@kristamharper
Professor of anthropology and public policy, interested in #energysky, #climatesky , #academicsky and #Urbanism+. Writes about #participatory and #qualitative research methods. I love #crochet and hate #cancer https://blogs.umass.edu/harper/
Things have gotten worse with Trump 2.0. I ran a series of focus groups in 2021-2024, and everyone was a bit awkward but kind and nice. This year, our focus groups are harder to facilitate because people’s manners have gone off he deep end.
“We can’t afford cancer research but $11 billion for one week of an absurd war is fine” is a hell of an argument
This administration is committing Watergate level crimes multiple times per week—and those are the ones we know about. It’s crazy to think about what else will come out after.
It’s absolutely essential these criminals are held responsible for their crimes. We must end elite impunity.
Thanks to all who expressed such affection for and interest in Amherst Books, now for sale.
For those of considering making an offer, I found the asking price: $400,000
Amherst Books (Amherst, MA) For Sale - New England Independent Booksellers Association
www.newenglandbooks....
Americans don't want to be funding crimes against humanity. Enough. This has to end now and Congress must act aggressively to force it.
Because Gael’s face is a work of art
amazing that this song made literally everyone feel great from for almost forty years and now it’s just a visceral sinking feeling. Who’d have thought?
They went hard into self checkout which totally kills my desire to go into a store. If I have to check myself out, why not just order online?
Never believe that budget cuts to social programs or education, or supporting the arts and science are about fiscal responsibility due to limited funds. They always find the money when they want to.
And this doesn't even include the cost of human lives, which is the real horror here.
At ~$1 billion/day, the US has spent as much on the war in Iran in ten days as the entire FY25 budget for the National Science Foundation ($10 billion).
Trump's FY26 budget request for the agency declined to $3.9 billion, due to a "realignment of resources in a constrained fiscal environment."
Agree, attractive is positive but not out of reach
Yes, but less than with ICE cars because EVs are so efficient. climate.mit.edu/ask-mit/are-...
The entire 2024 NSF budget was just over $9B. So…10 days of this “not war”
Cancer research was great while we had it. This sucks.
SHOULD THE U.S BLOT OUT THE SUN AND USHER IN AN AGE OF ETERNAL DARKNESS? - Gallup 2/20/26-3/5/26
NO - 41%
YES - 38%
UNSURE - 21%
So many war crimes
If you took $1 billion and gave it to the endowment of a different small college each day, they could each provide a free college education to several hundred students per year in perpetuity. Instead we are using that money to bomb schools and kill students in Iran, for no clearly stated purpose.
The National Science Foundation grants in my field from 2024, cut by DOGE, equaled the cost of 108 seconds of bombing Iran.
The war on Iran is causing gas and oil price explosions.
Our research shows: Fossil fuel prices are the most important prices for inflation and inequality. Energy price shocks are redistribution shocks. The poorer you are, the larger the share of income you spend on essentials.
I hope someone is keeping a list of stuff that needs to be revived when all this is over
Blowing things up, kidnapping and killing foreign leaders, is good because it's Doing. Considering the consequences of Doing would be Thinking, which is weak and woke
No to fascism.
No to forever war.
No to occupation and genocide.
No to antisemitism and Islamophobia.
Also, my public university has had a testing office for at least 20 years, so if Harvard “recently “ established the question is why they were so slow?
I don't care if Congress authorizes War on Iran. NO WAR ON IRAN. I want people to fucking reclaim their morality.
Incredible NYT economic reporting, Wyoming is the case study but it’s about the distortion created by giving away our country’s wealth to the billionaire (gift article): www.nytimes.com/2026/03/02/u...
unreal, considering, but this is my life
This War Will Destabilize The Entire Mideast Region And Set Off A Global Shockwave Of Anti-Americanism vs. No It Won’t
I can't fucking believe we're doing this again.
WASHINGTON, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine are monitoring the U.S. operation in Iran from President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, where Trump is currently located, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Jesus Christ they're running the war from Mar-a-Lago
www.reuters.com/world/us/top...
We seem to have collectively decided, gradually and mostly out of apathy, that presidents can launch flagrantly unconstitutional wars of choice without congressional approval and there just won’t be any consequences. Would be nice if this is where we start reversing the trend.
The imperial presidency was a mistake. It has led to destruction of clean air and water, mass death abroad, destruction of cancer research, and now illegal war.
We must re-empower Congress, the most democratic branch, and a strong civil service. We can. But that will require Supreme Court reform.