Kyle Van Essen 🏳️🌈
@kve.me
iOS Engineer & Mobile EM. Transit 🚇, running 🏃♂️, photos 📷. Design is how it works.
Reposted by Kyle Van Essen 🏳️🌈
They're holding up a major escalation in Iran and a crackdown on abortion until after the midterms to limit political damage.
To the extent that the last two years have been a right-wing smash-and-grab operation, the next two will be worse.
To the extent that the last two years have been a right-wing smash-and-grab operation, the next two will be worse.
SCOOP: White House officials, led by Susie Wiles, have told DOJ to delay any abortion-related action until after the midterms
Wiles suggested to Todd Blanche that an aggressive approach on abortion would be negative for the GOP in November
@washingtonsun.com
www.washingtonsun.com/campaigns/ab...
Wiles suggested to Todd Blanche that an aggressive approach on abortion would be negative for the GOP in November
@washingtonsun.com
www.washingtonsun.com/campaigns/ab...
White House Officials Told the DOJ to Delay Action on Abortion Ahead of the Midterms
Attorney General Todd Blanche has moved slowly in abortion pill litigation and department officials have told advocates to wait until after the election.
www.washingtonsun.com
October 2, 2026 at 1:20 PM
They're holding up a major escalation in Iran and a crackdown on abortion until after the midterms to limit political damage.
To the extent that the last two years have been a right-wing smash-and-grab operation, the next two will be worse.
To the extent that the last two years have been a right-wing smash-and-grab operation, the next two will be worse.
Reposted by Kyle Van Essen 🏳️🌈
was discussing this at dinner last night: one of the many problems with trying to make policy 'that the American public wants' is that the American public change their minds all the time and are frequently very very stupid.
"Voters have a regret or two, and we've seen this in poll after poll. The regret has grown since the beginning of Trump's presidency" -- Enten unpacks polling showing that Kamala Harris would easily beat Donald Trump if they were both on the ballot again next month
October 2, 2026 at 2:14 PM
was discussing this at dinner last night: one of the many problems with trying to make policy 'that the American public wants' is that the American public change their minds all the time and are frequently very very stupid.
Reposted by Kyle Van Essen 🏳️🌈
if Trump truly isn't planning to illegally stay in office past 2029, what explains the US government paying for these Trump campaign ads to run on TV? they're just wasting taxpayer dollars to soothe his ego?
September 25, 2026 at 4:25 PM
if Trump truly isn't planning to illegally stay in office past 2029, what explains the US government paying for these Trump campaign ads to run on TV? they're just wasting taxpayer dollars to soothe his ego?
Reposted by Kyle Van Essen 🏳️🌈
The death penalty is a moral abomination. State-sanctioned barbarism pushed by incompetent morons and sanctioned by the Supreme Court. Absolute ghoul shit. www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
October 1, 2026 at 2:20 AM
The death penalty is a moral abomination. State-sanctioned barbarism pushed by incompetent morons and sanctioned by the Supreme Court. Absolute ghoul shit. www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
Reposted by Kyle Van Essen 🏳️🌈
Has the House of Prime Rib changed one year after the death of its legendary owner?
Critic MacKenzie Chung Fegan sought out the answer for the Chronicle's first starred restaurant review in eight years.
Critic MacKenzie Chung Fegan sought out the answer for the Chronicle's first starred restaurant review in eight years.
October 1, 2026 at 1:55 PM
Has the House of Prime Rib changed one year after the death of its legendary owner?
Critic MacKenzie Chung Fegan sought out the answer for the Chronicle's first starred restaurant review in eight years.
Critic MacKenzie Chung Fegan sought out the answer for the Chronicle's first starred restaurant review in eight years.
Reposted by Kyle Van Essen 🏳️🌈
everyone lucked the hell out on the terror attack today where the co-pilot stabbed the pilot, passengers took down the attacker *and* there seem to have been two off-duty pilots who were able to land the plane safely. Could have been one of the worst attacks for a while otherwise.
September 30, 2026 at 7:24 PM
everyone lucked the hell out on the terror attack today where the co-pilot stabbed the pilot, passengers took down the attacker *and* there seem to have been two off-duty pilots who were able to land the plane safely. Could have been one of the worst attacks for a while otherwise.
Reposted by Kyle Van Essen 🏳️🌈
One important policy lesson from this story is how Facebook committed blatant tax fraud in 2013 (Zuckerberg's stock options as R&D) and still hasn't been forced to pay it and thus learned that tax fraud is an acceptable business practice and so is doing it again.
Four-byline alert:
“.. Meta claimed that $4.1 billion of stock options exercised by Mr. Zuckerberg counted as a research expense ..”
@nytimes.com #$META
www.nytimes.com/2026/09/30/t...
“.. Meta claimed that $4.1 billion of stock options exercised by Mr. Zuckerberg counted as a research expense ..”
@nytimes.com #$META
www.nytimes.com/2026/09/30/t...
September 30, 2026 at 6:23 PM
One important policy lesson from this story is how Facebook committed blatant tax fraud in 2013 (Zuckerberg's stock options as R&D) and still hasn't been forced to pay it and thus learned that tax fraud is an acceptable business practice and so is doing it again.
Reposted by Kyle Van Essen 🏳️🌈
The gist of the Jack Smith hearing was that Republicans will fabricate evidence to entrap opponents and they were upset that Jack Smith had the audacity to investigate Republicans in Congress for possibly abetting Trump's 1/6 insurrection, in other words for doing his job.
September 30, 2026 at 11:59 AM
The gist of the Jack Smith hearing was that Republicans will fabricate evidence to entrap opponents and they were upset that Jack Smith had the audacity to investigate Republicans in Congress for possibly abetting Trump's 1/6 insurrection, in other words for doing his job.
Reposted by Kyle Van Essen 🏳️🌈
I know America can build things quickly and efficiently because we do it for cars all the time.
The slow, arduous permitting and construction processes we have for public transit, bike infrastructure, green energy, and housing are a policy choice that we are free to stop making whenever we want.
The slow, arduous permitting and construction processes we have for public transit, bike infrastructure, green energy, and housing are a policy choice that we are free to stop making whenever we want.
This is true, but another example we cite in the book Gov. Josh Shapiro's response to the I-95 collapse in Philly. A fix was supposed to take months, but he declared an emergency, got all hands on deck and reopened it with a temp lanes after just 12 days.
Undoing something that shouldn't be there is rather straightforward. Putting in a crosswalk typically means building ADA ramps, ensuring it's a safe crossing location, putting up signs, lighting, etc.
June 5, 2025 at 6:41 PM
I know America can build things quickly and efficiently because we do it for cars all the time.
The slow, arduous permitting and construction processes we have for public transit, bike infrastructure, green energy, and housing are a policy choice that we are free to stop making whenever we want.
The slow, arduous permitting and construction processes we have for public transit, bike infrastructure, green energy, and housing are a policy choice that we are free to stop making whenever we want.
Reposted by Kyle Van Essen 🏳️🌈
the fact that SCOTUS is allowing Trump to do lawless shit 24/7 but some random judge in Staten Island can block the mayor and governor of New York from taxing decamillionaires’ second homes really reveals how utterly absurd our judicial system is
September 29, 2026 at 9:56 PM
the fact that SCOTUS is allowing Trump to do lawless shit 24/7 but some random judge in Staten Island can block the mayor and governor of New York from taxing decamillionaires’ second homes really reveals how utterly absurd our judicial system is
Reposted by Kyle Van Essen 🏳️🌈
funny to me that last year taylor lorenz was privately trying to suggest i was being funded by peter thiel after we got into an argument over her shitty takes, and now she’s literally running cover for him saying being evil is good. quite a journey she’s on.
September 29, 2026 at 10:22 PM
funny to me that last year taylor lorenz was privately trying to suggest i was being funded by peter thiel after we got into an argument over her shitty takes, and now she’s literally running cover for him saying being evil is good. quite a journey she’s on.
Reposted by Kyle Van Essen 🏳️🌈
Funniest part to me is Jack Smith using 110% of his lawyer brain. He avoids making the connection himself; he doesn't even say "Hawkeyes," he just says "Iowa."
He knows it's better to let everyone figure it out on their own. He also knows from Klobuchar's grin that she'll dunk it for him.
He knows it's better to let everyone figure it out on their own. He also knows from Klobuchar's grin that she'll dunk it for him.
🤡 Schmitt beclowns himself 🤡
Schmitt concocted an elaborate conspiracy theory that Smith traveled to Atl for a Hawks game and to collude with Fani Willis, & flashed his "evidence" before accusing Smith of perjury. There's just one problem -- his facts were totally wrong.
Here's the whole sequence:
Schmitt concocted an elaborate conspiracy theory that Smith traveled to Atl for a Hawks game and to collude with Fani Willis, & flashed his "evidence" before accusing Smith of perjury. There's just one problem -- his facts were totally wrong.
Here's the whole sequence:
September 29, 2026 at 6:29 PM
Funniest part to me is Jack Smith using 110% of his lawyer brain. He avoids making the connection himself; he doesn't even say "Hawkeyes," he just says "Iowa."
He knows it's better to let everyone figure it out on their own. He also knows from Klobuchar's grin that she'll dunk it for him.
He knows it's better to let everyone figure it out on their own. He also knows from Klobuchar's grin that she'll dunk it for him.
Reposted by Kyle Van Essen 🏳️🌈
Tech industry is laser focused on solving the problem of humans enjoying each other’s company bsky.app/profile/down...
When you have no concept of how people engage with music
September 30, 2026 at 12:22 PM
Tech industry is laser focused on solving the problem of humans enjoying each other’s company bsky.app/profile/down...
Reposted by Kyle Van Essen 🏳️🌈
please let Ken keep talking
Ken Paxton: The criticism has been that I let a child predator out after one day. Well guess what? They served 60 days.
September 28, 2026 at 8:01 PM
please let Ken keep talking
Reposted by Kyle Van Essen 🏳️🌈
this is the fridge of a person who doesn’t prepare a single meal
a bagged salad rotting in my produce drawer while i tend to my refrigerator bonsai
September 28, 2026 at 5:12 PM
this is the fridge of a person who doesn’t prepare a single meal
Reposted by Kyle Van Essen 🏳️🌈
yeah i am reasonably sure that i have a better chance of winning the democratic primary for president than rahm emmanuel
Whenever you see a pollster or consultant give a take like this, it’s always worth following the money. In this case, Emanuel has paid Anzalone’s firm nearly $300k (maybe more but that’s what I found so far).
A consultant class is devouring the Dem Party
www.elections.il.gov/CampaignDisc...
A consultant class is devouring the Dem Party
www.elections.il.gov/CampaignDisc...
September 28, 2026 at 6:41 PM
yeah i am reasonably sure that i have a better chance of winning the democratic primary for president than rahm emmanuel
Reposted by Kyle Van Essen 🏳️🌈
One day I hope to convince conservatives that we should enforce the rule of law, reduce the deficit, and not carelessly tear down the institutions prior generations built, but today is not that day.
September 27, 2026 at 6:44 PM
One day I hope to convince conservatives that we should enforce the rule of law, reduce the deficit, and not carelessly tear down the institutions prior generations built, but today is not that day.
Reposted by Kyle Van Essen 🏳️🌈
Total YIMBY rhetorical victory watch: San Francisco’s newest NIMBY group, “YesAND,” is pretending to be YIMBY so that people will take them seriously.
September 28, 2026 at 2:55 PM
Total YIMBY rhetorical victory watch: San Francisco’s newest NIMBY group, “YesAND,” is pretending to be YIMBY so that people will take them seriously.
Reposted by Kyle Van Essen 🏳️🌈
The Pope reminds me of a version of Catholicism I knew growing up as a young man attending anti-war and anti-death penalty protests, where I met elderly Catholics who shared their version of faith with me. I learned that Catholicism was about love and mercy for the weak, the condemned, and the poor.
Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass with an estimated 800,000 people in Paris on Saturday, after spending the morning with migrants, the poor, and adults newly entering the Catholic Church.
“For Christians,” he added, “the poor are not a sociological category, but the very ‘flesh’ of Christ.”
“For Christians,” he added, “the poor are not a sociological category, but the very ‘flesh’ of Christ.”
Drawing 800,000 in Paris, Pope Leo XIV Calls on the Church to “Make Room” for Migrants and the Poor
“No one is so poor as to have nothing to give.” Before Mass, the pope sat with migrants and told catechists to respect each person’s pace. Six altar servers with Down syndrome served his Mass.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
September 27, 2026 at 11:11 PM
The Pope reminds me of a version of Catholicism I knew growing up as a young man attending anti-war and anti-death penalty protests, where I met elderly Catholics who shared their version of faith with me. I learned that Catholicism was about love and mercy for the weak, the condemned, and the poor.
Reposted by Kyle Van Essen 🏳️🌈
Punxsutawney Jill is sticking her head out a little early this cycle.
September 27, 2026 at 10:02 PM
Punxsutawney Jill is sticking her head out a little early this cycle.
Reposted by Kyle Van Essen 🏳️🌈
one trillion liters of water is less than the dairy and beef industry uses in one day
September 27, 2026 at 4:08 AM
one trillion liters of water is less than the dairy and beef industry uses in one day
Reposted by Kyle Van Essen 🏳️🌈
it’s particularly on-brand that Scott Wiener is an active participant in SF Transit Month while Connie Chan is nowhere to be found (which is unsurprising given that she fought against the ballot measure that saved Caltrain during the pandemic)
September 27, 2026 at 4:55 AM
it’s particularly on-brand that Scott Wiener is an active participant in SF Transit Month while Connie Chan is nowhere to be found (which is unsurprising given that she fought against the ballot measure that saved Caltrain during the pandemic)
Reposted by Kyle Van Essen 🏳️🌈
Reposted by Kyle Van Essen 🏳️🌈
reading this, it does seem as if “rationalism” is an elaborate intellectual architecture designed primarily to support the idea that if you were born white, male and clever then you are the genetic elite and entitled to rule.
This is another great, approachable explainer on “the rationalist wackos who have managed to take over much of the AI industry, and who now have tons of money and political power.”
www.iankduncan.com/personal/202...
www.iankduncan.com/personal/202...
Sex, AI, and the Apocalypse - Ian Duncan
How a community devoted to thinking clearly incubated salvation stories, abusive experiments, race science, and an affection for autocracy, and why that history matters now that its alumni are asking ...
www.iankduncan.com
September 27, 2026 at 12:46 AM
reading this, it does seem as if “rationalism” is an elaborate intellectual architecture designed primarily to support the idea that if you were born white, male and clever then you are the genetic elite and entitled to rule.
Reposted by Kyle Van Essen 🏳️🌈
this is especially egregious because the housing project being debated will house hundreds of people
my rule of thumb is that if the NIMBYs can’t even match the capacity of a new apartment building, their protests should be summarily rejected
my rule of thumb is that if the NIMBYs can’t even match the capacity of a new apartment building, their protests should be summarily rejected
September 27, 2026 at 1:01 AM
this is especially egregious because the housing project being debated will house hundreds of people
my rule of thumb is that if the NIMBYs can’t even match the capacity of a new apartment building, their protests should be summarily rejected
my rule of thumb is that if the NIMBYs can’t even match the capacity of a new apartment building, their protests should be summarily rejected