Judy Webb

The Unmaking of the American University For decades, research universities have relied on federal funding, with no guarantee that it will last. Now their survival may depend on compliance with the government.

"Conservatives are likely never going to be able to create universities they approve of that are anywhere near the level of the universities some of them would like to destroy."

Via Nick Lemann / @newyorker.com

www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...

The Aurora Tree apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap26030...
The unusual Earth-sky collaboration was witnessed in March of 2017 in Iceland.

World marks 150 years since first-ever phone call That the phone call has survived myriad technological upheavals shows “how profoundly it changed society,” the CTO of AT&T told Semafor.

World marks 150 years since first-ever phone call

Trump won't spare a cent for the 15 million Americans who will lose their health care, but he'll spend a billion dollars a day bombing Iran.

This civilisation is so toxic that it panics at the thought of the living hell shown in this image being shut down

Badenoch denies calling for UK to join US-Israeli war on Iran Conservative leader accused of taking confusing position after she said Starmer should ‘do more than catch arrows’

At the most basic level of 'have some self-respect', Conservative MPs should not put forward someone who visibly is not intellectually equipped to be prime minister as their candidate to be prime minister.

A colourful graphic with a photo of children’s feet wearing fun and colourful shoes. The text reads: Happy Shoesday; 19 May; Raising money for schools and streets.

Walk and wheel to school with a smile on #HappyShoesday 🧡 .
Join us on Tuesday 19 May!

Wear the shoes that make you feel your happiest and help raise funds for your school and Living Streets.

Find out more 👉 https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/happyshoesday

Meatballs with Orzo Orzo pasta is a non-negotiable staple in my kitchen. Simply dressed in butter and salt, and maybe a dusting of nutmeg or grated Parmesan, or indeed both, it often serves at my table as a substitute fo...

I regard all food as comfort food, but #RecipeOfTheDay would score high by any metric: it’s Meatballs with Orzo! I even find the mindless repetitive action of rolling the little meatballs calming, though you may, of course, choose to buy ready-rolled meatballs. www.nigella.com/recipes/meat...

It should. To my certain knowledge, puberty blockers were never licenced for treating gender dysphoria. Gender doctors have been prescribing them off label.

NHS England pauses new prescriptions of cross-sex hormones for under-18s The health service said young people who already receive the drugs will continue to do so.

No more damaging hormones for children
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

New poll shows most people prefer single-sex toilets and changing rooms A new UK-wide poll shows that the vast majority of adults prefer single-sex provision of toilets and changing rooms in workplaces, gyms and leisure

sex-matters.org/posts/update...

History isn't written by the victors. Typically they can't write. It's written by the victors' lick-spittles.

These two stories are not unconnected

which unnamed countries have done these things, guess we'll never know

Trump: “Now we have low cost interceptors effectively combating Iranian drones.”

Oh, do you? Interesting where those came from.

BuT diD YoU sAy ThAnK yOu?

Ukraine will receive 35 Patriot missiles in the coming weeks.

The package was put together by several European countries and coordinated by Germany.

Thanksies 🥹

We shouldn't rule out the possibility that the Andrea Jenkyns has had a labotomy.

The stat the govt quoted was a 470% increase in asylum claims, which sounds a lot, but not if the numbers were tiny in the first place.

Have no words.

Heartbreaking. Like this too...

𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝗥𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗞𝗢, Untitled (Lilac and Orange over Ivory), 1953
Oil on canvas
Toledo Museum of Art
Overall: 117 1/2 x 91 1/2 in. (298.5 × 232.4 cm)
© 1998 by Kate Rothko Prizel and Christopher Rothko/ Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
☼𝙻𝚒𝚗𝚔𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚋𝚒𝚘

𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝗥𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗞𝗢, No. 5/No. 22, 1950
(dated on reverse 1949), Oil on canvas, 9' 9" x 8' 11 1/8" (297 × 272 cm) @themuseumofmodernart
© 1998 by Kate Rothko Prizel and Christopher Rothko/ Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
☼𝙻𝚒𝚗𝚔𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚋𝚒𝚘

Government Defeat in the House of Lords

🧵 The government was defeated in the House of Lords once yesterday, 9 March 2026.

The government was defeated 200 to 162 votes on amendment 371A to the Crime and Policing Bill at report stage.

👉 votes.parliament.uk/votes/lords/...

Ukraine advises US, Gulf on downing Iranian drones The Patriot missiles used to shoot down Iranian strikes are akin to “using a bazooka to kill a fly,” The New York Times wrote.

Ukraine advises US, Gulf on downing Iranian drones

We're gonna need a bigger Y-axis!

The more you know ...

The Earth has gained the equivalent of about 5.7 *billion* Hiroshima bombs worth of planetary heating since January, 2000.

About 89% of that heat went into heating the oceans. The rest to melt ice and snow, heat land and heat the atmosphere.

First confirmed cases of bird flu in California elephant seals stoke fear as virus surges worldwide - Santa Barbara News-Press After a catastrophic outbreak of bird flu devastated southern elephant seal populations in 2023, scientists are on high alert.

Your 'moment of doom' for Mar. 9, 2026 ~ Local!

"Compounding the problem, climate change is creating more opportunities for bird flu to spread across species — including humans — as unpredictable weather and warming winters impact avian behavior."

www.newspress.com/2026/03/09/b...

Episode 753 Climate Hope, Doom, Duty YouTube video by ToSaveTheWorld

Here is the YouTube version of my recent appearance on "Project Save the World."

I would greatly appreciate your adding your comments to the YouTube video and let me/them know your reaction to what was said.

Thanks!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9l2...

The Plague book by Albert Camus Buy a cheap copy of The Plague book by Albert Camus. We can finally read the work as Camus meant it to be read. Laura Marris's new translation of The Plague is, quite simply, the translation we need t...

Your 'doom quote' for today:

"Everybody knows that pestilences have a way of recurring in the world; yet somehow we find it hard to believe in ones that crash down on our heads from a blue sky."

www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-plague...