Brian Kleinschmidt
@briguywi.bsky.social
Mostly here in a futile effort to point out America's slide into authoritarianism . Will pointing it out do much of anything? Nope! Can I stop myself? Also no!
I’m a progressive.
Not a liberal!
I’m a progressive.
Not a liberal!
Reposted by Brian Kleinschmidt
Chuck Schumer Helps Pull Democrats Back From Brink Of Courage
December 27, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Chuck Schumer Helps Pull Democrats Back From Brink Of Courage
Reposted by Brian Kleinschmidt
The thing about RFK jr. being a terrible head of health and human services is like…yeah. Yeah, he is literally the worst possible person for the job.
December 20, 2025 at 5:27 PM
The thing about RFK jr. being a terrible head of health and human services is like…yeah. Yeah, he is literally the worst possible person for the job.
Reposted by Brian Kleinschmidt
In fairness, I 99% think that /I’m/ just a story.
December 25, 2025 at 4:46 AM
In fairness, I 99% think that /I’m/ just a story.
Reposted by Brian Kleinschmidt
How about we don't base our policies on what billionaires will tolerate
December 27, 2025 at 12:00 AM
How about we don't base our policies on what billionaires will tolerate
Reposted by Brian Kleinschmidt
How is "Billionaires thinking of maybe doing something" a news story?
December 26, 2025 at 11:57 PM
How is "Billionaires thinking of maybe doing something" a news story?
A side effect of prioritizing loyalty is you end up with incompetent people in charge. Those who are leading in their fields seldom choose to degrade themselves by serving a petty narcissist who demands constant affirmation. Plus, Trump only cares about how loyal they are.
"Critics say the reason is simple: the president has assembled a court of loyalists, bound less by institutional independence than by personal allegiance. They point to cabinet meetings in which secretaries strive to outdo each other by lavishing bountiful praise on their boss"
‘Loyalty over all’: Trump was once known for constantly switching out his staff. Not anymore
December 26, 2025 at 7:15 PM
A side effect of prioritizing loyalty is you end up with incompetent people in charge. Those who are leading in their fields seldom choose to degrade themselves by serving a petty narcissist who demands constant affirmation. Plus, Trump only cares about how loyal they are.
"Critics say the reason is simple: the president has assembled a court of loyalists, bound less by institutional independence than by personal allegiance. They point to cabinet meetings in which secretaries strive to outdo each other by lavishing bountiful praise on their boss"
‘Loyalty over all’: Trump was once known for constantly switching out his staff. Not anymore
‘Loyalty over all’: Trump was once known for constantly switching out his staff. Not anymore
President’s professed satisfaction with his cabinet may be a reflection of how difficult it would be to get a replacement confirmed
www.theguardian.com
December 26, 2025 at 7:12 PM
"Critics say the reason is simple: the president has assembled a court of loyalists, bound less by institutional independence than by personal allegiance. They point to cabinet meetings in which secretaries strive to outdo each other by lavishing bountiful praise on their boss"
Reposted by Brian Kleinschmidt
The phrase "pull yourself up by your bootstraps"
originated in the 19th century to describe an impossible, absurd task, like lifting yourself by your own boot straps, often linked to tales of Baron Munchausen pulling himself from a swamp by his hair
originated in the 19th century to describe an impossible, absurd task, like lifting yourself by your own boot straps, often linked to tales of Baron Munchausen pulling himself from a swamp by his hair
December 21, 2025 at 11:02 PM
The phrase "pull yourself up by your bootstraps"
originated in the 19th century to describe an impossible, absurd task, like lifting yourself by your own boot straps, often linked to tales of Baron Munchausen pulling himself from a swamp by his hair
originated in the 19th century to describe an impossible, absurd task, like lifting yourself by your own boot straps, often linked to tales of Baron Munchausen pulling himself from a swamp by his hair
Did anyone else hear -sink-o-phant? lol
Q: At the end of this year, those extended Obamacare subsidies expire. What's your message to those 24m Americans who will see their premiums go up?
TRUMP: Don't make it sound so bad. Obviously you're a sycophant for Democrats. You're obviously a provider of bad news for Republicans.
TRUMP: Don't make it sound so bad. Obviously you're a sycophant for Democrats. You're obviously a provider of bad news for Republicans.
December 14, 2025 at 12:24 AM
Did anyone else hear -sink-o-phant? lol
If you actually cared about the deficit you would reduce this spending. If you actually cared about wasteful government spending you would reduce this spending. Government contracts using lobbying to price gouge is the problem, not funding scientists or social programs.
U.S. military spending is set to hit a record $1 trillion.
Roughly half of defense spending goes to private contractors that routinely price-gouge the government.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon has failed seven straight audits.
This is the military industrial complex on steroids.
Roughly half of defense spending goes to private contractors that routinely price-gouge the government.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon has failed seven straight audits.
This is the military industrial complex on steroids.
December 12, 2025 at 9:52 PM
If you actually cared about the deficit you would reduce this spending. If you actually cared about wasteful government spending you would reduce this spending. Government contracts using lobbying to price gouge is the problem, not funding scientists or social programs.
Reposted by Brian Kleinschmidt
ProPublica spoke to about 150 people who had lived in homeless encampments when cities cleared them out in “sweeps.”
We distributed notecards so people could tell us about the toll in their own words.
➡️ This is what they wrote: https://propub.li/3MTlm33
We distributed notecards so people could tell us about the toll in their own words.
➡️ This is what they wrote: https://propub.li/3MTlm33
December 12, 2025 at 3:15 AM
ProPublica spoke to about 150 people who had lived in homeless encampments when cities cleared them out in “sweeps.”
We distributed notecards so people could tell us about the toll in their own words.
➡️ This is what they wrote: https://propub.li/3MTlm33
We distributed notecards so people could tell us about the toll in their own words.
➡️ This is what they wrote: https://propub.li/3MTlm33
Reposted by Brian Kleinschmidt
Under Trump, the NIH is giving fewer grants to fewer scientists. The grants awarded are smaller and scientists have less time to spend them.
Projects in cancer, diabetes, aging, neurological disorder, and more are going unfunded.
“Make America Healthy Again.”
Projects in cancer, diabetes, aging, neurological disorder, and more are going unfunded.
“Make America Healthy Again.”
The U.S. Is Funding Fewer Grants in Every Area of Science and Medicine
A quiet policy change means the government is making fewer bets on long-term science.
www.nytimes.com
December 2, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Under Trump, the NIH is giving fewer grants to fewer scientists. The grants awarded are smaller and scientists have less time to spend them.
Projects in cancer, diabetes, aging, neurological disorder, and more are going unfunded.
“Make America Healthy Again.”
Projects in cancer, diabetes, aging, neurological disorder, and more are going unfunded.
“Make America Healthy Again.”
Reposted by Brian Kleinschmidt
Trump fell asleep twice in public last week. But is his dream the American Dream?
December 7, 2025 at 2:53 AM
Trump fell asleep twice in public last week. But is his dream the American Dream?
Love that the President of the United States of America is pro-disease.
(Sarcasm, obviously)
(Sarcasm, obviously)
Today, the CDC Vaccine Committee made a very good decision to END their Hepatitis B Vaccine Recommendation for babies, the vast majority of whom are at NO RISK of Hepatitis B, a disease that is mostly transmitted sexually, or through dirty needles. The American Childhood Vaccine
December 6, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Love that the President of the United States of America is pro-disease.
(Sarcasm, obviously)
(Sarcasm, obviously)
The US is flawed in numerous ways, but the idea of the Government being of, by, and for the people is a good idea. The idea of being a country of laws not men is a good idea. The idea of giving power not to one individual but to an office they might hold for a time is a good idea.
December 6, 2025 at 3:56 PM
The US is flawed in numerous ways, but the idea of the Government being of, by, and for the people is a good idea. The idea of being a country of laws not men is a good idea. The idea of giving power not to one individual but to an office they might hold for a time is a good idea.
It's absolutely INSANE how he is bragging about getting private donors to pay for this. Private donors shouldn't be paying for federal buildings, because this very clearly gives them undue power and influence over the federal government. This is cartoonishly corrupt
taxpayer dollars involved. It is being fully paid for by private donations. FAKE NEWS CNN, and the guy who runs the whole corrupt operation that owns it, is one of the worst in the business. Their ratings are so low that they’re not even counted or relevant anymore. MAGA!!!
December 6, 2025 at 3:49 PM
It's absolutely INSANE how he is bragging about getting private donors to pay for this. Private donors shouldn't be paying for federal buildings, because this very clearly gives them undue power and influence over the federal government. This is cartoonishly corrupt
Behold, the brutality of American Empire
December 6, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Behold, the brutality of American Empire
It's a hard time to be a centrist (to be more right wing than Democrats but lack the full-throated embrace of the cruelty emblematic of the Republican Party).
Republicans have tanked the economy and turned the country into a corrupt autocracy. But my NPR-loving neighbor has been giving me a hard time about my gas-powered leaf blower. I've never felt more politically homeless.
December 6, 2025 at 3:35 PM
It's a hard time to be a centrist (to be more right wing than Democrats but lack the full-throated embrace of the cruelty emblematic of the Republican Party).
The Supreme Court asking lower courts to "presume legislative good faith" is wild! The new standard for wether or not a congressional map is racially gerrymandered is essentially the legislature has to explicitly say "this map is gerrymandered based on race".
December 6, 2025 at 3:27 PM
The Supreme Court asking lower courts to "presume legislative good faith" is wild! The new standard for wether or not a congressional map is racially gerrymandered is essentially the legislature has to explicitly say "this map is gerrymandered based on race".
Crazy how US businesses spent 50 years moving manufacturing to China—destroying the local economies of cities that built their wealth—and are now getting super pissed off about China outcompeting them with their established manufacturing infrastructure. Y’all did this to yourselves.
December 6, 2025 at 4:33 AM
Crazy how US businesses spent 50 years moving manufacturing to China—destroying the local economies of cities that built their wealth—and are now getting super pissed off about China outcompeting them with their established manufacturing infrastructure. Y’all did this to yourselves.
Private industry relies on this public research. Improving our health and medicine relies on this research. American science spending is one of the few parts of the federal government that helps its people and runs well, so of course Trump and Republicans are ruining it.
December 5, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Private industry relies on this public research. Improving our health and medicine relies on this research. American science spending is one of the few parts of the federal government that helps its people and runs well, so of course Trump and Republicans are ruining it.
The whole anti-vaccine thing is extra crazy! Why?!?? Who does this help? I genuinely don’t understand why this is a part of late-stage capitalism.
In a controversial move, the vaccine advisory group reversed a recommendations for universal immunizing of newborns intended to protect them from a virus that attacks the liver.
CDC advisers vote to overturn decades-long policy on hepatitis B vaccine for infants
In a controversial move, the vaccine advisory group reversed a recommendations for universal immunizing of newborns intended to protect them from a virus that attacks the liver.
n.pr
December 5, 2025 at 9:40 PM
The whole anti-vaccine thing is extra crazy! Why?!?? Who does this help? I genuinely don’t understand why this is a part of late-stage capitalism.
This is the same committee RFK JR replaced, stacking it with anti-vaxxers. Also, the MIT guy they quote—who was a part of the board and a professor—is NOT a physician or biomedical researcher. He’s a mathematician.
In a controversial move, the vaccine advisory group reversed a recommendations for universal immunizing of newborns intended to protect them from a virus that attacks the liver.
CDC advisers vote to overturn decades-long policy on hepatitis B vaccine for infants
In a controversial move, the vaccine advisory group reversed a recommendations for universal immunizing of newborns intended to protect them from a virus that attacks the liver.
n.pr
December 5, 2025 at 9:38 PM
This is the same committee RFK JR replaced, stacking it with anti-vaxxers. Also, the MIT guy they quote—who was a part of the board and a professor—is NOT a physician or biomedical researcher. He’s a mathematician.
I wonder, is there just going to be boom bust cycles of vaccinations? Where you see lack of vaccinations and widespread death and disease causing people to get vaccinated before high vaccines rate mean less death leading to vaccine hesitancy? And so on? Hope not but 🤷
Childhood vaccination rates were falling before Trump took office.
But RFK Jr.'s latest attacks on vaccines will make new outbreaks of old diseases even more deadly.
I'm old enough to remember when polio put my friends into iron lungs. We do not want to go back to that era.
But RFK Jr.'s latest attacks on vaccines will make new outbreaks of old diseases even more deadly.
I'm old enough to remember when polio put my friends into iron lungs. We do not want to go back to that era.
RFK Jr.’s handpicked CDC panel rolls back recommending all newborns get vaccinated for hepatitis B
December 5, 2025 at 9:28 PM
I wonder, is there just going to be boom bust cycles of vaccinations? Where you see lack of vaccinations and widespread death and disease causing people to get vaccinated before high vaccines rate mean less death leading to vaccine hesitancy? And so on? Hope not but 🤷
Trump is worsening America’s position on the world stage while pretending his erratic behavior and shameless bullying will magically fix it. Absolutely ridiculous!
The Trump administration has set forth a national security strategy that paints European allies as weak and aims to reassert America's dominance in the Western Hemisphere. n.pr/3KiaCut
Trump's security strategy slams European allies and asserts U.S. power in the Americas
The Trump administration has set forth a national security strategy that paints European allies as weak and aims to reassert America's dominance in the Western Hemisphere.
n.pr
December 5, 2025 at 9:24 PM
Trump is worsening America’s position on the world stage while pretending his erratic behavior and shameless bullying will magically fix it. Absolutely ridiculous!