Damon Beres
@damonberes.com
Senior editor at The Atlantic, focused on tech //
SIGNAL: Damon.63
📨 dberes at the atlantic dot com
✴️ damonberes.com
SIGNAL: Damon.63
📨 dberes at the atlantic dot com
✴️ damonberes.com
Pinned
Sharing some exciting personal news: I’m writing a book! About digital technology and the human mind. I’m excited to tell a story that anchors the reader in reality, when so much feels slippery and weird (and overwhelming and scary and oh jeez people are doing WHAT with Grok now??)—wish me luck! ✍️
Oh good: "The phrase, 'kill line,' is used in gaming to mark the point where the condition of opposing players has so deteriorated that they can be killed by one shot. Now, it has become a persistent metaphor in Communist Party propaganda."
Why China Is Suddenly Obsessed With American Poverty
www.nytimes.com
January 13, 2026 at 3:17 PM
Oh good: "The phrase, 'kill line,' is used in gaming to mark the point where the condition of opposing players has so deteriorated that they can be killed by one shot. Now, it has become a persistent metaphor in Communist Party propaganda."
Reposted by Damon Beres
In DC during the federal surge, citizen parents started coordinating “walking buses” to take children of immigrants safely to and from school. The city-by-city targeting can feel isolating, but it’s also shown how people can share and develop techniques of resistance over time
People who aren't in Minnesota might not know that if you drive or walk past pretty much any school, there's going to be a group of people, parents and childless, standing guard to make sure the kids are safe from feds. It's pretty remarkable. And very disturbing. www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
Twin Cities students walk out, decry ICE as surge continues
Hundreds of Twin Cities high school students walked out of school Monday to protest federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota. Officials are increasingly concerned about high absenteeism in some sc...
www.mprnews.org
January 13, 2026 at 3:01 PM
In DC during the federal surge, citizen parents started coordinating “walking buses” to take children of immigrants safely to and from school. The city-by-city targeting can feel isolating, but it’s also shown how people can share and develop techniques of resistance over time
Time for
‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ Xofluza ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙
‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ Xofluza ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙
The Best Flu Drug Americans Aren’t Taking
This flu season has been rough. Antivirals can help.
www.theatlantic.com
January 13, 2026 at 2:10 PM
Time for
‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ Xofluza ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙
‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ Xofluza ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙
I guess it's really like whatever at this point but among other grammatical issues in in this DHS video: Lauren Bis, assistant deputy secretary, clearly says "themselfs" rather than "themselves" at 1:12, and this caption behind her head says "ASSULTS" instead of "ASSAULTS" x.com/DHSgov/statu...
January 12, 2026 at 10:59 PM
I guess it's really like whatever at this point but among other grammatical issues in in this DHS video: Lauren Bis, assistant deputy secretary, clearly says "themselfs" rather than "themselves" at 1:12, and this caption behind her head says "ASSULTS" instead of "ASSAULTS" x.com/DHSgov/statu...
Reposted by Damon Beres
New research presents the most compelling evidence yet that generative AI directly stores and reproduces material used to train it—a finding that could have massive legal consequences for the tech industry, Alex Reisner reports.
AI’s Memorization Crisis
Large language models don’t “learn”—they copy. And that could change everything for the tech industry.
bit.ly
January 12, 2026 at 7:45 AM
New research presents the most compelling evidence yet that generative AI directly stores and reproduces material used to train it—a finding that could have massive legal consequences for the tech industry, Alex Reisner reports.
icymi friday evening 👇🏻
Big new piece: @alexreisner.bsky.social presents the most compelling evidence yet that generative AI directly stores and reproduces training material—it does not "learn," not really. This could have substantial legal consequences for the tech industry.
AI’s Memorization Crisis
Large language models don’t “learn”—they copy. And that could change everything for the tech industry.
www.theatlantic.com
January 12, 2026 at 3:54 PM
icymi friday evening 👇🏻
"Lots of protein evangelists will tell you that this is how cavemen ate, and therefore it is good. I think the best part of being a caveman would be not worrying about protein."
America Has Entered Late-Stage Protein
This has gone too far.
www.theatlantic.com
January 12, 2026 at 3:37 PM
"Lots of protein evangelists will tell you that this is how cavemen ate, and therefore it is good. I think the best part of being a caveman would be not worrying about protein."
This playlist of calm music from the PC-98 era is how I'm trying to be this Sunday afternoon, researching and writing, bless
Calm PC-98 Retro Music – Soft Ambient & RPG-Style Tracks for Focus and Relaxation
YouTube video by Alammo
www.youtube.com
January 11, 2026 at 9:05 PM
This playlist of calm music from the PC-98 era is how I'm trying to be this Sunday afternoon, researching and writing, bless
There's a headline!
I Was Kidnapped by Idiots
An academic trip to Iraq unexpectedly turned into an immersive field study on the ways authoritarian regimes use brutality.
www.theatlantic.com
January 11, 2026 at 6:31 PM
There's a headline!
“Restoring Venezuela’s oil industry is completely unrealistic in the short term, and might not be in America’s economic and geopolitical interests at all.”
President Trump is stuck in the ‘80s
President Trump is stuck in the ‘80s
Big Oil Knows That Trump’s Venezuela Plans Are Delusional
The president’s thinking is stuck in the 1980s.
www.theatlantic.com
January 10, 2026 at 5:27 PM
“Restoring Venezuela’s oil industry is completely unrealistic in the short term, and might not be in America’s economic and geopolitical interests at all.”
President Trump is stuck in the ‘80s
President Trump is stuck in the ‘80s
Reposted by Damon Beres
Reposted by Damon Beres
Big new piece: @alexreisner.bsky.social presents the most compelling evidence yet that generative AI directly stores and reproduces training material—it does not "learn," not really. This could have substantial legal consequences for the tech industry.
AI’s Memorization Crisis
Large language models don’t “learn”—they copy. And that could change everything for the tech industry.
www.theatlantic.com
January 9, 2026 at 10:40 PM
Big new piece: @alexreisner.bsky.social presents the most compelling evidence yet that generative AI directly stores and reproduces training material—it does not "learn," not really. This could have substantial legal consequences for the tech industry.
Big new piece: @alexreisner.bsky.social presents the most compelling evidence yet that generative AI directly stores and reproduces training material—it does not "learn," not really. This could have substantial legal consequences for the tech industry.
AI’s Memorization Crisis
Large language models don’t “learn”—they copy. And that could change everything for the tech industry.
www.theatlantic.com
January 9, 2026 at 10:40 PM
Big new piece: @alexreisner.bsky.social presents the most compelling evidence yet that generative AI directly stores and reproduces training material—it does not "learn," not really. This could have substantial legal consequences for the tech industry.
"Sweetgreen was what you ate while listening to, if not the Hamilton soundtrack, then a self-improvement podcast at 1.5 speed, ripping through emails or shopping online before dutifully composting your beautifully designed, biodegradable bowl."
wrote about the fall of sweetgreen and the end of optimism ✌️https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/2026/01/sweetgreen-rise-fall-power-lunch/685545/?gift=4WBWMfKv39sQTWzHBHFACFIisJpxNrOJK1Kks9GPxAM&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share
The Rise and Fall of the Ultimate Millennial Power Lunch
Sweetgreen didn’t change. We did.
www.theatlantic.com
January 8, 2026 at 10:28 PM
"Sweetgreen was what you ate while listening to, if not the Hamilton soundtrack, then a self-improvement podcast at 1.5 speed, ripping through emails or shopping online before dutifully composting your beautifully designed, biodegradable bowl."
Reposted by Damon Beres
if you want a long read that involves udders, a hot air balloon, and some extremely dubious data on egg prices, the story I’ve been working on for the last few months where I tried to single-handedly take on every government function myself is now online! www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
I Tried to Be the Government. It Did Not Go Well.
My five-month quest to monitor the weather, track inflation, and inspect milk for harmful microorganisms
www.theatlantic.com
January 8, 2026 at 8:41 PM
if you want a long read that involves udders, a hot air balloon, and some extremely dubious data on egg prices, the story I’ve been working on for the last few months where I tried to single-handedly take on every government function myself is now online! www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
Also -- it seems like xAI is directly exploiting the rise in use to push people toward Grok's premium subscription tier. Here's a pop-up message I received when I entered a query into Grok earlier today.
January 8, 2026 at 4:14 PM
Also -- it seems like xAI is directly exploiting the rise in use to push people toward Grok's premium subscription tier. Here's a pop-up message I received when I entered a query into Grok earlier today.
Someone shared these photos with me out of context—they clearly appear to show a protester being shot by what I suppose is tear gas at extremely close range. Certainly they match the circumstances in Minneapolis yesterday, and carry the watermark of the photographer Chris Juhn, but you never know
January 8, 2026 at 3:49 PM
Someone shared these photos with me out of context—they clearly appear to show a protester being shot by what I suppose is tear gas at extremely close range. Certainly they match the circumstances in Minneapolis yesterday, and carry the watermark of the photographer Chris Juhn, but you never know
Great question
Does Congress Even Exist Anymore?
The fast fade of a co-equal branch of government
www.theatlantic.com
January 8, 2026 at 1:53 AM
Great question
“I can’t tell you the number of times a policy matter is discussed in the Oval and Trump will say, ‘Where’s Stephen? Tell him to get that done.’”
The Wrath of Stephen Miller
The man who turns President Trump’s most incendiary impulses into policy
www.theatlantic.com
January 7, 2026 at 4:07 PM
“I can’t tell you the number of times a policy matter is discussed in the Oval and Trump will say, ‘Where’s Stephen? Tell him to get that done.’”
"We live in hell" is a major cliche but
January 7, 2026 at 3:32 PM
"We live in hell" is a major cliche but
Reposted by Damon Beres
Worth emphasizing: Musk is laughing about this
![Musk, who also did not reply to my request for comment, does not appear concerned. As all of this was unfolding, he posted several jokes about the problem: requesting a Grok-generated image of himself in a bikini, for instance, and writing “🔥🔥🤣🤣” in response to Kim Jong Un receiving a similar treatment. “I couldn’t stop laughing about this one,” the world’s richest man posted this morning sharing an image of a toaster in a bikini. On X, in response to a user’s post calling out the ability to sexualize children with Grok, an xAI employee wrote that “the team is looking into further tightening our gaurdrails [sic].” As of publication, the bot continues to be generating sexualized images of nonconsenting adults and apparent minors on X.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:jxtnw3qiuq4wtx7sggjbbvi3/bafkreifbzly7pe56ig2cafscjvsg2iwnbmpazg2w66oq6igpiylzcmxlgq@jpeg)
January 2, 2026 at 11:10 PM
Worth emphasizing: Musk is laughing about this
Excellent piece
Gift link to my piece on January 6 last year with Charlie Warzel arguing that social media was most dangerous not because it changed minds but because it allowed people to discard and neutralize the compelling evidence in front of them www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...
The Internet Is Worse Than a Brainwashing Machine
A rationale is always just a scroll or a click away.
www.theatlantic.com
January 6, 2026 at 2:11 PM
Excellent piece
Sharing some exciting personal news: I’m writing a book! About digital technology and the human mind. I’m excited to tell a story that anchors the reader in reality, when so much feels slippery and weird (and overwhelming and scary and oh jeez people are doing WHAT with Grok now??)—wish me luck! ✍️
January 6, 2026 at 1:35 PM
Sharing some exciting personal news: I’m writing a book! About digital technology and the human mind. I’m excited to tell a story that anchors the reader in reality, when so much feels slippery and weird (and overwhelming and scary and oh jeez people are doing WHAT with Grok now??)—wish me luck! ✍️