Photo by Sebastian Pena Lambarri on Unsplash
They paused each time there was a plane overhead, continuing to tell their stories of abuse between flyovers. During a two hour news conference, 9 women who were sexually abused as children by Jeffrey Epstein and his enablers shared details of their awful experiences. These women, along with other survivors, continue to show incredible bravery, even as their stories are dismissed and buried. And lets not forget that not all of them survived what they endured. As they recounted how Epstein and his powerful friends abused them, Jess Michaels reminded everyone, “Justice and accountability are not favors from the powerful. They are obligations decades overdue."
All 212 Democrats and just four Republicans from the House of Representative have signed the discharge petition to compel the Justice Department to release all of the Epstein files. The cowardice of the remaining Republicans speaks volumes: they support predators. They do not believe women.
Every 74 seconds, someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted. Every nine minutes, that someone is a child (DOJ survey 2019-22). 98% of perpetrators are not punished. We wish that the lack of accountability was shocking, but impunity is par for the course, especially when it comes to people in power.
We stand with all survivors. We believe women.
And no, science is not immune. Sexual harassment and abuse (and misogyny, discrimination, assault, and bullying) are so rampant that there is a whole National Academies of Science report on the topic.
Accountability must start in our home institutions. Accountability must start with us.
take action
No Kings 10/18/25 - find a location near you
bookmark this
climate.us is the new home for data pulled down by the US government from climate.gov (which now redirects to a NOAA website which will be around for who knows how long).
weekly win
Judge says the Trump administration used antisemitism as a smokescreen in their illegal actions against Harvard
weekly wonder
Cells found in a hotspring at Yellowstone National Park breathe oxygen and sulfur (and yes, that’s a big deal).
check it out
ICE, you truly are the worst people. ICE agents kidnap firefighters actively fighting a fire.
Under RFK Jr., FDA approved new COVID vaccines but with very limited applications, removing access to millions of people.
West Coast Health Alliance is stepping in to deliver science-driven medical guidance since the CDC has been effectively dismantled by RFK Jr. And Colorado and Pennsylvania are taking steps to ensure access to vaccines in their states.
Most democratic governors signed a letter opposing Trump’s national guard deployment.
Notable exceptions: Josh Green (HI), Ned Lamont (CT), Katie Hobbs (AZ), and Tim Walz (MN).
more of this please
Secret team of web ninjas 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Democrats flip an Iowa state seat, breaking Republican supermajority in that state.
This is what allyship looks like: a billboard declaring love is love
No accountability? We are not waiting. We are the survivors, we will compile our own list. Epstein survivors speak out.
perennial reads
An open letter to our students: Universities do not deserve you.
Rachel Cohen’s latest post “Its as bad as you think. Lets get to work”
A letter to the trans teens thinking about giving up by Andy Izenson
book nook
Insistent: The Powerful Bond that Fueled a Global Fight for Inclusion by Joey Ramp-Adams
And a fun read, with lots of weird science: Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi
all ears
“The cuddly killer” from Search Engine podcast - about cats, birds, and what it takes to change your mind.
watch this!
Journey of Black Mathematicians (and support your local PBS station!)
…by the way
Bret Stephens is still a bedbug, just sayin’
Its “Jaws” 50th anniversary and the iconic film is screaming for a remake, where sharks are the victims, not villains.
🙃 Even a broken clock is right twice a day. Remember this when the worst people in the world are saying something that makes a little bit of sense.