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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · 12h

Ironically, people used to think I was irrational pre-pandemic when I explained working in coffee shops has often been better for me than working in an ultra-quiet an office.

Full circle: I've enjoyed WFH flexibility freelancing, but I'm actually prioritizing IRL for my next FT job.

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · 13h

Seems like too much of the overall narrative about the RTO vs WFH has been around CEOs wanting people back in the office and employees wanting to work remotely.

I think the debate ignores people who actually wish they had an office but don't have one when their company is 100% remote.

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · 13h

I know I'm an outlier, but I’ve truly missed having an office the past five years.

Instead of seeing commuting as a burden, I see it as a healthy buffer for creating a work-life balance and spending more time around people vs being home alone all day as an extrovert.

How Much Pay Will Workers Sacrifice for Remote Work?

A new study of tech workers offers an answer: quite a lot.

www.wsj.com

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · 13h

Glad to hear some people still believe in the first amendment.

The New Republic @newrepublic.com · 13h

A federal judge in Illinois has ordered the Trump administration to stop beating, shooting at, and generally using violence against journalists and peaceful protesters. trib.al/4ZfMWqA

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · 17h

New AI policy scoop from me:

I dug through lobbying disclosures and online ad-spending to see which tech groups are trying to get NY's governor to veto an AI safety bill.

I also interviewed the RAISE Act's co-sponsors for their POV on the bill's urgency & their thoughts on heavy tech opposition.

An intense battle over the RAISE Act is entering its final stretch

New York State's AI bill is more ambitious than California’s SB 53 — and is facing opposition from Andreessen Horowitz and other tech groups

www.transformernews.ai

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Reposted by Marty Swant

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 13d

U.S. intelligence officials have published a document every four years that predicts what challenges the country and the world will face. Past editions warned of threats that came to pass, including the risk of a pandemic. Tulsi Gabbard’s office is eliminating the group that compiles the report.

Gabbard Ends Intelligence Report on Future Threats to U.S.

Some issues in the document, which is issued every four years, had become politically inconvenient, former officials said.

nyti.ms

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · 13d

My latest story for Inc. looks at why Insulet and Pantone created a custom yellow-orange for the Omnipod insulin pump.

The pivot to “Omnipod Mango” aims to stand out in a sea of blue med tech brands. It's also to shift how people with diabetes are seen in pop culture — and how they see themselves.

Want to Change How People Think About Your Product? Pick the Right Color

Medical device maker Insulet's new collaboration with Pantone aims to shift sentiment. Here's why it may work.

www.inc.com

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · 13d

Love this idea! A native Minnesotan now in NYC, it'd be awesome to pitch an idea for this I still lived in my home state.

Excited to read what you publish for the project!

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · 17d

Google and the DOJ are back in court today to begin the remedies phase of the ad tech antitrust trial.

For today's @nytimes.com Dealbook, I wrote a preview of the case, what's at stake, and the various private lawsuits recently filed by Google's ad tech rivals. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/22/b...

H-1B Visa Upheaval Roils Companies and Geopolitics

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Marty Swant

Joshua Erlich @joshuaerlich.bsky.social · 20d

this is absolutely wild

the court *sua sponte* dismisses the case for violating Rule 8(a)

so that means the court, all on its own, looked at the complaint and said it's too long, too scattershot, too arbitrary to even count as a complaint. *never* seen this happen to a private party with counsel.

This complaint stands unmistakably and inexcusably athwart the requirements of Rule 8. This action will begin, will continue, and will end in accord with the rules of procedure and in a professional and dignified manner. The complaint is STRUCK with leave to amend within twenty-eight days. The amended complaint must not exceed forty pages, excluding only the caption, the signature, and any attachment.

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · 20d

“Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr built his brand in part by warning against government meddling in ‘free speech’ — now it appears he’s using his office to do just that.”

www.cnn.com/2025/09/19/p...

FCC Chair Carr’s calls for Kimmel punishment undercuts years of defending | CNN Politics

Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr built his brand in part by warning against government meddling in “free speech” — now it appears he’s using his office to do just that. he’s accuse...

www.cnn.com

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · 28d

How did this story not mention CBS a single time or anything that’s happened at the network the past few months????

In other words, if this deal goes through, CNN and CBS would be owned by the same parent company. www.wsj.com/business/med...

Exclusive | Paramount Skydance Prepares Ellison-Backed Bid for Warner Bros. Discovery

The bid will be for the entire company, including its cable networks and movie studio, according to people familiar with the situation.

www.wsj.com

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · Sep 10

Weinstein has no experience overseeing news coverage and is the former chief exec of a right-leaning policy think tank.

“Installing an ombudsman at CBS News was one of Skydance’s commitments to the Trump administration this year when the company sought approval for its merger with Paramount.”

CBS Taps Conservative Policy Veteran for New Ombudsman Role

www.nytimes.com

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · Sep 9

ICYMI: Here's my first article for Inc., which looks at the ups & downs one startup went through on the road to creating a new agentic marketing tech platform.

Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · Sep 8

Excited to share my first freelance story Inc Magazine!

Today’s digital feature is about how the marketing tech startup Knotch rebuilt its platform with AI agents — and why the startup chose to disrupt its own business model in the process.

www.inc.com/marty-swant/...

This Startup’s First AI Agent Tool Flopped. Its Second One Has Zoom and Zillow Swooning

While most companies overpromise on AI, Knotch’s journey shows how startups can create genuinely useful tools that deliver real value.

www.inc.com

Reposted by Marty Swant

WIRED @wired.com · Sep 9

After 25 years at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Cindy Cohn is stepping down as executive director. In a WIRED interview, she reflects on encryption, AI, and why she’s not ready to quit the battle. www.wired.com/story/eff-ci...

Cindy Cohn Is Leaving the EFF, but Not the Fight for Digital Rights

After 25 years at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Cindy Cohn is stepping down as executive director. In a WIRED interview, she reflects on encryption, AI, and why she’s not ready to quit the battle.

www.wired.com

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Reposted by Marty Swant

Peter Sterne @petersterne.com · Sep 9

NEW mayoral poll of likely voters from NYT/Siena, conducted Sept. 2 to Sept. 6, with 3.6% margin of error: www.nytimes.com/2025/09/09/n...

Zohran Mamdani (D) - 46%
Andrew Cuomo (I) - 24%
Curtis Sliwa (R) - 15%
Eric Adams (I) - 9%

Mamdani Holds Huge Lead in Mayor’s Race, Times/Siena Poll Finds

www.nytimes.com

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · Sep 9

“There is too much of a focus on Washington and random members of Congress having power in the Republican Party when it is that the accountability journalism I think should be focused on the MAGA media figures who are enabled by big tech platforms.”

— @oliverdarcy.bsky.social

Oliver Darcy Thinks the Media Doesn’t Get It. So He Built Status

Podcast Episode · Channels with Peter Kafka · 09/03/2025 · 54m

podcasts.apple.com

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Reposted by Marty Swant

Megan Gray @megangray.bsky.social · Sep 9

Former Trump White House aide Johnny McEntee is lobbying for the first time — for Tencent

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · Sep 9

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · Sep 8

Excited to share my first freelance story Inc Magazine!

Today’s digital feature is about how the marketing tech startup Knotch rebuilt its platform with AI agents — and why the startup chose to disrupt its own business model in the process.

www.inc.com/marty-swant/...

This Startup’s First AI Agent Tool Flopped. Its Second One Has Zoom and Zillow Swooning

While most companies overpromise on AI, Knotch’s journey shows how startups can create genuinely useful tools that deliver real value.

www.inc.com

Reposted by Marty Swant

Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · Sep 7

At DOJ, at DOD, at the FBI….literally everywhere, this is what you hear over and over again.

James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · Sep 6

Common theme of people I've interviewed recently. At universities, in research centers, in diplomacy, in the legal system, dealing with refugees or immigrants:

The reality inside is much worse than you would think from the outside.

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · Sep 3

Three examples in my new Fast Company story:

🏈 A draft agent built w/ Anthropic's Claude LLMs & AWS tools like Bedrock & Strands SDK

🏈 A "draft scout" to predict rivals' picks using a custom ML model and OpenAI's LLMs

🏈 A “draft optimizer” to balance rosters based on constraints & personal tastes

Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · Sep 3

Excited to share my new story for @fastcompany.com about two much hyped topics: AI & fantasy football!

This NFL season, people are taking a DIY approach with AI tools for teams — from chatbots that suggest sleepers to scouts that analyze rivals’ drafting habits.

www.fastcompany.com/91396628/fan...

Fantasy football nerds are using AI to get an edge in their leagues this year

As fans hold their drafts, these players are crunching stats and analyzing their rivals' habits before they do.

www.fastcompany.com

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · Sep 3

Excited to share my new story for @fastcompany.com about two much hyped topics: AI & fantasy football!

This NFL season, people are taking a DIY approach with AI tools for teams — from chatbots that suggest sleepers to scouts that analyze rivals’ drafting habits.

www.fastcompany.com/91396628/fan...

Fantasy football nerds are using AI to get an edge in their leagues this year

As fans hold their drafts, these players are crunching stats and analyzing their rivals' habits before they do.

www.fastcompany.com

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · Sep 3

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · Sep 2

It’s my birthday today! Kicked things off with our pup the last few pages of this gem of a book. Now working on freelance story drafts & edits before search for a bite and some galleries.

I’m honestly pretty hard on myself most days, but this book is helping me learn to change that.

There’s a dog sitting on owner’s lap. On the table is a cold brew coffee and a book called “True and False Magic,” by Phil Stutz.