks about the feeling of powerlessness, which I think is so much. I think it’s so important that we as a church give a message of hope in the midst of these horrible struggles, what’s going on in so many cities in the United States right now. At least the church cannot be silent,” the pope told the El Pasoans, according to a video of the meeting provided to El Paso Matters by Hope Border Institute.

Seitz responded: “You’ve spoken very strongly. We’re trying to do the same in our country and yet not get into the political fray the best that we can.”

Pope Leo told Seitz that he’d like to see the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops become more vocal on immigration issues.

“I mean, even within the conference, there are challenges. That’s one place they should be … I wish they were stronger in their own voice,” Leo said, adding that Archbishop Timothy Broglio, the president of the conference, should speak out more on immigration.

“There’s been some good movement in that sense, but I certainly intend to continue to encourage” U.S. bishops to address immigration, Leo said.

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Christopher Mims @mims.bsky.social · 2d

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Christopher Mims @mims.bsky.social · 2d

"Some have said about Assassin's Creed games that "DEI kills art" but this might be a case where "anti-DEI" helped kill art."

Stephen Totilo @stephentotilo.bsky.social · 2d

SCOOP: Last year, Ubisoft cancelled an Assassin's Creed game set during Reconstruction. Was to feature a Black Assassin who, among other things, fought the rise of the Klan

Sources: Leadership nixed it over concerns re: U.S. political climate, backlash to Yasuke

www.gamefile.news/p/scoop-ubis...

Scoop: Ubisoft cancelled a post-Civil War Assassin’s Creed last year

Company leadership deemed the project too controversial for the moment, sources tell Game File

www.gamefile.news

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Christopher Mims @mims.bsky.social · 2d

ah, gotcha - deleting since I didn't know that

Christopher Mims @mims.bsky.social · 2d

shades of Selma

Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 3d

NEW: I spoke to clergy and faith leaders who've joined protests at the Chicago-area ICE facility.

Three say they've been shot with pepper balls, sometimes while praying.

All say ICE is also violating their religious freedom, and one is arguing it in court. religionnews.com/2025/10/07/i...

Religious protesters say ICE threatens religious freedom in Chicago

(RNS) — Despite potential danger, religious leaders and faith activists have been a visible presence at Chicago-area ICE protests, some waving signs with slogans such as ‘Love thy neighbor’ and ‘Who w...

religionnews.com

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Reposted by Christopher Mims

Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 3d

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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Christopher Mims @mims.bsky.social · 2d

Connor Roy character in succession: "I think I finally found a job I want to do... President of the United States"

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Christopher Mims @mims.bsky.social · 2d

this is only an issue because of lists tho, right...?

Christopher Mims @mims.bsky.social · 2d

oh god is it that far back already

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Christopher Mims @mims.bsky.social · 2d

heck yeah!

Christopher Mims @mims.bsky.social · 2d

not comforting that every time someone says Well It Sure Feels Like We're Living in Unprecedented Times, the history knowers have to reach further and further back in history to smugly rebut them

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Christopher Mims @mims.bsky.social · 2d

right, very true

Christopher Mims @mims.bsky.social · 2d

lots to digest - ty for sharing!

Christopher Mims @mims.bsky.social · 2d

I mean I think that's an underestimate, I probably have like a dozen of these and I think I'm a pretty normal consumer of content

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Christopher Mims @mims.bsky.social · 2d

not understanding why this is unusable, it's awesome

Christopher Mims @mims.bsky.social · 2d

good reminder of how much things can change in just 5 years:

in October 2020, wearing stuff like this all the time in public was completely plausible

a woman wearing a space-suit like helmet for preventing the spread of COVID, made by Air. Microclimate

man sitting on a bench in public, wearing a space-suit like helmet for preventing the spread of COVID, made by Air. Microclimate

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Christopher Mims @mims.bsky.social · 2d

I've experienced some of what they describe first-hand and it's terrifying to imagine it getting so much worse!

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Christopher Mims @mims.bsky.social · 2d

This is a REALLY good video that gets into the *specifics* of how AI is degrading our information environment and putting truth further out of reach for the average person / the population as a whole

🎃 🧟 Prof. Dr Beth Singler 👻 🎃 @bvlsingler.bsky.social · 3d

I walked into the lounge last night to find my teenage son watching this. We have long admired @kurzgesagt.org and found their videos to be extremely illuminating. But this one in particular I think is so important right now!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zfN...

AI Slop Is Killing Our Channel

YouTube video by Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell

www.youtube.com

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Christopher Mims @mims.bsky.social · 2d

see also: influencers and sponcon (is that still being enforced at all?)

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