Michael Springer
@michaelspringer.bsky.social
Human; History professor focusing on early modern Europe, immigration history, library history; pronouns are he/him; 🏳️🌈🇺🇸🇩🇪
Reposted by Michael Springer
Blistering piece on ed tech in @economist.com.
‘Although ed-tech companies tout huge learning gains, independent research has made clear that technology rarely boosts learning in schools—and often impairs it.’
economist.com/united-state...
‘Although ed-tech companies tout huge learning gains, independent research has made clear that technology rarely boosts learning in schools—and often impairs it.’
economist.com/united-state...
Ed tech is profitable. It is also mostly useless
Independent research identifies few learning gains
economist.com
January 24, 2026 at 2:24 PM
Blistering piece on ed tech in @economist.com.
‘Although ed-tech companies tout huge learning gains, independent research has made clear that technology rarely boosts learning in schools—and often impairs it.’
economist.com/united-state...
‘Although ed-tech companies tout huge learning gains, independent research has made clear that technology rarely boosts learning in schools—and often impairs it.’
economist.com/united-state...
Reposted by Michael Springer
My friends, we are in a serious constitutional crisis. The government is racially profiling, suppessing free speech, killing our own people in the streets— and lying about every fact along the way. If we don’t use our natural talents and voices to say “no,” then what’s the point of law at all?
Thinking about those law professors who have done their part to normalize what we are seeing, either by approvingly amplifying extreme right wing sources (like the Daily Caller, Federalist, Dan McLaughlin), or by writing scholarship about Trumpism like it's a hypo and not reality.
January 24, 2026 at 10:11 PM
My friends, we are in a serious constitutional crisis. The government is racially profiling, suppessing free speech, killing our own people in the streets— and lying about every fact along the way. If we don’t use our natural talents and voices to say “no,” then what’s the point of law at all?
Reposted by Michael Springer
This must be weird news to see if you’re one of the literally hundreds or even thousands of university administrators who preemptively censored faculty, scrubbed websites, changed the names of centers, etc.
Trump administration drops legal appeal over anti-DEI funding threat to schools and colleges. This leaves in place a federal judge's ruling that the anti-DEI effort violated the First Amendment and federal procedural rules. (Via AP) apnews.com/article/dei-... #ncpol #nced
Trump administration drops legal appeal over anti-DEI funding threat to schools and colleges
The Trump administration is dropping its appeal of a federal court ruling that blocked a campaign against diversity, equity, and inclusion threatening federal funding to the nation’s schools and colle...
apnews.com
January 23, 2026 at 1:45 PM
This must be weird news to see if you’re one of the literally hundreds or even thousands of university administrators who preemptively censored faculty, scrubbed websites, changed the names of centers, etc.
Reposted by Michael Springer
Dear ICE,
Thou shalt not wear a mask and abduct 5-year-olds and call yourself a ‘Christian.’
You are the complete opposite of Christ.
Hate,
God
Thou shalt not wear a mask and abduct 5-year-olds and call yourself a ‘Christian.’
You are the complete opposite of Christ.
Hate,
God
January 22, 2026 at 3:51 AM
Dear ICE,
Thou shalt not wear a mask and abduct 5-year-olds and call yourself a ‘Christian.’
You are the complete opposite of Christ.
Hate,
God
Thou shalt not wear a mask and abduct 5-year-olds and call yourself a ‘Christian.’
You are the complete opposite of Christ.
Hate,
God
Seems his arrogance knows no boundaries.
„US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has criticized the German government over legal proceedings related to the coronavirus pandemic, accusing it of disregarding patient autonomy.“
www.spiegel.de/ausland/robe...
„US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has criticized the German government over legal proceedings related to the coronavirus pandemic, accusing it of disregarding patient autonomy.“
www.spiegel.de/ausland/robe...
US-Gesundheitsminister Kennedy Jr. kritisiert Deutschland wegen Corona-Verfahren – Warken reagiert
In den USA streicht er Impfprogramme zusammen und verbreitet Verschwörungstheorien. Doch damit ist Trumps Gesundheitsminister Robert F. Kennedy Jr. offenbar nicht ausgelastet. Jetzt legt er sich mit s...
www.spiegel.de
January 11, 2026 at 12:20 AM
Seems his arrogance knows no boundaries.
„US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has criticized the German government over legal proceedings related to the coronavirus pandemic, accusing it of disregarding patient autonomy.“
www.spiegel.de/ausland/robe...
„US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has criticized the German government over legal proceedings related to the coronavirus pandemic, accusing it of disregarding patient autonomy.“
www.spiegel.de/ausland/robe...
Rescue Fellowships 2026-2028 in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, to support early career researchers, whose work is restricted due to political pressure in the USA. Follow the link for more information.
www.uni-konstanz.de/zukunftskoll...
www.uni-konstanz.de/zukunftskoll...
Early Career Rescue Fellowship
www.uni-konstanz.de
January 6, 2026 at 10:17 PM
Rescue Fellowships 2026-2028 in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, to support early career researchers, whose work is restricted due to political pressure in the USA. Follow the link for more information.
www.uni-konstanz.de/zukunftskoll...
www.uni-konstanz.de/zukunftskoll...
Happy New Year!
December 31, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Happy New Year!
Could not decide which one was best for ringing in the new year, so had to bring both.
December 30, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Could not decide which one was best for ringing in the new year, so had to bring both.
Bistro Jeanette never disappoints.
December 27, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Bistro Jeanette never disappoints.
Merry Christmas Eve. I hope you are doing something that brings you joy.
December 24, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Merry Christmas Eve. I hope you are doing something that brings you joy.
Reposted by Michael Springer
Flying from Texas to Germany today I was reminded that Texans do, in fact, use gender neutral bathrooms.
December 17, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Flying from Texas to Germany today I was reminded that Texans do, in fact, use gender neutral bathrooms.
Foreign tourist could be required to provide last five years of social media before entering the U.S. If you want to see this, and other proposed changes, click the link. Public comment period runs through February 9th, 2026.
www.federalregister.gov/documents/20...
www.federalregister.gov/documents/20...
Agency Information Collection Activities; Revision; Arrival and Departure Record (Form I-94) and Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA)
The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will be submitting the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review an...
www.federalregister.gov
December 11, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Foreign tourist could be required to provide last five years of social media before entering the U.S. If you want to see this, and other proposed changes, click the link. Public comment period runs through February 9th, 2026.
www.federalregister.gov/documents/20...
www.federalregister.gov/documents/20...
Reposted by Michael Springer
This is Trump's America -- where an American walking down the street doing nothing wrong can be chased, assaulted, and detained by armed thugs who refuse to even look at his proof of citizenship.
Trump has repeatedly said Somali Americans are "garbage," so now DHS is treating them that way.
Trump has repeatedly said Somali Americans are "garbage," so now DHS is treating them that way.
U.S. citizen offered to show I.D. but was arrested by immigration officers in Cedar-Riverside
A Somali U.S. citizen, Mubashir, was arrested by federal immigration officers in Cedar-Riverside Tuesday during a mass enforcement.
sahanjournal.com
December 11, 2025 at 6:28 AM
This is Trump's America -- where an American walking down the street doing nothing wrong can be chased, assaulted, and detained by armed thugs who refuse to even look at his proof of citizenship.
Trump has repeatedly said Somali Americans are "garbage," so now DHS is treating them that way.
Trump has repeatedly said Somali Americans are "garbage," so now DHS is treating them that way.
Reposted by Michael Springer
SKULL OF THOMAS AQUINAS: TAKE A LEFT NOW
PRIEST: No, the GPS says we have to keep going—
SKULL: I KNOW A SHORTCUT
PRIEST: Do you remember the last ti—
SKULL: FOR THOSE WITH FAITH, NO EVIDENCE IS NECESSARY; FOR THOSE WITHOUT IT, NO EVIDENCE WILL SUFFICE
PRIEST: No, the GPS says we have to keep going—
SKULL: I KNOW A SHORTCUT
PRIEST: Do you remember the last ti—
SKULL: FOR THOSE WITH FAITH, NO EVIDENCE IS NECESSARY; FOR THOSE WITHOUT IT, NO EVIDENCE WILL SUFFICE
'Skull of St. Thomas Aquinas being transported to Fossanova Abbey.'
Photograph by Daniel Ibanez
Photograph by Daniel Ibanez
December 10, 2025 at 5:10 PM
SKULL OF THOMAS AQUINAS: TAKE A LEFT NOW
PRIEST: No, the GPS says we have to keep going—
SKULL: I KNOW A SHORTCUT
PRIEST: Do you remember the last ti—
SKULL: FOR THOSE WITH FAITH, NO EVIDENCE IS NECESSARY; FOR THOSE WITHOUT IT, NO EVIDENCE WILL SUFFICE
PRIEST: No, the GPS says we have to keep going—
SKULL: I KNOW A SHORTCUT
PRIEST: Do you remember the last ti—
SKULL: FOR THOSE WITH FAITH, NO EVIDENCE IS NECESSARY; FOR THOSE WITHOUT IT, NO EVIDENCE WILL SUFFICE
Reposted by Michael Springer
That is patently false: not only do immigrants score better than native-born Americans in tests, the mere presence of immigrants improve test scores for all students, when factoring in white flight
sesp.northwestern.edu/news-events/...
sesp.northwestern.edu/news-events/...
December 9, 2025 at 9:21 PM
That is patently false: not only do immigrants score better than native-born Americans in tests, the mere presence of immigrants improve test scores for all students, when factoring in white flight
sesp.northwestern.edu/news-events/...
sesp.northwestern.edu/news-events/...
Reposted by Michael Springer
If your origins are Southern Italian, Irish, Polish etc. some version of this claim - the immigrant is a criminal underclass incompatible with the true Americans - has been around forever. They hate that the idea of America is more important than any group.
Stephen Miller: "If Somalia keeps failing, if these societies all over the world continue to fail, you have to ask yourself if you bring those societies into our country & then give them unlimited free welfare, what do we think is going to happen? You're going to replicate the conditions they left"
December 9, 2025 at 9:30 PM
If your origins are Southern Italian, Irish, Polish etc. some version of this claim - the immigrant is a criminal underclass incompatible with the true Americans - has been around forever. They hate that the idea of America is more important than any group.
Unbelievable. I guess the $12.5 billion drop in foreign traveler spending in the U.S. this year wasn‘t enough?
www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcn...
www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcn...
Foreign tourists could be required to disclose 5 years of social media histories under Trump administration plan
The Customs and Border Protection proposal would apply even to countries that don't require visas to enter.
www.nbcnews.com
December 10, 2025 at 4:49 AM
Unbelievable. I guess the $12.5 billion drop in foreign traveler spending in the U.S. this year wasn‘t enough?
www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcn...
www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcn...
Reposted by Michael Springer
Trump hung up on a ProPublica reporter after being asked whether his Florida mortgages were similar to those of others he had accused of fraud. 🤔
Trump’s Own Mortgages Match His Description of Mortgage Fraud, Records Reveal
The Trump administration has argued that Fed board member Lisa Cook may have committed mortgage fraud by declaring more than one primary residence on her loans. We found Trump once did the very thing ...
www.propublica.org
December 8, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Trump hung up on a ProPublica reporter after being asked whether his Florida mortgages were similar to those of others he had accused of fraud. 🤔
*41 programs to be deleted
*21 programs to be suspended
*193 programs will be retained with action plans in place to boost enrollment and productivity
This sounds bad.
okhighered.org/2025/12/okla...
*21 programs to be suspended
*193 programs will be retained with action plans in place to boost enrollment and productivity
This sounds bad.
okhighered.org/2025/12/okla...
Oklahoma Public Higher Education System Completes Review of Low-Producing Degree Programs to Strengthen Workforce Alignment - Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
To ensure Oklahoma’s college graduates are prepared for jobs today and tomorrow, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education have completed a comprehensive review of degree programs across all pub...
okhighered.org
December 6, 2025 at 6:25 PM
*41 programs to be deleted
*21 programs to be suspended
*193 programs will be retained with action plans in place to boost enrollment and productivity
This sounds bad.
okhighered.org/2025/12/okla...
*21 programs to be suspended
*193 programs will be retained with action plans in place to boost enrollment and productivity
This sounds bad.
okhighered.org/2025/12/okla...
Reposted by Michael Springer
I can't unsee this. The exact same face.
December 6, 2025 at 2:44 AM
I can't unsee this. The exact same face.
„X's use of the ‘blue checkmark' for ‘verified accounts' deceives users. This violates the DSA obligation for online platforms to prohibit deceptive design practices on their services.“
ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
Commission fines X €120 million under the Digital Services Act
Today, the Commission has issued a fine of €120 million to X for breaching its transparency obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA).
ec.europa.eu
December 6, 2025 at 3:17 AM
„X's use of the ‘blue checkmark' for ‘verified accounts' deceives users. This violates the DSA obligation for online platforms to prohibit deceptive design practices on their services.“
ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
