Meera
@gruntleme.bsky.social
Late-model Gen X. Ecologist (especially fond of plants and insects), teacher, abolitionist. Transplant from Singapore to Duwamish land (Seattle). Not sure how much I will be here.
(She/her)
(She/her)
Reposted by Meera
Huh. Never heard of this Toxopneustes before (assuming it is correctly identified). From French Polynesia. Its gorgeous ! #echinoday www.inaturalist.org/observations...
Toxopneustes maculatus
Toxopneustes maculatus from Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia on June 3, 2025 at 11:18 AM by David R
www.inaturalist.org
November 25, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Huh. Never heard of this Toxopneustes before (assuming it is correctly identified). From French Polynesia. Its gorgeous ! #echinoday www.inaturalist.org/observations...
Reposted by Meera
So many things happening, I nearly missed the @newrepublic.com piece I was quoted in last week. It raises the possibility of continued political threats to SNAP, underscoring a point I make often: the best way to politically protect the safety net is to build the power of those who rely on it.
November 23, 2025 at 6:25 PM
So many things happening, I nearly missed the @newrepublic.com piece I was quoted in last week. It raises the possibility of continued political threats to SNAP, underscoring a point I make often: the best way to politically protect the safety net is to build the power of those who rely on it.
Reposted by Meera
Gov. Jeff Landry eliminated parole for prisoners arrested after Aug. 1, 2024, and tightened eligibility rules for those already in prison. Then he set all of that aside for one group: undocumented immigrants. Why? To have them deported.
By @richardawebster.bsky.social & Bobbi-Jeanne Misick
By @richardawebster.bsky.social & Bobbi-Jeanne Misick
Louisiana Made It Nearly Impossible to Get Parole. Now It’s Releasing Prisoners to Deport Them.
Gov. Jeff Landry eliminated parole for prisoners arrested after Aug. 1, 2024, and tightened eligibility rules for those already in prison. Then he set all of that aside for one group: undocumented imm...
www.propublica.org
November 24, 2025 at 12:57 PM
Gov. Jeff Landry eliminated parole for prisoners arrested after Aug. 1, 2024, and tightened eligibility rules for those already in prison. Then he set all of that aside for one group: undocumented immigrants. Why? To have them deported.
By @richardawebster.bsky.social & Bobbi-Jeanne Misick
By @richardawebster.bsky.social & Bobbi-Jeanne Misick
Reposted by Meera
I keep coming back to this
November 23, 2025 at 11:00 PM
I keep coming back to this
Reposted by Meera
www.cnbc.com/2025/11/23/h... "please, buy new phone. the economy is dying" is an incredible gaslight
Americans are holding onto devices longer than ever and it's costing economy
Americans are holding onto devices longer than ever before, and while it may be consumer smart, it comes at a cost to work productivity and the U.S. economy.
www.cnbc.com
November 23, 2025 at 11:40 PM
www.cnbc.com/2025/11/23/h... "please, buy new phone. the economy is dying" is an incredible gaslight
Transparent blobs are hard to draw. These guys are so much cooler than I can render them; please look up some macro photos! #InsertAnInvert2024 in 2025
November 24, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Transparent blobs are hard to draw. These guys are so much cooler than I can render them; please look up some macro photos! #InsertAnInvert2024 in 2025
Reposted by Meera
Reposted by Meera
In Monrovia, California, protesters are purchasing 17¢ ICE scrapers from Home Depot and immediately returning them to create long lines and slow down the entire store. Their aim is to disrupt sales and convey a message opposing ICE raids occurring in their neighborhood.
November 23, 2025 at 11:37 AM
In Monrovia, California, protesters are purchasing 17¢ ICE scrapers from Home Depot and immediately returning them to create long lines and slow down the entire store. Their aim is to disrupt sales and convey a message opposing ICE raids occurring in their neighborhood.
Reposted by Meera
Lumping them together as “AI” gives readers the impression that a single class of tool is discerning novel protein structures, teasing subtle patterns out of mountains of LHC data, writing a student’s History 101 paper, and arguing a ketamine-addled billionaire could post up Shaq in his prime. No.
November 22, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Lumping them together as “AI” gives readers the impression that a single class of tool is discerning novel protein structures, teasing subtle patterns out of mountains of LHC data, writing a student’s History 101 paper, and arguing a ketamine-addled billionaire could post up Shaq in his prime. No.
Reposted by Meera
Machine learning (umbrella term, I know) is a useful, sometimes transformative tool in the hands of trained researchers who understand how to deploy it and critically assess the results.
A chatbot is not useful in the same ways (though underlying technologies may be, in other contexts).
A chatbot is not useful in the same ways (though underlying technologies may be, in other contexts).
November 22, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Machine learning (umbrella term, I know) is a useful, sometimes transformative tool in the hands of trained researchers who understand how to deploy it and critically assess the results.
A chatbot is not useful in the same ways (though underlying technologies may be, in other contexts).
A chatbot is not useful in the same ways (though underlying technologies may be, in other contexts).
Reposted by Meera
Journalist challenge: Use “Machine Learning” when you mean machine learning and “LLM” when you mean LLM. Ditch “AI” as a catch-all term, it’s not useful for readers and it helps companies trying to confuse the public by obscuring the roles played by different technologies. 🧪
November 22, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Journalist challenge: Use “Machine Learning” when you mean machine learning and “LLM” when you mean LLM. Ditch “AI” as a catch-all term, it’s not useful for readers and it helps companies trying to confuse the public by obscuring the roles played by different technologies. 🧪
Kirkland! This is hella cool.
Last night, I graduated from the Kirkland Initiative, an 8 wk program designed to cultivate future city leaders by making leadership accessible to residents.
I had the opportunity to meet all the City department heads and learn about how their departments function in tandem with the council.
I had the opportunity to meet all the City department heads and learn about how their departments function in tandem with the council.
November 22, 2025 at 12:42 AM
Kirkland! This is hella cool.
Reposted by Meera
At a recent gathering of Rogers Park volunteers, we heard from a neighbor who choked up telling us about their dad turning around and going home when he heard whistles up the street. "One of you may have saved his life that day." It all matters, it really does.
One thing that is tough about rapid response/patrols, besides constantly being threatened by armed secret police, is that for the most part they see the defeats. There are exceptions, but you’ll never know how many people were saved by slowing feds down, whistles, community alerts, etc.
November 21, 2025 at 6:38 PM
At a recent gathering of Rogers Park volunteers, we heard from a neighbor who choked up telling us about their dad turning around and going home when he heard whistles up the street. "One of you may have saved his life that day." It all matters, it really does.
Reposted by Meera
“If every time that ICE strikes, they leave each community more mobilized, interconnected, and radicalized than before, we can use their efforts to eventually become capable of defeating them.”
For months, protesters have sought to tie down ICE agents at a holding facility outside Chicago.
Here, participants reflect on this strategy, evaluating it alongside other strategies such as rapid response networks and showing how Democratic politicians have been instrumental in supporting ICE.
Here, participants reflect on this strategy, evaluating it alongside other strategies such as rapid response networks and showing how Democratic politicians have been instrumental in supporting ICE.
Reflections on Resisting ICE in Chicago
Participants in the ongoing protests at the ICE holding facility in Broadview reflect on what has worked and explore the complicity of Democratic politicians with the violence of ICE.
crimethinc.com
November 21, 2025 at 6:01 AM
“If every time that ICE strikes, they leave each community more mobilized, interconnected, and radicalized than before, we can use their efforts to eventually become capable of defeating them.”
Reposted by Meera
You ever just sit down and realize that the rise of 21st century fascism is capital's answer to climate change?
November 21, 2025 at 9:25 AM
You ever just sit down and realize that the rise of 21st century fascism is capital's answer to climate change?
Reposted by Meera
The New York Times' story about Trump calling for the execution of members of Congress ran on Page 16 today, with an itty-bitty promo on the front about halfway down the page.
No wonder Trump thinks he can get away with anything.
No wonder Trump thinks he can get away with anything.
November 21, 2025 at 2:01 PM
The New York Times' story about Trump calling for the execution of members of Congress ran on Page 16 today, with an itty-bitty promo on the front about halfway down the page.
No wonder Trump thinks he can get away with anything.
No wonder Trump thinks he can get away with anything.
Reposted by Meera
Sharpen your pencils & channel your outrage: the 30-day public comment period starts Friday.
They tried changing rules earlier this year and got ~357,700 comments—vehemently against any changes in language that undermine ESA protections. Months later, the proposed rules have not yet been adopted!
They tried changing rules earlier this year and got ~357,700 comments—vehemently against any changes in language that undermine ESA protections. Months later, the proposed rules have not yet been adopted!
"proposed changes would allow federal govt more power to weigh economic impact against habitat designations, remove safeguards against future events—incl impacts from climate crisis—and rescind the “blanket rule” that automatically grants 'threatened' species the same protections as 'endangered'."
Trump officials reveal plan to roll back regulations in Endangered Species Act
Experts fear plan, one of many attempts Trump’s made to dismantle wildlife protection, will speed up extinction crisis
www.theguardian.com
November 20, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Sharpen your pencils & channel your outrage: the 30-day public comment period starts Friday.
They tried changing rules earlier this year and got ~357,700 comments—vehemently against any changes in language that undermine ESA protections. Months later, the proposed rules have not yet been adopted!
They tried changing rules earlier this year and got ~357,700 comments—vehemently against any changes in language that undermine ESA protections. Months later, the proposed rules have not yet been adopted!
Reposted by Meera
Fun fact: We did have a bus (rt. 46) that went into Golden Gardens. It was canceled in September 2012 because of "low ridership". This is what its schedule looked like. Weekday only, wildly intermittent trip spacing, and a forced transfer in Ballard.
No wonder why ridership was "low".
No wonder why ridership was "low".
August 30, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Fun fact: We did have a bus (rt. 46) that went into Golden Gardens. It was canceled in September 2012 because of "low ridership". This is what its schedule looked like. Weekday only, wildly intermittent trip spacing, and a forced transfer in Ballard.
No wonder why ridership was "low".
No wonder why ridership was "low".
Reposted by Meera
The Department of Homeland Security falsely claimed people were firing fireworks at them. Instead, it was their own flashbacks on video, the judge said.
November 20, 2025 at 9:34 PM
The Department of Homeland Security falsely claimed people were firing fireworks at them. Instead, it was their own flashbacks on video, the judge said.
Reposted by Meera
Federal officials claimed protesters had shields with nails in them, but they actually just had cardboard. They claimed a protester threw a bike at them, but they actually threw the bike. And they claimed that a protester ripped a man’s beard off but … no proof
November 20, 2025 at 9:29 PM
Federal officials claimed protesters had shields with nails in them, but they actually just had cardboard. They claimed a protester threw a bike at them, but they actually threw the bike. And they claimed that a protester ripped a man’s beard off but … no proof
Reposted by Meera
This is a thread detailing a series of incidents where federal Judge Ellis rules that Gregory Bovino and his agents lied or misrepresented what was happening on the streets of Chicago. In this one, she says body cam footage suggests they brake checked to cause accidents
November 20, 2025 at 9:27 PM
This is a thread detailing a series of incidents where federal Judge Ellis rules that Gregory Bovino and his agents lied or misrepresented what was happening on the streets of Chicago. In this one, she says body cam footage suggests they brake checked to cause accidents
Reposted by Meera
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) at GU Politics: "the struggle is not whether AI is good or bad. It's who controls it and who benefits from it."
#bernieatgu #aisystem #ai #berniesanders #geoffreyhinton #computerscience #gupolitics #gupoliticsforum #georgetown
#bernieatgu #aisystem #ai #berniesanders #geoffreyhinton #computerscience #gupolitics #gupoliticsforum #georgetown
November 20, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) at GU Politics: "the struggle is not whether AI is good or bad. It's who controls it and who benefits from it."
#bernieatgu #aisystem #ai #berniesanders #geoffreyhinton #computerscience #gupolitics #gupoliticsforum #georgetown
#bernieatgu #aisystem #ai #berniesanders #geoffreyhinton #computerscience #gupolitics #gupoliticsforum #georgetown
Reposted by Meera
Any reporter covering future shootings, vehicle rammings, etc. by ICE/CBP (there will be more) needs to LEAD with this context. Because these were the headlines when this first happened.
November 20, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Any reporter covering future shootings, vehicle rammings, etc. by ICE/CBP (there will be more) needs to LEAD with this context. Because these were the headlines when this first happened.
Reposted by Meera
*looks directly at camera*
The U.S. Education Department is moving management of K-12 and higher education to the Department of Labor
Is Trump dismantling the Education Department? Not yet. But changes are coming.
The U.S. Education Department is moving management of K-12 and higher education to the Department of Labor and parceling out other core job duties to other agencies. It's the most sweeping effort so f...
www.chalkbeat.org
November 20, 2025 at 3:52 PM
*looks directly at camera*
Reposted by Meera
it also reveals that they view a mayor not as a political leader with a vision but as a steward. The city is to be managed, only to do certain things, to be graded on a strict breadth of services. no more, no less.
November 20, 2025 at 2:01 AM
it also reveals that they view a mayor not as a political leader with a vision but as a steward. The city is to be managed, only to do certain things, to be graded on a strict breadth of services. no more, no less.