Emily Pothast
@emilypothast.bsky.social
draw a shape to watch the time and watch history unfold
Important piece of reporting by @sfstandard.com
Inside the extended courtship linking Jeffrey Epstein, Peter Thiel, and Israeli officials
A hacked trove of emails reveals the revolving door of political leaders, tech billionaires, and intelligence officers.
sfstandard.com
November 25, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Important piece of reporting by @sfstandard.com
Reposted by Emily Pothast
We just live in a john carpenter movie now.
October 19, 2025 at 10:18 PM
We just live in a john carpenter movie now.
Oldish news at this point, but I'm hono(u)red to have interviewed Natural Information Society for the 500th issue of @thewiremagazine.bsky.social
October 14, 2025 at 2:49 AM
Oldish news at this point, but I'm hono(u)red to have interviewed Natural Information Society for the 500th issue of @thewiremagazine.bsky.social
Please take the time to read about how these orders effectively criminalize all dissenting political speech and activity, allowing Trump to take the same actions he has taken against foreign terrorists against any citizen suspected of being opposed to fascism www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...
Trump’s Orders Targeting Antifascism Aim to Criminalize Opposition
Purporting to go after “domestic terrorism,” the president presents an imagined left-wing conspiracy and authorizes punishments for even tenuous connections to speech the administration doesn’t like.
www.brennancenter.org
October 10, 2025 at 1:37 AM
Please take the time to read about how these orders effectively criminalize all dissenting political speech and activity, allowing Trump to take the same actions he has taken against foreign terrorists against any citizen suspected of being opposed to fascism www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...
Reposted by Emily Pothast
ICE is sending people to a prison in Africa’s only absolute monarchy.
A copy of the arrangement with Eswatini that Mother Jones reviewed shows that the US has agreed to pay the monarchy $5.1 million to take in up to 160 ICE detainees.
A copy of the arrangement with Eswatini that Mother Jones reviewed shows that the US has agreed to pay the monarchy $5.1 million to take in up to 160 ICE detainees.
ICE is sending people to a prison in Africa’s only absolute monarchy
Inside the “legal black hole” in Eswatini, where Trump is sending detainees.
www.motherjones.com
October 9, 2025 at 6:00 PM
ICE is sending people to a prison in Africa’s only absolute monarchy.
A copy of the arrangement with Eswatini that Mother Jones reviewed shows that the US has agreed to pay the monarchy $5.1 million to take in up to 160 ICE detainees.
A copy of the arrangement with Eswatini that Mother Jones reviewed shows that the US has agreed to pay the monarchy $5.1 million to take in up to 160 ICE detainees.
KATU TV, a Sinclair-owned Portland station, has started broadcasting a livestream of the ICE building to let viewers decide if what is happening warrants a military presence.
I just turned on the livestream and this is what I saw.
katu.com/watch
I just turned on the livestream and this is what I saw.
katu.com/watch
October 9, 2025 at 5:27 PM
KATU TV, a Sinclair-owned Portland station, has started broadcasting a livestream of the ICE building to let viewers decide if what is happening warrants a military presence.
I just turned on the livestream and this is what I saw.
katu.com/watch
I just turned on the livestream and this is what I saw.
katu.com/watch
Reposted by Emily Pothast
Today's word is plenary authority.
plenary authority | Wex | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute share.google/E3GPEbFBmWNn...
plenary authority | Wex | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute share.google/E3GPEbFBmWNn...
October 7, 2025 at 11:32 PM
Today's word is plenary authority.
plenary authority | Wex | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute share.google/E3GPEbFBmWNn...
plenary authority | Wex | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute share.google/E3GPEbFBmWNn...
Reposted by Emily Pothast
as a girl with a PhD in natural language processing and machine learning it's actually offensive to me when you say "we don't know how LLMs work so they might be conscious"
I didn't spend 10 years in mines of academia to be told ignorance is morally equal knowledge.
We know exactly how LLMs work.
I didn't spend 10 years in mines of academia to be told ignorance is morally equal knowledge.
We know exactly how LLMs work.
October 4, 2025 at 10:23 PM
as a girl with a PhD in natural language processing and machine learning it's actually offensive to me when you say "we don't know how LLMs work so they might be conscious"
I didn't spend 10 years in mines of academia to be told ignorance is morally equal knowledge.
We know exactly how LLMs work.
I didn't spend 10 years in mines of academia to be told ignorance is morally equal knowledge.
We know exactly how LLMs work.
Reposted by Emily Pothast
Dr. Jane Goodall filmed an interview with Netflix in March 2025 that she understood would only be released after her death.
October 5, 2025 at 9:08 AM
Dr. Jane Goodall filmed an interview with Netflix in March 2025 that she understood would only be released after her death.
Reposted by Emily Pothast
really enjoying all the people trying to explain the bible to the pope today
October 2, 2025 at 12:29 AM
really enjoying all the people trying to explain the bible to the pope today
Reposted by Emily Pothast
Trump's NSPM-7 represses freedom of speech & association, investigating any organization with "anti-capitalism" or "anti-American" views. I ran a primary in 2003 against the Patriot Act & war in Iraq. NSPM-7 is a greater infringement on freedoms than the Patriot Act.
September 30, 2025 at 1:28 AM
Trump's NSPM-7 represses freedom of speech & association, investigating any organization with "anti-capitalism" or "anti-American" views. I ran a primary in 2003 against the Patriot Act & war in Iraq. NSPM-7 is a greater infringement on freedoms than the Patriot Act.
Reposted by Emily Pothast
I'm 30 minutes into watching Lost Boys for the first time, and there's no heterosexual explanation for every single moment of this so far. Every single person looks like someone in my friend group and my friend group is queer as hell.
September 30, 2025 at 2:00 AM
I'm 30 minutes into watching Lost Boys for the first time, and there's no heterosexual explanation for every single moment of this so far. Every single person looks like someone in my friend group and my friend group is queer as hell.
You guys I have a theory about where the political violence is actually originating. newrepublic.com/post/201016/...
GOP Official Calls for Democratic Congresswoman to Be Executed
As the nation talks about the rise of political violence, a Republican official blatantly called for Representative Pramila Jayapal to be hanged.
newrepublic.com
September 29, 2025 at 11:01 PM
You guys I have a theory about where the political violence is actually originating. newrepublic.com/post/201016/...
Reposted by Emily Pothast
The new directive NSPM-7 targeting "anti-Christian," "anti-American" and "anti-capitalist" speech as terrorism is being taken very seriously by top DC law firms — but Congress is silent.
www.kenklippenstein.com/p/trumps-nsp...
www.kenklippenstein.com/p/trumps-nsp...
Trump’s NSPM-7 Alarms Law Firms While Congress Is Silent
Domestic terror watchlist to double, sources say
www.kenklippenstein.com
September 29, 2025 at 6:56 PM
The new directive NSPM-7 targeting "anti-Christian," "anti-American" and "anti-capitalist" speech as terrorism is being taken very seriously by top DC law firms — but Congress is silent.
www.kenklippenstein.com/p/trumps-nsp...
www.kenklippenstein.com/p/trumps-nsp...
Here's what appears to be a good legal explainer regarding the new 'antifa' executive order and NSPM-7, and how they are likely to be used.
www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-...
www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-...
The Situation: The Nonsense and the Menace
Reading the president’s new orders on political violence and terrorism.
www.lawfaremedia.org
September 29, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Here's what appears to be a good legal explainer regarding the new 'antifa' executive order and NSPM-7, and how they are likely to be used.
www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-...
www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-...
I do understand how we got here and I did watch it happen incrementally but it's still pretty disorienting to go from "free speech is the cornerstone of our society" to "if you say you do not like fascism you will be hunted down as a terrorist" but I guess them's the breaks!
September 29, 2025 at 3:52 AM
I do understand how we got here and I did watch it happen incrementally but it's still pretty disorienting to go from "free speech is the cornerstone of our society" to "if you say you do not like fascism you will be hunted down as a terrorist" but I guess them's the breaks!
In other news from Portland...
Following new reporting, I'm launching a new line of investigation to determine the extent of JPMorgan's compliance failures, the role of top execs in the decision to keep Epstein as a client until 2013, and the degree to which the bank enabled Epstein’s sex trafficking.
NEWS: Continuing Epstein Investigation, Wyden Probes Major JPMorgan Chase Compliance Failures
September 28, 2025 at 8:36 PM
In other news from Portland...
According to the Portland police, federal cops are are currently attempting to 'instigate' confrontations with protesters outside the ICE building.
Federal cops ‘instigating’ confrontations with protesters outside ICE building, Portland police official says in court
Assistant Chief Craig Dobson said federal officers were “causing some of the ruckus” at the ongoing protests.
www.oregonlive.com
September 27, 2025 at 10:44 PM
According to the Portland police, federal cops are are currently attempting to 'instigate' confrontations with protesters outside the ICE building.
Is this going to be the pretense for literal AI-powered witch hunts?
We Paid Some Etsy Witches to Curse Charlie Kirk
If the far-right misogynist with a bad haircut wants to villainize independent women, Jezebel is more than happy to be the hag of his nightmares.
www.jezebel.com
September 10, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Is this going to be the pretense for literal AI-powered witch hunts?
This might be the single best thing that has been written to date about the technologies marketed as AI.
I considered writing a long carefully constructed argument laying out the harms and limitations of AI, but instead I wrote about being a hater. Only humans can be haters.
I Am An AI Hater
I am an AI hater. This is considered rude, but I do not care, because I am a hater.
anthonymoser.github.io
August 29, 2025 at 5:37 AM
This might be the single best thing that has been written to date about the technologies marketed as AI.
Reposted by Emily Pothast
There will be many casualties from UChicago ending ('pausing') PhD admissions in Humantities, but one which I am keenly aware of: this is close to a death sentence for teaching cuneiform in the United States (esp. Sumerian, Hittite, Elamite, Eblaite, Luwian) and it will affect the whole world.
“Chicago has long helped to keep alive tiny fields & esoteric areas of humanistic study... Without the univ’s support, & the continued training of grad students who can keep these bodies of kn going, entire spheres of human learning might eventually blink out.” www.theatlantic.com/culture/arch...
If the University of Chicago Won’t Defend the Humanities, Who Will?
Why it matters that the University of Chicago is pausing admissions to doctoral programs in literature, philosophy, the arts, and languages
www.theatlantic.com
August 27, 2025 at 2:02 PM
There will be many casualties from UChicago ending ('pausing') PhD admissions in Humantities, but one which I am keenly aware of: this is close to a death sentence for teaching cuneiform in the United States (esp. Sumerian, Hittite, Elamite, Eblaite, Luwian) and it will affect the whole world.
Reposted by Emily Pothast
Help fund it here: www.thewire.co.uk/subscriptions
the main thing that happened to music criticism in the last 25 years is it got defunded
August 26, 2025 at 6:36 AM
Help fund it here: www.thewire.co.uk/subscriptions
Reposted by Emily Pothast
love that marshall allen is entering a new far-out experimental phase at age 101. long jams inside dreamy/almost-dubby atmospheres on "the onniverse orki" with the ade ilu ensemble & the arkestra's dm hotep (pairing well with the recent ghost horizons collection) hightwo.bandcamp.com/album/the-om...
The Omniverse Oriki, by Marshall Allen
3 track album
hightwo.bandcamp.com
August 18, 2025 at 3:20 AM
love that marshall allen is entering a new far-out experimental phase at age 101. long jams inside dreamy/almost-dubby atmospheres on "the onniverse orki" with the ade ilu ensemble & the arkestra's dm hotep (pairing well with the recent ghost horizons collection) hightwo.bandcamp.com/album/the-om...
Grading student papers and I keep getting startled by the uncanny quality of "AI"-assisted prose.
The difference between a paragraph written by a human and a paragraph written by an LLM is like the difference between a photo of a human face and a photo of a latex Halloween mask of that face.
The difference between a paragraph written by a human and a paragraph written by an LLM is like the difference between a photo of a human face and a photo of a latex Halloween mask of that face.
August 12, 2025 at 12:39 AM
Grading student papers and I keep getting startled by the uncanny quality of "AI"-assisted prose.
The difference between a paragraph written by a human and a paragraph written by an LLM is like the difference between a photo of a human face and a photo of a latex Halloween mask of that face.
The difference between a paragraph written by a human and a paragraph written by an LLM is like the difference between a photo of a human face and a photo of a latex Halloween mask of that face.