ML Vercellotti
@mlvercellotti.bsky.social
professor of linguistics and TESOL, research on L2 speech (she/her)
Reposted by ML Vercellotti
White House: ASL interpreters ‘intrude on’ Trump’s ‘image’
www.politico.com
December 13, 2025 at 12:57 AM
Reposted by ML Vercellotti
“Congress has largely been focused on the double-tap strike. But the consensus among experts is that the entirety of the strikes is illegal.”
@naomilachance.bsky.social breaks down the details of Trump’s recent strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and what makes them illegal.
@naomilachance.bsky.social breaks down the details of Trump’s recent strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and what makes them illegal.
December 12, 2025 at 2:56 PM
“Congress has largely been focused on the double-tap strike. But the consensus among experts is that the entirety of the strikes is illegal.”
@naomilachance.bsky.social breaks down the details of Trump’s recent strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and what makes them illegal.
@naomilachance.bsky.social breaks down the details of Trump’s recent strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and what makes them illegal.
Reposted by ML Vercellotti
To give you a sense of how big a departure this year, the government doesn't do this for wanted criminals.
SCOOP: The Trump administration is providing the names of all travelers passing through U.S. airports to immigration officials in search of people with deportation orders, a substantial expansion of government efforts to draw on data to hunt down immigrants.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/12/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/12/u...
Immigration Agents Are Using Air Passenger Data for Deportation Effort
www.nytimes.com
December 12, 2025 at 11:19 PM
To give you a sense of how big a departure this year, the government doesn't do this for wanted criminals.
Reposted by ML Vercellotti
This is absolutely true! I teach classes which fulfill the "Oral & Digital Communication" Requirement for our university and, as a result, I _teach those skills_ and then evaluate students _on those skills_. But I teach differently in courses that have a writing requirement!
Everyone always proposes this as the answer without understanding that an oral exam requires very different skills than a closely argued research-driven essay. If you want to argue those skills don’t matter, then fine, argue that, but don’t pretend that oral argumentation is identical.
Across the country, a small but growing number of educators are experimenting with oral exams to circumvent the temptations presented by powerful artificial intelligence platforms such as ChatGPT.
December 12, 2025 at 10:36 PM
This is absolutely true! I teach classes which fulfill the "Oral & Digital Communication" Requirement for our university and, as a result, I _teach those skills_ and then evaluate students _on those skills_. But I teach differently in courses that have a writing requirement!
Reposted by ML Vercellotti
WOW. @haleaziz.bsky.social with a new scoop: ICE now gets a running list of every person who is going to be taking a domestic flight inside the United States from the TSA and runs it through their database looking for targets. This explains the Babson College student's arrest.
Immigration Agents Are Using Air Passenger Data for Deportation Effort
www.nytimes.com
December 12, 2025 at 9:26 PM
WOW. @haleaziz.bsky.social with a new scoop: ICE now gets a running list of every person who is going to be taking a domestic flight inside the United States from the TSA and runs it through their database looking for targets. This explains the Babson College student's arrest.
Reposted by ML Vercellotti
There isn't a single problem "solved" by edtech that couldn't be fixed with smaller classes led by well-paid teachers given real academic freedom
December 12, 2025 at 6:23 PM
There isn't a single problem "solved" by edtech that couldn't be fixed with smaller classes led by well-paid teachers given real academic freedom
Reposted by ML Vercellotti
The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a federal lawsuit Friday to block President Trump’s construction of a large new ballroom on White House grounds, arguing that he violated at least four laws in bypassing any review process.
National Trust Sues to Block Trump’s White House Ballroom Construction
The lawsuit seeks to force President Trump to submit his ballroom plans for public review and input.
nyti.ms
December 12, 2025 at 7:44 PM
The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a federal lawsuit Friday to block President Trump’s construction of a large new ballroom on White House grounds, arguing that he violated at least four laws in bypassing any review process.
Reposted by ML Vercellotti
“.. The commutation of Mr. Gentile’s sentence undid years of work by prosecutors in Brooklyn to expose a scheme that defrauded thousands of investors, many of whom were older Americans living on fixed incomes.”
@kenvogel.bsky.social @nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/12/n...
@kenvogel.bsky.social @nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/12/n...
December 12, 2025 at 6:18 PM
“.. The commutation of Mr. Gentile’s sentence undid years of work by prosecutors in Brooklyn to expose a scheme that defrauded thousands of investors, many of whom were older Americans living on fixed incomes.”
@kenvogel.bsky.social @nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/12/n...
@kenvogel.bsky.social @nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/12/n...
Reposted by ML Vercellotti
Denmark’s military intelligence service raised concerns for the first time about the US in its annual threat assessment. It wrote: “The United States uses economic power, including threats of high tariffs, to enforce its will, and no longer rules out the use of military force, even against allies"
Danish Intelligence Report Raises Concerns About U.S.
www.nytimes.com
December 12, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Denmark’s military intelligence service raised concerns for the first time about the US in its annual threat assessment. It wrote: “The United States uses economic power, including threats of high tariffs, to enforce its will, and no longer rules out the use of military force, even against allies"
Reposted by ML Vercellotti
Indianapolis Star, November 22, 1918
December 12, 2025 at 1:51 AM
Indianapolis Star, November 22, 1918
Reposted by ML Vercellotti
This should be the biggest story in the country right now. The sitting US President was extorting state lawmakers from his own party by threatening to withhold public money if they didn’t gerrymander for him.
I don’t know how else to say it…
I don’t know how else to say it…
December 12, 2025 at 4:21 AM
This should be the biggest story in the country right now. The sitting US President was extorting state lawmakers from his own party by threatening to withhold public money if they didn’t gerrymander for him.
I don’t know how else to say it…
I don’t know how else to say it…
Reposted by ML Vercellotti
We don't talk enough about how these kinds of institutional failures make parents more skeptical of medicine and public health by putting more of the onus on them to keep their kids healthy and safe.
Fewer hospitals are capable of treating kids, research finds www.statnews.com/2025/12/11/h...
Fewer hospitals are capable of treating kids, research finds
And more health news from the Morning Rounds newsletter
www.statnews.com
December 11, 2025 at 10:46 PM
We don't talk enough about how these kinds of institutional failures make parents more skeptical of medicine and public health by putting more of the onus on them to keep their kids healthy and safe.
Reposted by ML Vercellotti
The cruel irony of Republicans voting down ACA subsidies is that it will end up hurting Trump voters the most.
57% of ACA Marketplace enrollees live in congressional districts represented by a Republican.
They're selling out their own voters.
57% of ACA Marketplace enrollees live in congressional districts represented by a Republican.
They're selling out their own voters.
December 11, 2025 at 8:30 PM
The cruel irony of Republicans voting down ACA subsidies is that it will end up hurting Trump voters the most.
57% of ACA Marketplace enrollees live in congressional districts represented by a Republican.
They're selling out their own voters.
57% of ACA Marketplace enrollees live in congressional districts represented by a Republican.
They're selling out their own voters.
Reposted by ML Vercellotti
You’ve got to assume that any real organised crime or terror groups in the US know the FBI isn’t tracking them as closely as they used to.
That could be very bad indeed – and if so, you can expect to see the clips of congressional testimony like today’s many, many times.
That could be very bad indeed – and if so, you can expect to see the clips of congressional testimony like today’s many, many times.
Kinda wild that the organization the FBI considers the biggest domestic threat is ... largely imaginary.
December 11, 2025 at 8:36 PM
You’ve got to assume that any real organised crime or terror groups in the US know the FBI isn’t tracking them as closely as they used to.
That could be very bad indeed – and if so, you can expect to see the clips of congressional testimony like today’s many, many times.
That could be very bad indeed – and if so, you can expect to see the clips of congressional testimony like today’s many, many times.
Reposted by ML Vercellotti
Probably the most glaring numbers for Trump in this AP-NORC Poll: His approval on crime dropped from 53% to 43% and his approval on immigration dropped from 49% to 38%
apnews.com/article/trum...
apnews.com/article/trum...
Trump's handling of the economy is at its lowest point in AP-NORC polling
A new AP-NORC poll finds President Donald Trump’s approval on the economy has fallen substantially since he reentered the White House.
apnews.com
December 11, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Probably the most glaring numbers for Trump in this AP-NORC Poll: His approval on crime dropped from 53% to 43% and his approval on immigration dropped from 49% to 38%
apnews.com/article/trum...
apnews.com/article/trum...
Reposted by ML Vercellotti
I wish there was more public recognition of how batshit insane it is to call the president a dangerous authoritarian and then give him a $1 trillion military budget
December 11, 2025 at 5:07 PM
I wish there was more public recognition of how batshit insane it is to call the president a dangerous authoritarian and then give him a $1 trillion military budget
Reposted by ML Vercellotti
In a normal administration, this would be a career-ending, weeks-long scandal
MAGAZINER: How many veterans have you deported?
NOEM: We haven't deported veterans
MAGAZINER: We are now joined on Zoom by a combat veteran you deported to Korea
NOEM: We haven't deported veterans
MAGAZINER: We are now joined on Zoom by a combat veteran you deported to Korea
December 11, 2025 at 7:04 PM
In a normal administration, this would be a career-ending, weeks-long scandal
Reposted by ML Vercellotti
We were able to help a puppy who had her ears intentionally removed and survived parvo ❤️🩹
December 11, 2025 at 7:20 PM
We were able to help a puppy who had her ears intentionally removed and survived parvo ❤️🩹
Reposted by ML Vercellotti
If Indiana legislators hold firm on their conscience today, it will among other things be a much-needed rejection of the idea that you can get your way on policy through bullying, intimidation, and threats.
December 11, 2025 at 7:42 PM
If Indiana legislators hold firm on their conscience today, it will among other things be a much-needed rejection of the idea that you can get your way on policy through bullying, intimidation, and threats.
Reposted by ML Vercellotti
Federal judge holds that victims plausibly pled that Trump Education Secy Linda McMahon and & husband "had relevant knowledge at relevant times," "could have and should have taken action" to prevent sexual abuse of young WWF ring attendants by employees. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us... 1/
December 11, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Federal judge holds that victims plausibly pled that Trump Education Secy Linda McMahon and & husband "had relevant knowledge at relevant times," "could have and should have taken action" to prevent sexual abuse of young WWF ring attendants by employees. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us... 1/
Reposted by ML Vercellotti
Almost 400 people pardoned or granted clemency by President Donald Trump in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol are now seeking millions of dollars in payouts from the federal government.
Trump Pardoned Them for Jan. 6. Now They Want Millions of Dollars
Almost 400 people pardoned or granted clemency by President Donald Trump in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol are now seeking millions of dollars in payouts from the federal government, according to their lawyer.
bloom.bg
December 11, 2025 at 4:30 AM
Almost 400 people pardoned or granted clemency by President Donald Trump in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol are now seeking millions of dollars in payouts from the federal government.
Reposted by ML Vercellotti
Breastfeed as long as possible but do it without maternity leave, affordable health or childcare, WiC or SNAP, got it. 🫠
December 11, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Breastfeed as long as possible but do it without maternity leave, affordable health or childcare, WiC or SNAP, got it. 🫠
Reposted by ML Vercellotti
I am honestly having some trouble following “the health care industry is a huge powerful malevolent machine ripping off America and we want you to negotiate directly with it for your insulin.”
Roger Marshall: "We want patients to become consumers again. We want patients to see what the actual prices are. We believe that if we would add the price tags to this bill, that it would save the country a trillion dollars a year."
December 11, 2025 at 4:47 PM
I am honestly having some trouble following “the health care industry is a huge powerful malevolent machine ripping off America and we want you to negotiate directly with it for your insulin.”
Reposted by ML Vercellotti
WOW. So this is obviously a huge violation of this man's rights, and it illustrates a few things we're seeing broadly:
- DHS officers are ignoring peoples' IDs and instead requiring screening through their own systems
- Confirms @404media.co's reports of use of DHS's facial recognition app.
- DHS officers are ignoring peoples' IDs and instead requiring screening through their own systems
- Confirms @404media.co's reports of use of DHS's facial recognition app.
December 11, 2025 at 12:35 AM
WOW. So this is obviously a huge violation of this man's rights, and it illustrates a few things we're seeing broadly:
- DHS officers are ignoring peoples' IDs and instead requiring screening through their own systems
- Confirms @404media.co's reports of use of DHS's facial recognition app.
- DHS officers are ignoring peoples' IDs and instead requiring screening through their own systems
- Confirms @404media.co's reports of use of DHS's facial recognition app.
Reposted by ML Vercellotti
New! We worked with the Public Interest Research Group to test a bunch of LLM-driven toys ahead of the Christmas. That sexual talking teddy bear wasn't a one-off; it turns out disturbing behavior is deeply built into these toys across the board.
AI toys for kids talk about sex and issue Chinese Communist Party talking points, tests show
New research from Public Interest Research Group and tests conducted by NBC News found that a wide range of AI toys have loose guardrails.
www.nbcnews.com
December 11, 2025 at 1:24 PM
New! We worked with the Public Interest Research Group to test a bunch of LLM-driven toys ahead of the Christmas. That sexual talking teddy bear wasn't a one-off; it turns out disturbing behavior is deeply built into these toys across the board.