Tom ‘Beardo’ Hilliard
@tomh4.bsky.social
Trying to stay focused on higher ed, but someone always seems to be wrong on the internet.
I hear the Trump admin will have the new health coverage proposal ready in about two weeks.
November 24, 2025 at 9:40 PM
I hear the Trump admin will have the new health coverage proposal ready in about two weeks.
Checks out.
haven’t seen ROS or Solo but this seems like a pretty ball-knowing list from Pritzker, particularly if he volunteered the name “Star Wars” rather than “A New Hope”
November 24, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Checks out.
Important corrective to narratives about rapidly rising college costs. Couple of caveats: Private four-year tuition/fees grew rapidly thru 2015-16; and cuts to Medicaid & SNAP are likely to lead states to cut higher ed funding, leading to tuition increases in the near future.
I was sufficiently annoyed with a piece claiming that inflation-adjusted college costs have doubled over the last 20 years that I wrote a response. There really haven't been increases over the last decade, but I fear that promising trend may be changing.
College Prices Have Not Risen Dramatically in the Last Decade—But Will That Change?
Higher education is facing a crisis of confidence among the general public, and much of that is driven by concerns regarding affordability. For example, about 80 percent of Democrats and Republican…
robertkelchen.com
November 24, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Important corrective to narratives about rapidly rising college costs. Couple of caveats: Private four-year tuition/fees grew rapidly thru 2015-16; and cuts to Medicaid & SNAP are likely to lead states to cut higher ed funding, leading to tuition increases in the near future.
This should be all anyone has to say about Nuzzi.
How I feel about the whole Olivia Nuzzi story is that there are a lot of talented, ethical, underemployed or unemployed black and brown journalists right now who are ready to work.
November 22, 2025 at 6:03 PM
This should be all anyone has to say about Nuzzi.
The political science literature shows that authoritarian governments are often stocked with incompetent policymakers, and this does not prevent them from achieving their goals. But I submit this question: At what level would profound stupidity genuinely interfere with consolidating the regime?
What the hell: The US accidentally invaded Mexico on Monday, storming a beach and planting DoD “restricted area” signs claiming the land for “the commander,” and triggered a standoff with armed Mexican security forces, all because Trump’s government can’t even identify a border on a map. 🧵 1/
November 21, 2025 at 1:10 AM
The political science literature shows that authoritarian governments are often stocked with incompetent policymakers, and this does not prevent them from achieving their goals. But I submit this question: At what level would profound stupidity genuinely interfere with consolidating the regime?
Reposted by Tom ‘Beardo’ Hilliard
EdTrust along with over 60+ Civil rights and education organizations denounce the unlawful transfer of critical U.S. Department of Education offices and responsibilities to other federal agencies. Read the full statement: https://bit.ly/4i9V6xf
60+ Civil Rights and Education Organizations’ Joint Statement on the Illegal Transferring of Key Roles and Responsibilities from the U.S. Department of Education
Civil rights and education organizations denounce the unlawful transfer of critical U.S. Department of Education offices and responsibilities to other federal agencies
bit.ly
November 20, 2025 at 10:07 PM
EdTrust along with over 60+ Civil rights and education organizations denounce the unlawful transfer of critical U.S. Department of Education offices and responsibilities to other federal agencies. Read the full statement: https://bit.ly/4i9V6xf
Yes, let’s celebrate a disastrous self-own that makes America weaker and poorer, and whose impact will continue to resonate for years after Trump’s departure.
The White House just blasted this out under the headline "Good News You May Have Missed"
November 20, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Yes, let’s celebrate a disastrous self-own that makes America weaker and poorer, and whose impact will continue to resonate for years after Trump’s departure.
Reposted by Tom ‘Beardo’ Hilliard
1/ Today the Department of Education said that it’s transferring a variety of programs to other agencies, making good on Trump’s promise to dismantle ED.
The most important thing to understand is that this is a Potemkin reorganization. It’s fugazi, it’s fairy dust. It’s not real.
The most important thing to understand is that this is a Potemkin reorganization. It’s fugazi, it’s fairy dust. It’s not real.
November 18, 2025 at 10:36 PM
1/ Today the Department of Education said that it’s transferring a variety of programs to other agencies, making good on Trump’s promise to dismantle ED.
The most important thing to understand is that this is a Potemkin reorganization. It’s fugazi, it’s fairy dust. It’s not real.
The most important thing to understand is that this is a Potemkin reorganization. It’s fugazi, it’s fairy dust. It’s not real.
Stories like this make me angry for the people whose rights are trampled, and also curious as to how the ICE occupation of Charlotte will impact a key swing state that Republicans desperately want to control. Guessing it will be bad for Rs & wondering why Trump would risk that.
US Citizen Violently Detained, Window Smashed During Morning Stop in Charlotte, NC
November 17, 2025 at 1:37 AM
Stories like this make me angry for the people whose rights are trampled, and also curious as to how the ICE occupation of Charlotte will impact a key swing state that Republicans desperately want to control. Guessing it will be bad for Rs & wondering why Trump would risk that.
Reposted by Tom ‘Beardo’ Hilliard
Before ACA, I regularly had patients who bought insurance they thought was "best for them". I've seen $50k annual max, $500k lifetime max, plans w/ no Rx coverage, plans *carving out* cancer treatment, plans that denied leukemia treatment because prior iron deficiency anemia was a pre-existing. /1
Dr Oz: "If you had a check in the mail, you could buy the insurance you thought was best for you"
November 16, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Before ACA, I regularly had patients who bought insurance they thought was "best for them". I've seen $50k annual max, $500k lifetime max, plans w/ no Rx coverage, plans *carving out* cancer treatment, plans that denied leukemia treatment because prior iron deficiency anemia was a pre-existing. /1
I am as exasperated with Chuck Schumer as anyone, but the coverage I’m seeing suggests that he is not the reason the Cave Caucus caved. There’s a whole clique of fainting flowers that desperately wanted to cut a deal, and Schumer held them back as long as he could.
November 14, 2025 at 3:06 AM
I am as exasperated with Chuck Schumer as anyone, but the coverage I’m seeing suggests that he is not the reason the Cave Caucus caved. There’s a whole clique of fainting flowers that desperately wanted to cut a deal, and Schumer held them back as long as he could.
Reposted by Tom ‘Beardo’ Hilliard
So President Trump has the ability to deprive Sen. Tim Kaine of sleep by cutting off SNAP benefits or laying off government workers, thereby destroying Kaine's willingness to fight for his constituents? I'm sure Trump is quite pleased to know that and will take note for future confrontations.
Tim Kaine on backlash he's getting: "I got the first good night's sleep last night that I've gotten since Oct 1, b/c I wasn't worried about being able to look Capitol Police in the eye when I walked in, or what a furloughed fed worker would say to me at church, or what somebody would say about SNAP"
November 10, 2025 at 8:23 PM
So President Trump has the ability to deprive Sen. Tim Kaine of sleep by cutting off SNAP benefits or laying off government workers, thereby destroying Kaine's willingness to fight for his constituents? I'm sure Trump is quite pleased to know that and will take note for future confrontations.
Reposted by Tom ‘Beardo’ Hilliard
A reminder - last March, republicans promised to restore $1.1B in funding to DC in exchange for funding the government, and Mike Johnson never took it up in the House.
a cartoon girl in a blue dress is kneeling in a field holding a bag
ALT: a cartoon girl in a blue dress is kneeling in a field holding a bag
media.tenor.com
November 10, 2025 at 2:07 AM
A reminder - last March, republicans promised to restore $1.1B in funding to DC in exchange for funding the government, and Mike Johnson never took it up in the House.
💯
Scholars - if you're publishing articles behind a paywall, why not make your work accessible to everyone by also publishing a preprint version?
November 10, 2025 at 1:30 AM
💯
Puzzling to hear Kaine describe a Senate vote on ACA tax credits as something “Republicans weren’t willing to do” when Senate Majority Leader Thune publicly proposed it in a Sunday interview three weeks ago.
My statement on the funding deal to reopen government, protect federal employees, and vote to protect health care:
November 10, 2025 at 1:08 AM
Puzzling to hear Kaine describe a Senate vote on ACA tax credits as something “Republicans weren’t willing to do” when Senate Majority Leader Thune publicly proposed it in a Sunday interview three weeks ago.
My understanding is that people in these states really need to start dialing and sending angry emails: Georgia, Nevada, Michigan, and New Hampshire. These are the home grounds of the emerging Surrender Caucus.
If you have a Dem senator and you're seeing this right now, CALL THEM RIGHT NOW and tell them NO. If you don't know anyone who would be affected by this, call them for my friend Lisa. She cannot afford insurance without ACA subsidies and without health insurance I'm terrified she will die.
! A key group of Senate Democrats is leaning toward voting for a deal to end the shutdown, provided final details can be worked out like worker protections (Gift link)
(Deal does NOT include an ACA extension.)
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
(Deal does NOT include an ACA extension.)
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
November 9, 2025 at 11:53 PM
My understanding is that people in these states really need to start dialing and sending angry emails: Georgia, Nevada, Michigan, and New Hampshire. These are the home grounds of the emerging Surrender Caucus.
Reposted by Tom ‘Beardo’ Hilliard
Sounds like the squishes in the senate caucus are ready to pull the plug with no ACA changes. This is real. If you want to register your opinion you shld call yr senator in the next hour. They not only want to reopen w/nothing. They want cover from their colleagues who still want to hold out.
November 9, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Sounds like the squishes in the senate caucus are ready to pull the plug with no ACA changes. This is real. If you want to register your opinion you shld call yr senator in the next hour. They not only want to reopen w/nothing. They want cover from their colleagues who still want to hold out.
Congrats to New York voters for not electing this vapid airhead governor.
Zeldin: "Conservatives say there are two genders. Democrats are saying there are a hundred genders and counting and growing."
November 9, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Congrats to New York voters for not electing this vapid airhead governor.
Exactly. And not just USDA’s own guidance, but the guidance of the USDA official, Patrick Penn, who is now threatening to punish states for following his earlier guidance.
I asked Georgetown law prof David Super wtf is going on with this latest demand for states to claw back benefits already sent out.
He says the law doesn't allow for this, and if the USDA is mad that states already sent out SNAP money, too bad—they were following USDA's own guidance. Full comments:
He says the law doesn't allow for this, and if the USDA is mad that states already sent out SNAP money, too bad—they were following USDA's own guidance. Full comments:
November 9, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Exactly. And not just USDA’s own guidance, but the guidance of the USDA official, Patrick Penn, who is now threatening to punish states for following his earlier guidance.
This is what happens when you hate the people you serve, and also when you replace competent staff with disorganized bunglers. The states that released full benefits acted under the authority of a valid court order and without any guidance from USDA warning otherwise.
NEW: The Trump admin told states it must immediately "undo" the work to provide full food stamp benefits, or face penalties. The feds sent this in a late-night memo, only adding to the chaos and confusion around SNAP. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/09/b...
Trump Administration Demands States ‘Undo’ Work to Send Full Food Stamps
www.nytimes.com
November 9, 2025 at 3:50 PM
This is what happens when you hate the people you serve, and also when you replace competent staff with disorganized bunglers. The states that released full benefits acted under the authority of a valid court order and without any guidance from USDA warning otherwise.
Now I have to rewatch all of Mamdani’s videos looking for the Liquid Sky influences.
You can be like, the average person doesn’t know who Kiarostami is, what are they talking about? But film is a visual language that people speak without knowing they’re doing it. You need to know what vocabulary is available.
November 5, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Now I have to rewatch all of Mamdani’s videos looking for the Liquid Sky influences.
President Trump delivers his takeaway lesson from last night: fair elections are dangerous and we should squash them as quickly as possible.
Trump: "They're gonna make DC a state and they're gonna make Puerto Rico a state. So now they pick up two states, four senators. They're gonna pick up electoral votes. It's gonna be a very, very bad situation. Now, if we do what I'm saying, they'll most likely never obtain power."
November 5, 2025 at 3:03 PM
President Trump delivers his takeaway lesson from last night: fair elections are dangerous and we should squash them as quickly as possible.
Graceful concession from Cuomo, who still calls his opponent Mandami. Maybe it wasn't a tactic and he’s literally unable to correctly pronounce Mamdani’s name? 🤔
Cuomo: Congratulations to Zohran Mamdani
Crowd: Boooooo
Cuomo: No, no… That is not right and that is not us. Tonight was their night.
Crowd: Boooooo
Cuomo: No, no… That is not right and that is not us. Tonight was their night.
November 5, 2025 at 4:07 AM
Graceful concession from Cuomo, who still calls his opponent Mandami. Maybe it wasn't a tactic and he’s literally unable to correctly pronounce Mamdani’s name? 🤔
Reposted by Tom ‘Beardo’ Hilliard
Some crazy results in South Jersey tonight. 70% of the vote being reported in Ocean County, and Ciattarelli is up by 30 percent. Which seems good.
Except that he needed to win Ocean County by *50* points.
Except that he needed to win Ocean County by *50* points.
November 5, 2025 at 2:03 AM
Some crazy results in South Jersey tonight. 70% of the vote being reported in Ocean County, and Ciattarelli is up by 30 percent. Which seems good.
Except that he needed to win Ocean County by *50* points.
Except that he needed to win Ocean County by *50* points.