Author: Harris L

Trump’s bad idea to bring coal back

He will use the law firms who caved into him to help him.

Breaking: the Trump admin has “temporarily” paused enforcement of a Biden-era silica rule that was aimed at combating the rising black lung crisis in Appalachia. Coal miners and their advocates have been fighting for *decades* to lower deadly silica dust exposure levels. http://www.msha.gov/notice-stake…

— Kim Kelly (@kimkelly.bsky.social) 2025-04-09T15:57:54.227Z

I’ve been documenting coal miners’ fight against black lung and attempts to push through these new regulations for the past several years. My @inthesetimesmag.bsky.social investigation into the crisis provides some background: inthesetimes.com/article/coal…

— Kim Kelly (@kimkelly.bsky.social) 2025-04-09T16:02:41.402Z

Trump Signs Orders Aimed at Reviving a Struggling Coal Industry … and you thought tariffs were dumb… http://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/08/c…

— Jen Rubin (@jenrubin.bsky.social) 2025-04-09T02:07:23.669Z

At his coal promotion event at the White House, Trump just said he will use the major law firms he bullied into providing $150 million+ in free legal services to fight state and local government regulations on coal pollution.

— Scott Waldman (@scottpwaldman.bsky.social) 2025-04-08T20:24:34.543Z

This is Scott – a CDC researcher working to help screen coal miners for black lung. His entire department was eliminated last week, leaving miners across the country at greater risk of sickness and death. I’m fighting back.

— Senator Mark Warner (@markwarner.bsky.social) 2025-04-08T22:35:11.546Z

President Trump signs executive orders to bolster the country’s declining coal industry, relaxing restrictions on coal mining, leasing and exports in what the White House said is an effort to meet the energy needs of artificial intelligence data centers.

— NBC News (@nbcnews.com) 2025-04-08T21:30:06Z

— Bob Cesca (@bobcesca.bsky.social) 2025-04-08T21:39:03.670Z

I grew up around coal miners. For 16 years I was related to many by marriage, including some suffering from black lung and others whose bodies were either broken or on their way to being broken. None of them wanted that life for their kids and those still in it all wanted out. He's a fucking idiot.

— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra.bsky.social) 2025-04-08T20:49:37.011Z

Media coverage of the demonstrations was inadequate

@sulliview.bsky.social writes that tamped down coverage of the nationwide demonstrations is a sign that the media "refs have been successfully worked," by a Trump administration that's painted a target on any outlet that doesn't toe the official line.margaretsullivan.substack.com/p/big-protes…

— Tim Karr (@timkarr.bsky.social) 2025-04-08T09:51:56.455Z

NYT changed this lackluster, wrongheaded dek…

— Emily Nussbaum (@emilynussbaum.bsky.social) 2025-04-05T21:23:57.894Z

Also, there was a lot of lead story reporting on the protests, from NPR to the Anchorage Daily News, but coverage appears to be quite uneven with less reporting in many of the major city dailies like LA Times, NY Times, Washington Post and Chicago Tribune. frontpages.freedomforum.org/gallery?regi…

— Omar Wasow (@owasow.bsky.social) 2025-04-07T05:47:52.028Z

newrepublic.com/article/1936…If you went to a Hands Off rally last Saturday, you know that you have to dig to find media coverage. Guess a huge number of people peacefully protesting 47’s actions and policies isn’t “sensational” enough. Thankfully, Rachel Maddow covers what is happening.

— Diane (@pricklypear23.bsky.social) 2025-04-08T16:36:18.955Z
https://bsky.app/profile/JessTheUnstill.infosec.exchange.ap.brid.gy/post/3lmcsd4dkm2m2

Articles and video on New Haven pizza

There are several famous pizza restaurants in New Haven. CT. This Washington Post article on Pepe’s reminded me of the film Pizza: A Love Story which is about several New Haven pizza places. I supported it on Kickstarter.

At Frank Pepe’s, a century of coal, clams and thin-crust pizza

The people have spoken. Congrats to Modern Apizza in New Haven for winning the Connecticut Pizza Capital Trail Contest!I'm so grateful to the State of Connecticut who organized this contest to showcase the amazing pizza Connecticut’s has! More here: bit.ly/4m6KxN4

— Rosa DeLauro (@delauro.house.gov) 2025-05-04T18:04:22.522Z

Life Expectancy is low in the US

Fifty years ago, life expectancy in the U.S. and wealthy European countries was relatively similar.That began to change around 1980. As European life expectancy steadily increased, the U.S. struggled to keep pace — and its life expectancy even began declining in 2014.

— NBC News (@nbcnews.com) 2025-04-03T23:15:05Z

'Richest Americans have lower life expectancy than EuropeansThe wealthiest Americans had a lower life expectancy than the wealthiest Europeans, and did not exceed that of the poorest in some European countries such as Germany, France, and the Netherlands.'english.elpais.com/science-tech…

— Willem van Schaik (@wvschaik.bsky.social) 2025-04-05T12:15:16.094Z

Who cares about life expectancy?! Healthy life expectancy is what matters. Roughly speaking in richer countries you are healthy for longer. Costa Rica punches above its weight while the US ranks as a pathetic 71st. Great chart by @rubenbmathisen.

— Simon Kuestenmacher (@simongerman600.bsky.social) 2025-04-05T22:27:01.460Z

Why Life Expectancy Is Lower in the American South: The Legacy of Slavery and Inequality

In this video, we explore how America's South, shaped by slavery, fundamentalist religion.

— The Intellectualist (@theintellectualist.bsky.social) 2025-04-05T17:00:00.697Z

The average life expectancy in the U.S. has increased by 10 years since 1960 due to vaccines, and better disease prevention, diagnosis, and management. This increased lifespan would quite obviously carry with it a higher rate of chronic disease diagnosis.But RFK Jr. thinks it’s seed oils.

— Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD (@elizabethjacobs.bsky.social) 2025-04-25T18:34:47.327Z

Vance lies about Social Security fraud

Vance is lying (again). Social Security has repeatedly debunked this. The actual claim is that 40 percent of direct deposit fraud occurred via calls to the agency. That is wholly different, and massively less, than 40 percent of calls being fraudulent.www.nytimes.com/2025/04/01/u…

— Don Moynihan (@donmoyn.bsky.social) 2025-04-03T13:51:02.991Z

Vance’s whopper on alleged Social Security fraud