DonnaS

Concerned about the plight of older adults. We’ll be one if we’re lucky. Opinions stated are my own! Retweets or likes are not necessarily an endorsement.

[John Jackson @hissgoescobra]

I want to give you guys some facts about General Chappie James. He wasn’t a “DEI” hire—he was a complete badass that had to overcome MORE than any white pilot. Did 178 combat missions—that’s like 7 bomber tours on a B-17 in WWII.

His medal count? Impeccable. 3 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 14 Air Medals, Two Legions of Merit, and a Defense Distinguished Service Medal. One of the original Tuskegee Airmen, the first four-star African American General.

Hegseth couldn’t sniff the level of soldiering and warrior that was in Chappie’s DNA. God bless him. And Hegseth took down his picture from a hallway like a racist little child, which is what he is.

[Capital Weather @capitalweather]

Good evening! For those who saw our big launch announcement today, feel free to keep scrolling right along :)

However, we know there are many of you who may just now be getting caught up on social media after a long day.

So, in case you missed it, as of today Capital Weather is independent again after 18 years with The Washington Post. We officially launched our new website at https://t.co/r3dKxepf5m, and our new mobile app on iOS and Android!

We are committed to providing free access to essential 24/7 weather coverage for the DC region. Your support will makes this possible.

Learn about ways to support our work at:
https://t.co/jh1PQK6W7Q

[University of Maryland Global Campus @umdglobalcampus]

UMGC is seeking a strategic and innovative leader to serve as Vice President of Financial Aid.

This executive role will help shape the future of learner support by leading financial aid strategy, ensuring regulatory compliance, advancing data-informed decision-making, and leveraging emerging technologies—including AI—to enhance the student experience.

If you're passionate about expanding access to education and leading high-performing teams in a dynamic, mission-driven environment, we encourage you to explore this opportunity.

Learn more and apply: https://t.co/0NguPBEecN

#HigherEdJobs #FinancialAid #HigherEducationLeadership #UMGCjobs

[SKI @skiistiredasf]

Meet Alena Analeigh McQuarter, a 17-year-old phenomenon and unstoppable young queen rewriting history in STEM and medicine! 👏🏽
At just 13 years old, she made history as the youngest Black student ever accepted into a U.S. medical school (University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine).
Now at 17, this powerhouse has already achieved what most only dream of:
• Graduated high school at 12
• Earned her Bachelor’s in Biomedical Sciences and Master’s in Biological Sciences (both Summa Cum Laude) from Arizona State University by age 15
• Became the youngest person of color to intern at NASA (at just 12)
• Founded The Brown STEM Girl and The Brown STEM Girl Foundation — creating scholarships, mentorship programs, and global opportunities for girls of color in STEM
• Conducting advanced research in cancer immunology, virology, and global health
• Pursuing her PhD in Integrated Biomedical Sciences (focus on infection, immunity & inflammation) at Loma Linda University while on the path to her MD/PhD
• Initiated into Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. as one of the youngest members
From Texas to NASA to the frontiers of medicine — Alena’s journey is a powerful testament to discipline, brilliance, and purpose. She’s not just breaking barriers… she’s building bridges for every young Black girl behind her.
Her story is a powerful one. Keep shining, Queen! 👏🏽

[Eric Alper 🎧 @ThatEricAlper]

That last line....

[The Husky @Mr_Husky1]

A 12-year-old girl walked into a deli in Staten Island, New York, clutching her report card. She was nervous. Not about the grade — she'd worked hard for that — but about whether anyone would notice.

Wail Alselwi noticed.

He looked at her score. Smiled. Then slid $100 across the counter.

"This is for you," he told her. "You earned it."

That exchange — grades in, reward out — has become a ritual at Wail's deli. Every grading period, kids from the neighborhood file through the door with their report cards in hand instead of a grocery list. Students scoring above 90% walk out with $100, a T-shirt, and their pick of items from the store. Those in the 80–90% range leave with free snacks. And those who simply show improvement — who tried harder this semester than last — they don't leave empty-handed either.

No lecture. No conditions. Just a man behind a counter who believes that a good grade deserves the same celebration as a touchdown.

"I just want them to know someone sees what they're doing," Wail said. "School is hard. Life is hard. They deserve to feel that."
Word spread the way only real things do — not through ads or press releases, but through kids telling other kids, and parents showing up with tears in their eyes just to shake his hand. Online donations poured in. Strangers who had never set foot in Staten Island sent money to keep the program alive. To date, over $54,000 has been raised.

Every single dollar goes back to the kids.

Wail isn't trying to be famous. He's not running a charity campaign or building a brand. He runs a deli. He just decided, one day, that a report card was worth more than a transaction.

In a world full of noise, a quiet man in Staten Island is changing one grade at a time — and reminding us that sometimes, the most extraordinary people are the ones standing right behind the counter. 💚

[DonnaS @dlsatter]

@historyrock_ Who was 11?

[Andrew Weinstein @Weinsteinlaw]

Joe Biden literally wrote a memo telling staff that he’d be disappointed in them if they missed family milestones because of work.

[Maryland DNR @MarylandDNR]

⚠️ Invasive Species Alert

If you encounter this plant anywhere in Maryland, whether in the Chesapeake Bay or in a freshwater lake or pond, please report it to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Water chestnut (Trapa natans and Trapa bispinosa) is a highly invasive species capable of spreading rapidly. Its seeds are especially concerning: they are hard, sharp, and can remain viable in the sediment for over 10 years! This plant is native to parts of Eurasia and Africa.

Each year, Maryland’s Natural Resource Biologists and volunteers work to locate and remove Trapa sp. wherever sightings are reported. Infestations can vary widely from year to year. If you are interested in helping remove this invasive species, please contact Mark Lewandowski at [email protected]. Extra eyes and helping hands make a huge difference.

Together, we can slow its spread and protect Maryland’s waterways.

[DeLorean Labs @DeLoreanlabs]

@elonmusk We'd like to apply:

• Built a time machine
• Can hit 88mph with no issue
• Doors go up

[DonnaS @dlsatter]

@discoque92 Once we had cable with access to a cable guide, my father would take the TV Guide over to his brother’s home every week so they’d have one of these upstairs and one downstairs.

[Michelle Obama @MichelleObama]

There isn’t a moment that goes by that my mom’s words and example aren’t guiding me. I will always carry the values that she gave me, which I’ve done my best to pass on to my daughters, too.

Happy Mother’s Day. ❤️

[DonnaS @dlsatter]

@wynrosei Did the yellow pages include a seating map? 🤔

[DonnaS @dlsatter]

@wynrosei Yep, pretty sure I called for these.

[🎼🌺Music Love♥️ @ThoNg676733]

He was so awesome loved all his songs very talented in everyway one of the best singers , Drummer etc Ever

[Mike Netter @nettermike]

With deep sorrow, we say farewell to one of the final sentinels of the Tuskegee Airmen. George E. Hardy, who once danced across the skies of Europe in his Mustang has taken his final flight at the age of 100. Leaving behind a legacy forged in courage, resilience, and unwavering dignity.

It began in a quiet room in Philadelphia. A 16-year-old boy hunched over his homework as the radio crackled with the news of Pearl Harbor. In that instant, the world fractured, and George’s childhood evaporated. He didn't wait for history to call; he went to meet it.

Denied entry because of the color of his skin, he didn't retreat. He leaned into the wind. He joined the U.S. Army Air Forces, arriving at Tuskegee not just to learn the mechanics of flight, but to dismantle the mechanics of prejudice.

By 19, George was a "Red Tail," a guardian of the clouds. While the world below was segregated, the flak in the European theater was indifferent. He flew 21 combat missions over Nazi-occupied territory, a teenager in a cockpit proving that valor has no pedigree.

Most men would have seen enough of war. George was not most men.
- World War II: 21 combat missions in the P-51 Mustang.
- Korea: 45 combat missions, braving the dawn of the jet age.
- Vietnam: 70 combat missions, a veteran hand guiding a new generation.

For nearly thirty years, he wore the uniform of a country that didn't always love him back, yet he protected it with a devotion that shames the very idea of hate.

When he finally climbed out of the cockpit, he didn't stop serving. As a Lieutenant Colonel, he helped architect the military’s first global communication systems. He spent his sunset years ensuring that those who followed him would never be out of reach, never be truly alone in the dark.

"He rose above the clouds so we could finally see the light."

Today, we don't just salute a pilot. We salute a man who endured the sting of Jim Crow to earn the silver wings of a hero. He was the quiet defiance in the face of "no," the steady hand in the cockpit, and the humble heart in the room.

The "Red Tails" are thinning now, their formation heading into the eternal sunset. But as George E. Hardy crosses the ultimate horizon, he leaves behind a legacy etched not in ink, but in the very air we breathe.

Rest well, Colonel. The watch is ours. The sky is yours.