Karen Olstad
@karenolstad.bsky.social
Former public media exec at stations in WA, AK & OH. Community volunteer. Mom, Grammie, Auntie and spouse. Proud WSU alumna & fan. Hiker, biker, reader. Not a "Karen."
Reposted by Karen Olstad
All of this.
This is not hard. Artists are not responsible for ensuring the Kennedy Center remains relevant and successful. The center’s board is responsible for that, in a fiduciary way. All of this energy being directed at artists should be re-directed at the board.
December 30, 2025 at 6:07 PM
All of this.
Reposted by Karen Olstad
With Trump skipping church this Christmas season, it's now been over 4 years since he last attended a regular worship service (otherwise has only attended for special events like funeral & inauguration). I don't care if prez attends, but MAGAchurch leaders should quit lying about him being devout.
December 28, 2025 at 3:13 PM
With Trump skipping church this Christmas season, it's now been over 4 years since he last attended a regular worship service (otherwise has only attended for special events like funeral & inauguration). I don't care if prez attends, but MAGAchurch leaders should quit lying about him being devout.
Reposted by Karen Olstad
It’s the “season of love and giving”…but this year, doesn’t it seem more like a “season of fear and taking”? Like many of you, I’ve been saddened by the human impact of draconian government budget cuts and how angry many housed Americans are at unhoused Americans.
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December 21, 2025 at 2:51 AM
It’s the “season of love and giving”…but this year, doesn’t it seem more like a “season of fear and taking”? Like many of you, I’ve been saddened by the human impact of draconian government budget cuts and how angry many housed Americans are at unhoused Americans.
🧵 1 of 9
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Reposted by Karen Olstad
Remember: Almost all of us are the descendants of immigrants who fled persecution, or were brought to America under duress, or sought better lives for themselves and their descendants.
Politicians who stoke fear and hatred over immigration want you to forget this.
Do not.
Politicians who stoke fear and hatred over immigration want you to forget this.
Do not.
December 21, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Remember: Almost all of us are the descendants of immigrants who fled persecution, or were brought to America under duress, or sought better lives for themselves and their descendants.
Politicians who stoke fear and hatred over immigration want you to forget this.
Do not.
Politicians who stoke fear and hatred over immigration want you to forget this.
Do not.
Reposted by Karen Olstad
The Kennedy Center was established and named by an act of Congress. No media outlet should call it anything different until Congress amends or repeals that Act. Trump is not a king.
December 18, 2025 at 9:43 PM
The Kennedy Center was established and named by an act of Congress. No media outlet should call it anything different until Congress amends or repeals that Act. Trump is not a king.
Reposted by Karen Olstad
Renaming the Kennedy Center, our national fine arts center, after such a coarse, lowbrow, and ignorant buffoon is America at its very stupidest.
December 18, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Renaming the Kennedy Center, our national fine arts center, after such a coarse, lowbrow, and ignorant buffoon is America at its very stupidest.
Nobody likes to be yelled at. I can’t see how this speech would inspire anyone.
December 18, 2025 at 2:20 AM
Nobody likes to be yelled at. I can’t see how this speech would inspire anyone.
Reposted by Karen Olstad
The Republican-controlled Utah state legislature put a moratorium on health care for trans kids, and ordered an exhaustive review of the evidence. Two and a half years later, the 1000-page report said, in short, care for trans kids is safe and effective.
www.sltrib.com/news/politic...
www.sltrib.com/news/politic...
Utah lawmakers’ own study found gender-affirming care benefits trans youth. Will they lift the treatment ban?
The Utah Legislature's own newly-released study found that gender-affirming care benefits trans youth. Now, will lawmakers lift the treatment ban?
www.sltrib.com
December 18, 2025 at 1:59 AM
The Republican-controlled Utah state legislature put a moratorium on health care for trans kids, and ordered an exhaustive review of the evidence. Two and a half years later, the 1000-page report said, in short, care for trans kids is safe and effective.
www.sltrib.com/news/politic...
www.sltrib.com/news/politic...
Reposted by Karen Olstad
📣 Abortion pills, including both mifepristone and misoprostol, are extremely safe! Junk science and political pushback don't change that.
December 16, 2025 at 9:57 PM
📣 Abortion pills, including both mifepristone and misoprostol, are extremely safe! Junk science and political pushback don't change that.
Looking for college football injustice? The victim is WSU, not Notre Dame - Tacoma News Tribune
December 11, 2025 at 5:45 AM
Looking for college football injustice? The victim is WSU, not Notre Dame - Tacoma News Tribune
Reposted by Karen Olstad
Incredible thread - remember the real Rosa Parks, not the watered down, convenient myth Rosa Parks.
Today is the 70th anniversary of Rosa Parks' arrest. Six myths: 1) She wasn't old or tired. 42 years old that day, she had a "life history of being rebellious" & had spent two decades helping to turn the Montgomery NAACP into a more activist branch alongside ED Nixon and Johnnie Carr.
December 1, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Incredible thread - remember the real Rosa Parks, not the watered down, convenient myth Rosa Parks.
Reposted by Karen Olstad
Retirees are mobilizing to defend democracy—and the benefits literally show up in their DNA.
Turns out fighting fascism helps you live longer
Retirees are mobilizing to defend democracy—and the benefits literally show up in their DNA.
www.motherjones.com
November 28, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Retirees are mobilizing to defend democracy—and the benefits literally show up in their DNA.
Reposted by Karen Olstad
As you’re preparing for your Thanksgiving meal, remember the skilled work it took to get that food to your grocery store.
Tell us your favorite Thanksgiving dish, and we can share some of what we know about the work behind the ingredients.
Tell us your favorite Thanksgiving dish, and we can share some of what we know about the work behind the ingredients.
November 26, 2025 at 6:03 PM
As you’re preparing for your Thanksgiving meal, remember the skilled work it took to get that food to your grocery store.
Tell us your favorite Thanksgiving dish, and we can share some of what we know about the work behind the ingredients.
Tell us your favorite Thanksgiving dish, and we can share some of what we know about the work behind the ingredients.
Reposted by Karen Olstad
Had a ball assembling this list of Best TV to Watch over Thanksgiving weekend for NPR I left out Stranger Things - separate review coming - but here’s some other cool titles, including a YouTube fave and a blast from distant past. READ: https://loom.ly/CZnZTkI
The best TV to catch up on over the Thanksgiving weekend
It's impossible to keep up with TV options. These shows are worth catching up on — or revisiting.
www.npr.org
November 26, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Had a ball assembling this list of Best TV to Watch over Thanksgiving weekend for NPR I left out Stranger Things - separate review coming - but here’s some other cool titles, including a YouTube fave and a blast from distant past. READ: https://loom.ly/CZnZTkI
Also worthy of support: @npr.org, @pbsnews.org and @pbs.org. Not only have they not capitulated, their member stations lost 100% of their Federal funding under this Congress and Administration.
Washington Post capitulated.
LA Times capitulated.
ABC capitulated.
CBS capitulated.
CNN capitulated.
Support independent, pro democracy media like @status.news, @thebulwark.com, @crooked.com, @boltsmag.org, @the-downballot.com, @contrariannews.org and, of course, @democracydocket.com.
LA Times capitulated.
ABC capitulated.
CBS capitulated.
CNN capitulated.
Support independent, pro democracy media like @status.news, @thebulwark.com, @crooked.com, @boltsmag.org, @the-downballot.com, @contrariannews.org and, of course, @democracydocket.com.
Scoop: During a trip to DC last week, CNN CEO Mark Thompson made a visit to the White House, where he promoted the network’s new streamer
Staffers were taken aback the next morning when Thompson urged them to ease up on East Wing renovation coverage
www.status.news/p/mark-thomp...
Staffers were taken aback the next morning when Thompson urged them to ease up on East Wing renovation coverage
www.status.news/p/mark-thomp...
October 27, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Also worthy of support: @npr.org, @pbsnews.org and @pbs.org. Not only have they not capitulated, their member stations lost 100% of their Federal funding under this Congress and Administration.
Reposted by Karen Olstad
Pay attention -- what he means is allowing Democrats to win a free and fair election.
Trump: "We can never let what happened in the 2020 election happen again. We just can't let that happen. I know Kash is working on it, everybody is working on it. And certainly Tulsi is working on it. We can't let that happen again to our country."
October 22, 2025 at 12:34 PM
Pay attention -- what he means is allowing Democrats to win a free and fair election.
Reposted by Karen Olstad
The White House is asking people not to share pictures of the East Wing because it’s even worse today.
October 21, 2025 at 10:54 PM
The White House is asking people not to share pictures of the East Wing because it’s even worse today.
Reposted by Karen Olstad
if you want to cheer for a team that has never even made the World Series and represents one of the funnest cities on earth, may I humbly suggest the Seattle Mariners:
October 10, 2025 at 3:43 PM
if you want to cheer for a team that has never even made the World Series and represents one of the funnest cities on earth, may I humbly suggest the Seattle Mariners:
🤯 I must be dreaming! But also old enough to remember 2001 and take it all one game at a time. Go Ms! 🧜
September 24, 2025 at 12:01 AM
🤯 I must be dreaming! But also old enough to remember 2001 and take it all one game at a time. Go Ms! 🧜
Reposted by Karen Olstad
Once again, I'm struck by the fact that the one thing all these shooters have in common is, uh, the guns?
September 12, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Once again, I'm struck by the fact that the one thing all these shooters have in common is, uh, the guns?
Reposted by Karen Olstad
new: inside the $100 million race to rescue PBS and NPR stations (🎁🔗)
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/19/b...
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/19/b...
The Race to Rescue PBS and NPR Stations
www.nytimes.com
August 19, 2025 at 9:08 AM
new: inside the $100 million race to rescue PBS and NPR stations (🎁🔗)
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/19/b...
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/19/b...
Reposted by Karen Olstad
We don’t have a president
We have an Extortionist-in-Chief
We have an Extortionist-in-Chief
August 15, 2025 at 6:45 PM
We don’t have a president
We have an Extortionist-in-Chief
We have an Extortionist-in-Chief
Reposted by Karen Olstad
Beautiful scenes in Anchorage, Alaska.
August 15, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Beautiful scenes in Anchorage, Alaska.
Reposted by Karen Olstad
evergreen reminder that if people want to donate to help keep PP clinics open, they should give to their *local affiliate* rather than the national org
If people want to donate to keep clinics from shuttering, they can Google which affiliate their closest clinic is a member of. There is also a list of the affiliates at the bottom of this page:
www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/con...
www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/con...
Meanwhile, a fundraising campaign pegged to this bill which could close up to 200 health centers is raising money not for said health centers, but for PP’s 501(c)(4) Action Fund
July 28, 2025 at 8:45 PM
evergreen reminder that if people want to donate to help keep PP clinics open, they should give to their *local affiliate* rather than the national org
Great news!
BREAKING: A judge has blocked the Trump administration's efforts to defund Planned Parenthood and ordered that it keep getting Medicaid funds.
Judge blocks Trump administration's efforts to defund Planned Parenthood
A federal judge says Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide must continue to be reimbursed for Medicaid funding.
bit.ly
July 28, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Great news!