Sid Olufs
@sidster7.bsky.social
Professor Emeritus (Latin for not no more) of politics at Pacific Lutheran. 39 years there, 4 at U of Montana before that. Teaching tai chi these days, including sword and cane. Appreciative of the many smart and caring people on BlueSky.
The arms race continues. What’s unusual here is the very public display of the visit, clearly meant to complicate Chinese plans. Just in case they don’t have good spies there, we put it on C-Span.
www.twz.com/land/new-dar...
www.twz.com/land/new-dar...
New Dark Eagle Hypersonic Weapon Details Emerge
Hegseth's visit to Redstone Arsenal provided new disclosures on Dark Eagle's range and its small warhead.
www.twz.com
December 15, 2025 at 3:45 PM
The arms race continues. What’s unusual here is the very public display of the visit, clearly meant to complicate Chinese plans. Just in case they don’t have good spies there, we put it on C-Span.
www.twz.com/land/new-dar...
www.twz.com/land/new-dar...
not a shrill critic, at least, about this.
December 14, 2025 at 11:24 PM
not a shrill critic, at least, about this.
A look at what will happen if the ACA subsidies are not renewed. The Reps have finally come up with a health care plan: If you lose a leg we’ll help you look for it.
www.kff.org/affordable-c...
www.kff.org/affordable-c...
ACA Marketplace Premium Payments Would More than Double on Average Next Year if Enhanced Premium Tax Credits Expire | KFF
KFF estimates that, if Congress allows the enhanced premium tax credits to expire at the end of this year, ACA Marketplace enrollees on average would see their premium payments more than double next y...
www.kff.org
December 14, 2025 at 7:53 PM
A look at what will happen if the ACA subsidies are not renewed. The Reps have finally come up with a health care plan: If you lose a leg we’ll help you look for it.
www.kff.org/affordable-c...
www.kff.org/affordable-c...
Reposted by Sid Olufs
The anti-Semitic mass shooting in Australia will cause a national conversation and policy change. We know this because the 1996 Port Arthur massacre led to significant restrictions on guns.
The shooting at Brown will do nothing. We know this because it occurred on the anniversary of Sandy Hook.
The shooting at Brown will do nothing. We know this because it occurred on the anniversary of Sandy Hook.
‘I heard 40, 50 shots’: Witnesses fled Bondi Beach as gunmen targeted Jewish event
‘I heard 40, 50 shots’: Witnesses fled Bondi Beach as gunmen targeted Jewish event
Gunshots ripped through a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, killing at least 12 people
www.irishtimes.com
December 14, 2025 at 1:48 PM
The anti-Semitic mass shooting in Australia will cause a national conversation and policy change. We know this because the 1996 Port Arthur massacre led to significant restrictions on guns.
The shooting at Brown will do nothing. We know this because it occurred on the anniversary of Sandy Hook.
The shooting at Brown will do nothing. We know this because it occurred on the anniversary of Sandy Hook.
You like agriculture? You like numbers? The new FAO yearbook is out,
www.foodpolitics.com/2025/12/week...
www.foodpolitics.com/2025/12/week...
Weekend browsing: FAO's Statistical Yearbook - Food Politics by Marion Nestle
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has released its Statistical Yearbook 2025.
www.foodpolitics.com
December 14, 2025 at 2:50 AM
You like agriculture? You like numbers? The new FAO yearbook is out,
www.foodpolitics.com/2025/12/week...
www.foodpolitics.com/2025/12/week...
how we sit in the world
www.commondreams.org/opinion/trum...
www.commondreams.org/opinion/trum...
Trump’s Empire of Hubris and Thuggery | Common Dreams
The president's latest National Security Strategy memorandum treats the freedom to coerce others as the essence of US sovereignty. It is an ominous document that will—if allowed to stand—come back to ...
www.commondreams.org
December 14, 2025 at 1:38 AM
how we sit in the world
www.commondreams.org/opinion/trum...
www.commondreams.org/opinion/trum...
It is kinda funny when the govt in Moscow says something is illegal or unfair.
www.nakedcapitalism.com/2025/12/russ...
www.nakedcapitalism.com/2025/12/russ...
Russian Central Bank Sues Euroclear Over Frozen Assets; Will the EU Be Hoist on the Investor-State Settlement Disputes (ISDS) Petard? | naked capitalism
Hoo boy. Russia looks to be using much demonized (by labor and environmental rights advocates) ISDS provisions to pursue Euroclear.
www.nakedcapitalism.com
December 14, 2025 at 1:09 AM
It is kinda funny when the govt in Moscow says something is illegal or unfair.
www.nakedcapitalism.com/2025/12/russ...
www.nakedcapitalism.com/2025/12/russ...
Do all members of Congress benefit from insider trading? No. Do the 20 or so members in leadership positions benefit from insider trading? YES
“Our study uses transaction-level data on every US congressional stock trade from 1995 to 2021.”
cepr.org/voxeu/column...
“Our study uses transaction-level data on every US congressional stock trade from 1995 to 2021.”
cepr.org/voxeu/column...
Political power and profitable trades in the US Congress
The debate over whether US members of Congress should be allowed to trade individual stocks has become a mainstream policy concern. This column uses data on every US congressional stock trade from 1995 to 2021 to reveal that while rank-and-file members do not systematically beat the market, once some of them assume leadership positions their portfolios start to look very different and outperform those of regular members. The pattern raises uncomfortable questions about how political power, corporate access, and personal wealth interact.
cepr.org
December 14, 2025 at 12:57 AM
Do all members of Congress benefit from insider trading? No. Do the 20 or so members in leadership positions benefit from insider trading? YES
“Our study uses transaction-level data on every US congressional stock trade from 1995 to 2021.”
cepr.org/voxeu/column...
“Our study uses transaction-level data on every US congressional stock trade from 1995 to 2021.”
cepr.org/voxeu/column...
That inebriated raccoon was on a bigger crime spree than earlier reported.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
‘He’s living his best life’: drunk raccoon hit DMV for snacks before liquor store
Officials say raccoon that broke into Virginia liquor store on 29 November had previously hit DMV and karate studio
www.theguardian.com
December 13, 2025 at 5:00 PM
That inebriated raccoon was on a bigger crime spree than earlier reported.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Reposted by Sid Olufs
This is something we need to reckon with when we reconstruct the government after we put the architects and executors of its destruction in prison.
Just no reason to have more than 2-3 layers of politicals. Below the deputy / undersecretary level you need deep substantive knowledge to do the job.
Just no reason to have more than 2-3 layers of politicals. Below the deputy / undersecretary level you need deep substantive knowledge to do the job.
The US has always been an outlier in terms of how much authority is given to political appointees instead of career professional civil servants.
In a way, what is surprising is how rare this kind of ignorance (re: the Social Security Administration & its child survivor benefit) is.
In a way, what is surprising is how rare this kind of ignorance (re: the Social Security Administration & its child survivor benefit) is.
Political appointees have a responsibility to learn the details of the programs they are trying to change. The ignorance here is shocking.
December 12, 2025 at 8:02 PM
This is something we need to reckon with when we reconstruct the government after we put the architects and executors of its destruction in prison.
Just no reason to have more than 2-3 layers of politicals. Below the deputy / undersecretary level you need deep substantive knowledge to do the job.
Just no reason to have more than 2-3 layers of politicals. Below the deputy / undersecretary level you need deep substantive knowledge to do the job.
Interview with Dr. Fiona Havers on what’s going on at the CDC.
www.democracynow.org/2025/12/12/r...
www.democracynow.org/2025/12/12/r...
From COVID to Hepatitis to Measles, RFK Jr. Is Gutting Vaccine Science: An Ex-CDC Expert Speaks Out
As Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dramatically reshapes U.S. immunization policy, we speak with Dr. Fiona Havers, a former top vaccine expert at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ...
www.democracynow.org
December 12, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Interview with Dr. Fiona Havers on what’s going on at the CDC.
www.democracynow.org/2025/12/12/r...
www.democracynow.org/2025/12/12/r...
US export controls…. One more slice of how a chaotic and corrupt administration operates.
mileskellerman.substack.com/p/economic-s...
mileskellerman.substack.com/p/economic-s...
Economic Statecraft on Chaos Mode
Trump’s reversal on Nvidia chip sales to China exposes a deeper rot: U.S. export control policy is running on vibes and private interests.
mileskellerman.substack.com
December 12, 2025 at 6:17 PM
US export controls…. One more slice of how a chaotic and corrupt administration operates.
mileskellerman.substack.com/p/economic-s...
mileskellerman.substack.com/p/economic-s...
Reposted by Sid Olufs
At a minimum, Prasad and Makary should lose their licenses for blatantly lying to the public about kids dying from the COVID19 vaccine, when the actual investigation found that zero deaths were certain to have been caused by vaccination.
Despicable, egregious, murderous behavior.
Link below.
Despicable, egregious, murderous behavior.
Link below.
December 12, 2025 at 2:26 AM
At a minimum, Prasad and Makary should lose their licenses for blatantly lying to the public about kids dying from the COVID19 vaccine, when the actual investigation found that zero deaths were certain to have been caused by vaccination.
Despicable, egregious, murderous behavior.
Link below.
Despicable, egregious, murderous behavior.
Link below.
Good to have people like this around. Maybe more of us could be like this.
taskandpurpose.com/news/marine-...
taskandpurpose.com/news/marine-...
Marine jumps down onto New York City subway tracks to save man
Marine Sgt. Derrick McMillian, a recruiter based in New York City, risked his own life to save a man who had fallen onto subway tracks.
taskandpurpose.com
December 12, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Good to have people like this around. Maybe more of us could be like this.
taskandpurpose.com/news/marine-...
taskandpurpose.com/news/marine-...
Oh, boy, another piece of the Long Covid puzzle.
Immune system dysfunction can last more than 20 months, maybe for a lifetime. Stay tuned on that. Underlying practical takeaway:
Keep Your Vaccinations Up To Date!
And,
Support Science Research.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Immune system dysfunction can last more than 20 months, maybe for a lifetime. Stay tuned on that. Underlying practical takeaway:
Keep Your Vaccinations Up To Date!
And,
Support Science Research.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Persistent Attenuation of Lymphocyte Subsets After Mass SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Growing evidence suggests that lymphocyte subsets are declined in COVID-19 patients, but it is unclear if these alterations persist after widespread e…
www.sciencedirect.com
December 12, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Oh, boy, another piece of the Long Covid puzzle.
Immune system dysfunction can last more than 20 months, maybe for a lifetime. Stay tuned on that. Underlying practical takeaway:
Keep Your Vaccinations Up To Date!
And,
Support Science Research.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Immune system dysfunction can last more than 20 months, maybe for a lifetime. Stay tuned on that. Underlying practical takeaway:
Keep Your Vaccinations Up To Date!
And,
Support Science Research.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
An argument that Now is the time to end the war, that neither side can expect a better time. If only there was a big country that could muster the diplomatic skills to make that happen.
www.foreignaffairs.com/ukraine/time...
www.foreignaffairs.com/ukraine/time...
The Time to End the War in Ukraine Is Now
Trump can defy the skeptics and seal the deal.
www.foreignaffairs.com
December 11, 2025 at 3:52 PM
An argument that Now is the time to end the war, that neither side can expect a better time. If only there was a big country that could muster the diplomatic skills to make that happen.
www.foreignaffairs.com/ukraine/time...
www.foreignaffairs.com/ukraine/time...
“…small numbers of cases can be overinterpreted as evidence of large trends …. coding rules are difficult to design and apply consistently across ideologies, and that these choices can create a misleading sense of equivalence between different types of threats.”
www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-...
www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-...
The Difficulty of Coding Terrorism
Terrorism researchers must recognize ambiguities in inclusion, coding, and analysis as they use data to inform policy.
www.lawfaremedia.org
December 11, 2025 at 3:46 PM
“…small numbers of cases can be overinterpreted as evidence of large trends …. coding rules are difficult to design and apply consistently across ideologies, and that these choices can create a misleading sense of equivalence between different types of threats.”
www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-...
www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-...
It seems the sort-of-ceasefire agreement took hold because they really didn’t talk about the important issues. Less shooting and bombing is an improvement, but, the mess continues. The article focus is a bit different from the headline.
www.timesofisrael.com/hamas-source...
www.timesofisrael.com/hamas-source...
Hamas source to ToI: We’ll hold talks on disarming, but we can’t be forced to give up guns
In rare engagement with Israeli media, source in terror group argues weapons are used to 'liberate' Palestinians from Israeli rule, and therefore can't be ceded until statehood secured
www.timesofisrael.com
December 11, 2025 at 3:24 PM
It seems the sort-of-ceasefire agreement took hold because they really didn’t talk about the important issues. Less shooting and bombing is an improvement, but, the mess continues. The article focus is a bit different from the headline.
www.timesofisrael.com/hamas-source...
www.timesofisrael.com/hamas-source...
In 2000 there were no cases of measles in the USA.
Look where we are now.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Look where we are now.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
South Carolina officials report ‘accelerating’ measles outbreak
Thanksgiving travel and low vaccination rates have contributed to 27 new cases in state during past week
www.theguardian.com
December 11, 2025 at 3:03 PM
In 2000 there were no cases of measles in the USA.
Look where we are now.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Look where we are now.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Listen to no politician talking about trade deficits. Here is a brief piece on making sense of trade deficits.
paulkrugman.substack.com/p/a-note-on-...
paulkrugman.substack.com/p/a-note-on-...
A Note on Trade Deficits and Manufacturing
Some perspective on the eve of trade war
paulkrugman.substack.com
December 11, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Listen to no politician talking about trade deficits. Here is a brief piece on making sense of trade deficits.
paulkrugman.substack.com/p/a-note-on-...
paulkrugman.substack.com/p/a-note-on-...
One man’s Letter of Marque is another man’s piracy.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Venezuela decries ‘act of piracy’ after US forces seize oil tanker off country’s coast
Footage uploaded to X by US attorney general shows its forces landing on the tanker in major escalation of Trump’s pressure campaign
www.theguardian.com
December 11, 2025 at 4:04 AM
One man’s Letter of Marque is another man’s piracy.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Reposted by Sid Olufs
Another excellent video by outstanding scientists and healthcare workers about the damage being caused to public health by MAHA.
Several @defendpublichealth.bsky.social members make an appearance!
Several @defendpublichealth.bsky.social members make an appearance!
Experts Warn: Trump’s Vaccine Rewrite Risks Public Health
YouTube video by Save America Movement
youtube.com
December 10, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Another excellent video by outstanding scientists and healthcare workers about the damage being caused to public health by MAHA.
Several @defendpublichealth.bsky.social members make an appearance!
Several @defendpublichealth.bsky.social members make an appearance!