Lauren Kirchner
@lkirchner.bsky.social
Investigative reporter at Consumer Reports covering product safety & env. health; previously covered tech & criminal justice at The Markup and ProPublica. Signal: @Lkirchner.44
Pinned
This smiley face trash-and-recycling can at the bank, which drops everything into one singular plastic bag inside, is a metaphor for *something* but I'm not sure what
Subway Soiled by Foul Fowl (but it’s so cute tho)
NEW IN SUBWAY-CHICKEN NEWS
SEE IT: Fowl that fouled morning commute abandoned by straphanger the previous night
SEE IT: Fowl that fouled morning commute abandoned by straphanger the previous night
SEE IT: Chicken that delayed morning commute in Queens had been abandoned on subway
Video footage showed the man set the bird down on the seat beside him and disembarked, leaving his feathered friend behind. The chicken remained seated, one source narrated, opining the bird was &#…
www.nydailynews.com
November 25, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Subway Soiled by Foul Fowl (but it’s so cute tho)
Reposted by Lauren Kirchner
My microwave sings a little song when my Hot Pocket is done. Should it have the right to vote?
November 25, 2025 at 8:44 PM
My microwave sings a little song when my Hot Pocket is done. Should it have the right to vote?
Reposted by Lauren Kirchner
NEW: AI “recipe slop” is overrunning search and social. Food creators say Google’s AI Overviews and glossy fake food pics are drowning out real, tested recipes — collapsing traffic and setting home cooks up for disaster, especially this Thanksgiving.
Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
AI Slop Recipes Are Taking Over the Internet -- And Thanksgiving Dinner
Food bloggers see traffic dip as home cooks turn to AI, inspired by impossible pictures
www.bloomberg.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:16 PM
NEW: AI “recipe slop” is overrunning search and social. Food creators say Google’s AI Overviews and glossy fake food pics are drowning out real, tested recipes — collapsing traffic and setting home cooks up for disaster, especially this Thanksgiving.
Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
God dammit it’s really just everywhere, isn’t it
November 23, 2025 at 9:17 PM
God dammit it’s really just everywhere, isn’t it
Reposted by Lauren Kirchner
The Queens Daily Eagle remains undefeated.
Queens men meet — Queens Daily Eagle
The first man from Queens to be elected president and the first Queens resident to be elected mayor of New York City met for the first time in the Oval Office on Friday.
queenseagle.com
November 22, 2025 at 12:33 AM
The Queens Daily Eagle remains undefeated.
Reposted by Lauren Kirchner
The next Hot Coffee lawsuit is coming from inside the car
CPSC Warns Consumers to Immediately Stop Using Portable Electric Car Kettles Due to Risk of Serious Burn Injury; Distributed by BLONGKY www.cpsc.gov/Warnings/202...
November 20, 2025 at 4:58 PM
The next Hot Coffee lawsuit is coming from inside the car
Reposted by Lauren Kirchner
DAILY NEWS GETS ACTION:
MTA board just approved a $7.4 million contract for new subway wheels after NYCT says it knows what caused the Daily News' mystery wheel-wear scoop from January: Trains were going too fast around curves.
The $7.4M will get New Yorkers 3,000 new wheels from Standard Steel.
MTA board just approved a $7.4 million contract for new subway wheels after NYCT says it knows what caused the Daily News' mystery wheel-wear scoop from January: Trains were going too fast around curves.
The $7.4M will get New Yorkers 3,000 new wheels from Standard Steel.
Mystery track defect wearing out NYC subway car wheels has MTA shuffling trains
A mysterious track defect somewhere along a major New York City subway line is wearing out the wheels on subway cars, causing a shortage of trains on the lettered lines, the Daily News has learned.
www.nydailynews.com
November 19, 2025 at 4:15 PM
DAILY NEWS GETS ACTION:
MTA board just approved a $7.4 million contract for new subway wheels after NYCT says it knows what caused the Daily News' mystery wheel-wear scoop from January: Trains were going too fast around curves.
The $7.4M will get New Yorkers 3,000 new wheels from Standard Steel.
MTA board just approved a $7.4 million contract for new subway wheels after NYCT says it knows what caused the Daily News' mystery wheel-wear scoop from January: Trains were going too fast around curves.
The $7.4M will get New Yorkers 3,000 new wheels from Standard Steel.
Really interesting insights in this thread, by the founder of @bellingcat.com
We’re watching a shift where AI simulates the cohesion and reinforcement that used to require an entire online community. A single person can now build a complete parallel reality with nothing more than a prompt window. Which seems bad.
November 19, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Really interesting insights in this thread, by the founder of @bellingcat.com
By 2030, data centers powering the AI industry could consume as much water as 10 million Americans and produce as much carbon dioxide as 10 million cars insideclimatenews.org/news/1011202...
‘It’s Not Too Late’: New Cornell Study Maps the Environmental Cost of AI and How Policy Could Limit the Damage - Inside Climate News
Researchers warn that U.S. data centers could devour vast amounts of energy and water unless stronger guardrails shape the industry’s growth.
insideclimatenews.org
November 18, 2025 at 7:54 PM
By 2030, data centers powering the AI industry could consume as much water as 10 million Americans and produce as much carbon dioxide as 10 million cars insideclimatenews.org/news/1011202...
It's been a year since we lost editor extraordinaire and extraordinary friend Joel Keehn. I'm thinking a lot about him on this sunny, breezy, blue-skied day. hudsonvalleyone.com/obituaries/j...
Joel Keehn - Hudson Valley One
Joel Keehn, a New Paltz resident and Director of Special Projects at Consumer Reports, died Saturday, November 16th, as the result of a fall while hiking near his beloved Minnewaska State Park. He was 64 years old. Joel loved his family, and the many he considered family. He had the strength to stay open to
hudsonvalleyone.com
November 16, 2025 at 8:11 PM
It's been a year since we lost editor extraordinaire and extraordinary friend Joel Keehn. I'm thinking a lot about him on this sunny, breezy, blue-skied day. hudsonvalleyone.com/obituaries/j...
New line of "Skin Care for Toddlers" Debuts to Online Backlash lololol www.personalcareinsights.com/news/rini-ki...
Rini skin care for toddlers debuts to online backlash
Rini, a new skin care brand designed specifically for kids, has debuted with a chorus of criticism. Founded by actress Shay Mitchell, Esther Song, and Matte Babel, Rini is “designed to insp...
www.personalcareinsights.com
November 14, 2025 at 4:45 PM
New line of "Skin Care for Toddlers" Debuts to Online Backlash lololol www.personalcareinsights.com/news/rini-ki...
Reposted by Lauren Kirchner
Authors -- you are entitled to a payment for the books of yours that Anthropic stole for its AI. It's about $1,500 per book. I just filed - you should too!
www.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com?_gl=1*1ersia....
www.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com?_gl=1*1ersia....
Homepage | Bartz v Anthropic Settlement Site
www.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com
November 13, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Authors -- you are entitled to a payment for the books of yours that Anthropic stole for its AI. It's about $1,500 per book. I just filed - you should too!
www.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com?_gl=1*1ersia....
www.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com?_gl=1*1ersia....
Disturbed by stories about adults' lives being turned upside down by ChatGPT? WELLLL wait til you see PIRG's report on AI toys for children, like "Kumma," a GPT4o-powered *teddy bear* that talked at detailed length about sexual kinks & role-playing... pirg.org/edfund/resou...
Trouble in Toyland 2025: A.I. bots and toxics present hidden dangers
Tests show A.I. toys can have disturbing conversations. Other concerns include unsafe or counterfeit toys bought online.
pirg.org
November 13, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Disturbed by stories about adults' lives being turned upside down by ChatGPT? WELLLL wait til you see PIRG's report on AI toys for children, like "Kumma," a GPT4o-powered *teddy bear* that talked at detailed length about sexual kinks & role-playing... pirg.org/edfund/resou...
Yes and @coyotemedia.org :)
What if instead of Cyber Monday (aka Daddy Bezos Day), we did a Support Indie Media Monday?
What are your favorite indie publications? Who are some of your favorite freelance and indie reporters and commentators?
Can we make this a thing?
What are your favorite indie publications? Who are some of your favorite freelance and indie reporters and commentators?
Can we make this a thing?
November 13, 2025 at 1:34 AM
Yes and @coyotemedia.org :)
uhhh what www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
November 12, 2025 at 5:30 PM
uhhh what www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
This smiley face trash-and-recycling can at the bank, which drops everything into one singular plastic bag inside, is a metaphor for *something* but I'm not sure what
November 10, 2025 at 5:01 PM
This smiley face trash-and-recycling can at the bank, which drops everything into one singular plastic bag inside, is a metaphor for *something* but I'm not sure what
"Fired But Fighting" has created a searchable database of fired/furloughed federal workers available for side-hustle hire: graphic design, dog-walking, babysitting, etc: firedbutfighting.org/talent-marke...
Talent Marketplace — Fired But Fighting
Welcome to the Talent Marketplace. You can help support federal workers during this difficult time. Furloughed and fired feds are available for services like dog-walking, tutoring, graphic design, mea...
firedbutfighting.org
November 7, 2025 at 5:21 PM
"Fired But Fighting" has created a searchable database of fired/furloughed federal workers available for side-hustle hire: graphic design, dog-walking, babysitting, etc: firedbutfighting.org/talent-marke...
Reposted by Lauren Kirchner
Breaking News: Late last night Conde Nast illegally fired 4 union organizers who asked company execs to explain the downsizing of Teen Vogue and continued layoffs. We’ve filed a grievance.
November 6, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Breaking News: Late last night Conde Nast illegally fired 4 union organizers who asked company execs to explain the downsizing of Teen Vogue and continued layoffs. We’ve filed a grievance.
Interesting news on the Plastics/PFAS beat - Recyclers Ban Fluorinated Containers peer.org/recyclers-ba...
Recyclers Ban Fluorinated Containers Due to PFAS
EPA Being Sued for Its Failure to Stop This Forever Chemical Contamination
peer.org
November 6, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Interesting news on the Plastics/PFAS beat - Recyclers Ban Fluorinated Containers peer.org/recyclers-ba...
Juice fans of Crown Heights! Andre is such a wonderful dude and a good friend to all - let's not let him get forced out of the neighborhood! I just donated: gofund.me/132cc6100
Donate to Keep Jenny on the Greens Alive, organized by Andre Fuller
Dear Jenny on the Greens Family,
I’m writing this with a heavy heart and deep gratitud… Andre Fuller needs your support for Keep Jenny on the Greens Alive
gofund.me
November 6, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Juice fans of Crown Heights! Andre is such a wonderful dude and a good friend to all - let's not let him get forced out of the neighborhood! I just donated: gofund.me/132cc6100
We live in NYC, my family is in VA, and my husband's family is in NJ, so you just KNOW the Fam text chains are going to be LIT tonight
November 4, 2025 at 7:56 PM
We live in NYC, my family is in VA, and my husband's family is in NJ, so you just KNOW the Fam text chains are going to be LIT tonight
Extremely 2025 coded - Firefighters are donating their plasma to reduce the forever chemicals in their blood. "If a firefighter donates plasma six times a year, the PFAS in their blood could be reduced by up to 60%." (The plasma is "cleaned" before being used.) www.yourvalley.net/glendale-ind...
Glendale firefighters donate plasma to change out PFAS - Glendale Independent
Across Arizona and the United States, firefighters are facing a cancer epidemic. One cause of this spike in cancer is the record high amounts of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also …
www.yourvalley.net
November 4, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Extremely 2025 coded - Firefighters are donating their plasma to reduce the forever chemicals in their blood. "If a firefighter donates plasma six times a year, the PFAS in their blood could be reduced by up to 60%." (The plasma is "cleaned" before being used.) www.yourvalley.net/glendale-ind...
Reposted by Lauren Kirchner
Have you checked out @coyotemedia.org recently? We've done some good shit in the last two weeks!
〰️ An essay by @emmaruthless.bsky.social on why all our options seem to suck right now
〰️ A guide to places offering free food to SNAP recipients: www.coyotemedia.org/these-bay-ar...
〰️ An essay by @emmaruthless.bsky.social on why all our options seem to suck right now
〰️ A guide to places offering free food to SNAP recipients: www.coyotemedia.org/these-bay-ar...
In Which We Deserve Options Other Than Rapists and Robots
I don’t want to be assaulted by a driver, nor surveilled by cat-killing robot cars. Is this really the best we can do?
www.coyotemedia.org
November 4, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Have you checked out @coyotemedia.org recently? We've done some good shit in the last two weeks!
〰️ An essay by @emmaruthless.bsky.social on why all our options seem to suck right now
〰️ A guide to places offering free food to SNAP recipients: www.coyotemedia.org/these-bay-ar...
〰️ An essay by @emmaruthless.bsky.social on why all our options seem to suck right now
〰️ A guide to places offering free food to SNAP recipients: www.coyotemedia.org/these-bay-ar...