Sam
@sspolzin.bsky.social
commuter rail // systems research // data science // here to post about food, cities, and running // Cambridge, MA
Pinned
Reposted by Sam
American auto industry: Consumers don’t want EVs so we’re going to keep making dirty, polluting gas vehicles.
Also American auto industry: if we drop the 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs, it will destroy our business and drive us to bankruptcy.
Also American auto industry: if we drop the 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs, it will destroy our business and drive us to bankruptcy.
January 13, 2026 at 11:37 AM
American auto industry: Consumers don’t want EVs so we’re going to keep making dirty, polluting gas vehicles.
Also American auto industry: if we drop the 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs, it will destroy our business and drive us to bankruptcy.
Also American auto industry: if we drop the 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs, it will destroy our business and drive us to bankruptcy.
the cambridge city manager oversees a billion dollar budget. it is completely reasonable to pay him $300k. and that’s probably underpaying him
Experts say politicians and public servants across the country are due for a raise. Today's Starting Point explains.
Quincy’s mayor wants to make more money — a lot more. But he’s pointing out a very real problem. - The Boston Globe
Voters might not like it, but experts say politicians across the country are due for a raise. It might even make government work better.
trib.al
January 13, 2026 at 2:25 PM
the cambridge city manager oversees a billion dollar budget. it is completely reasonable to pay him $300k. and that’s probably underpaying him
Reposted by Sam
Experts say politicians and public servants across the country are due for a raise. Today's Starting Point explains.
Quincy’s mayor wants to make more money — a lot more. But he’s pointing out a very real problem. - The Boston Globe
Voters might not like it, but experts say politicians across the country are due for a raise. It might even make government work better.
trib.al
January 13, 2026 at 2:05 PM
Experts say politicians and public servants across the country are due for a raise. Today's Starting Point explains.
Reposted by Sam
i know people want “abolish”, but this would be a massive improvement over the status quo and we can do this and then abolish them later
Reporter: Senator Chris Murphy has a 3-pronged proposal to try to rein in ICE. He wants DHS to obtain a warrant for interior arrests. He wants Border Patrol to stay at the border. And he says DHS officials must wear identification and stay unmasked during enforcement operations.
January 9, 2026 at 10:56 PM
i know people want “abolish”, but this would be a massive improvement over the status quo and we can do this and then abolish them later
the compromise position between "police should be able to kill whoever they want" and "police shouldn't kill anyone" is "police can kill some people" and that's clearly where democrats landed
"More than five years later, I still find the Democrats’ 2020 heel turn on policing to be one of the most despicable acts of political cowardice I have witnessed in my adult lifetime," writes @hamiltonnolan.bsky.social. www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/the-conseq...
The Consequences of Rejecting "Defund the Police"
Political cowardice is paid for in blood.
www.hamiltonnolan.com
January 9, 2026 at 3:23 PM
the compromise position between "police should be able to kill whoever they want" and "police shouldn't kill anyone" is "police can kill some people" and that's clearly where democrats landed
Reposted by Sam
NEW: At least four videos show what really happened when ICE shot a woman in Minneapolis on Wednesday.
DHS has established itself as an agency that cannot be trusted to live in or present reality.
Our latest:
DHS has established itself as an agency that cannot be trusted to live in or present reality.
Our latest:
DHS Is Lying To You About ICE Shooting a Woman
At least four videos show what really happened when ICE shot a woman in Minneapolis on Wednesday. DHS has established itself as an agency that cannot be trusted to live in or present reality.
www.404media.co
January 7, 2026 at 10:26 PM
NEW: At least four videos show what really happened when ICE shot a woman in Minneapolis on Wednesday.
DHS has established itself as an agency that cannot be trusted to live in or present reality.
Our latest:
DHS has established itself as an agency that cannot be trusted to live in or present reality.
Our latest:
Reposted by Sam
Solve the Cambridge affordable-housing and golf-course-parking crises in one easy step
January 7, 2026 at 9:38 PM
Solve the Cambridge affordable-housing and golf-course-parking crises in one easy step
Reposted by Sam
Tokyo is a city that makes the argument that architecture is irrelevant.
What matters more is urbanism:
The street network
The density
The freedom of uses
The clustering around rail
What matters more is urbanism:
The street network
The density
The freedom of uses
The clustering around rail
January 5, 2026 at 8:56 PM
Tokyo is a city that makes the argument that architecture is irrelevant.
What matters more is urbanism:
The street network
The density
The freedom of uses
The clustering around rail
What matters more is urbanism:
The street network
The density
The freedom of uses
The clustering around rail
Reposted by Sam
Massachusetts’ housing crisis didn’t just happen to us… we created it.
Half-century-old, exclusionary zoning policies still handcuff us today. There’s no single fix or overnight solution, but another year of delay and slow-walking reform is simply unacceptable & unsustainable.
Half-century-old, exclusionary zoning policies still handcuff us today. There’s no single fix or overnight solution, but another year of delay and slow-walking reform is simply unacceptable & unsustainable.
January 4, 2026 at 4:34 PM
Massachusetts’ housing crisis didn’t just happen to us… we created it.
Half-century-old, exclusionary zoning policies still handcuff us today. There’s no single fix or overnight solution, but another year of delay and slow-walking reform is simply unacceptable & unsustainable.
Half-century-old, exclusionary zoning policies still handcuff us today. There’s no single fix or overnight solution, but another year of delay and slow-walking reform is simply unacceptable & unsustainable.
Reposted by Sam
Are we supposed to call our reps and tell them we don’t like when the president engages in overt war crimes, or can we trust them to get there on their own?
January 3, 2026 at 1:46 PM
Are we supposed to call our reps and tell them we don’t like when the president engages in overt war crimes, or can we trust them to get there on their own?
Reposted by Sam
Boston has defeated Seattle. 🤘
December 30, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Boston has defeated Seattle. 🤘
Reposted by Sam
Transit's main competition is cars. If you raise fares from $2.50 to $3, you're still way more affordable than driving. But if you cut the bus from every 15 to every 20, you're screwed because cars have infinity frequency and 24 hr service span.
I hate that we’re having to think in these terms, but the evidence seems to be bearing out that steep fare hikes are less damaging to ridership than service cuts.
2025 was brutal for US transit. Agencies faced budget deficits, flat ridership, and open hostility from the White House.
I wrote a series of stories outlining ways to help transit endure.
Lesson #1: Whatever you do, don’t cut service. Riders will leave – permanently.
Here are a few others 🧵
I wrote a series of stories outlining ways to help transit endure.
Lesson #1: Whatever you do, don’t cut service. Riders will leave – permanently.
Here are a few others 🧵
December 27, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Transit's main competition is cars. If you raise fares from $2.50 to $3, you're still way more affordable than driving. But if you cut the bus from every 15 to every 20, you're screwed because cars have infinity frequency and 24 hr service span.
"A healthy neighborhood offers a diverse range of housing opportunities. It should have enough rental homes for households that need flexibility or cannot buy, and enough ownership opportunities for families seeking stability and a longer-term stake..."
www.bostonindicators.org/article-page...
www.bostonindicators.org/article-page...
The Problem of Rental Deserts in Greater Boston, by the Numbers
Rental deserts tend to be dominated by single-family homes and are less racially and economically diverse.
www.bostonindicators.org
December 19, 2025 at 7:52 PM
"A healthy neighborhood offers a diverse range of housing opportunities. It should have enough rental homes for households that need flexibility or cannot buy, and enough ownership opportunities for families seeking stability and a longer-term stake..."
www.bostonindicators.org/article-page...
www.bostonindicators.org/article-page...
just now finding out that Marco Rubio is not divorced??
Marco Rubio just straight up looks like a sad divorced man at a Motel 6.
December 17, 2025 at 12:37 PM
just now finding out that Marco Rubio is not divorced??
Reposted by Sam
There is no possible justification for limiting e-bikes to 15mph but not cars.
New York Has a New E-Bike Speed Limit—and No Way to Enforce It
New York Has a New E-Bike Speed Limit—and No Way to Enforce It
When the city announced a speed limit in June, haters rejoiced. But the plan had some holes.
www.wsj.com
August 9, 2025 at 3:46 PM
There is no possible justification for limiting e-bikes to 15mph but not cars.
Reposted by Sam
One of the biggest drivers of high housing costs is that a small, highly motivated group of incumbent homeowners block new housing in their neighborhoods and almost no one is organized to push back.
Young people bear the brunt of that imbalance.
Be a housing fan.
Young people bear the brunt of that imbalance.
Be a housing fan.
December 6, 2025 at 4:22 PM
One of the biggest drivers of high housing costs is that a small, highly motivated group of incumbent homeowners block new housing in their neighborhoods and almost no one is organized to push back.
Young people bear the brunt of that imbalance.
Be a housing fan.
Young people bear the brunt of that imbalance.
Be a housing fan.
Reposted by Sam
If you spend decades undermining a liberal arts education, you get college students who can't write a decent essay. But you also get adults who can't recognize a decent essay and sincerely think the issue is the beliefs and not that reading this is painful.
Turning Point at OU posted this girl's essay in full and man is it rough
November 30, 2025 at 10:29 PM
If you spend decades undermining a liberal arts education, you get college students who can't write a decent essay. But you also get adults who can't recognize a decent essay and sincerely think the issue is the beliefs and not that reading this is painful.
Reposted by Sam
No matter how hard people try to convince us having empathy is wrong,
it is right.
No matter how hard people try to convince us that diversity is a weakness,
it is a strength.
No matter how hard people try to convince us that love is limited,
it is unlimited.
it is right.
No matter how hard people try to convince us that diversity is a weakness,
it is a strength.
No matter how hard people try to convince us that love is limited,
it is unlimited.
November 4, 2025 at 2:55 AM
No matter how hard people try to convince us having empathy is wrong,
it is right.
No matter how hard people try to convince us that diversity is a weakness,
it is a strength.
No matter how hard people try to convince us that love is limited,
it is unlimited.
it is right.
No matter how hard people try to convince us that diversity is a weakness,
it is a strength.
No matter how hard people try to convince us that love is limited,
it is unlimited.
oh no a modern ballpark built with the fan experience in mind, the horror
October 30, 2025 at 11:28 AM
oh no a modern ballpark built with the fan experience in mind, the horror
Reposted by Sam
Some will tell you the city is falling apart or “being ruined”. Idk I think Cambrdige is pretty great.
October 28, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Some will tell you the city is falling apart or “being ruined”. Idk I think Cambrdige is pretty great.
Reposted by Sam
@ayannapressley.bsky.social is a nationwide progressive leader who's saying YES in her backyard to proven pro-housing champions! Congratulations Mayor Simmons, VM McGovern, @councillorsiddiqui.bsky.social, Ayesha Wilson, @votejivan.bsky.social, @burhanazeem.bsky.social: all 6 ABC-endorsed incumbents
October 28, 2025 at 4:15 PM
@ayannapressley.bsky.social is a nationwide progressive leader who's saying YES in her backyard to proven pro-housing champions! Congratulations Mayor Simmons, VM McGovern, @councillorsiddiqui.bsky.social, Ayesha Wilson, @votejivan.bsky.social, @burhanazeem.bsky.social: all 6 ABC-endorsed incumbents
Reposted by Sam
Congresswoman @ayannapressley has been a champion for housing justice, transportation and safer streets, and childcare.
I’m proud to have her endorsement!
I’m proud to have her endorsement!
October 28, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Congresswoman @ayannapressley has been a champion for housing justice, transportation and safer streets, and childcare.
I’m proud to have her endorsement!
I’m proud to have her endorsement!
Reposted by Sam
European Food Safety Authority publishes first-ever systematic review of studies on micro- and nanoplastics from food packaging. In 1700(!) studies, overwhelming majority too poorly conducted to be reliable--many can't ID microplastics accurately, lots didn't exclude background contamination, etc.
Literature review on micro‐ and nanoplastic release from food contact materials during their use
To search for evidence of micro- and nanoplastics (MNP) release during the uses of food contact materials (FCM), a structured literature review was carried out on studies published between 2015 and 2...
efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
October 27, 2025 at 2:13 PM
European Food Safety Authority publishes first-ever systematic review of studies on micro- and nanoplastics from food packaging. In 1700(!) studies, overwhelming majority too poorly conducted to be reliable--many can't ID microplastics accurately, lots didn't exclude background contamination, etc.