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Reposted by Nik Marda

Jake Johnson @jakejohnsonmn.bsky.social · 2d

I’ve been a public school teacher for 20 years. My wife is a paraprofessional who works with deaf and hard-of-hearing students.

So let me tell you why these cuts to special education will be absolutely devastating 🧵

www.usatoday.com/story/news/e...

Education Department wipes out special ed office in shutdown layoffs, union says

The Education Department laid off nearly everyone at the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.

www.usatoday.com

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Nik Marda @nrmarda.bsky.social · Aug 4

I'm running the Madison Marathon this fall to raise money for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention @afspnational.bsky.social

Here's the link if you'd like to donate!

www.gofundme.com/f/support-am...

Donate to Madison Marathon for Suicide Prevention, organized by Nikhil Marda

We're a group of friends who grew up together in Rochester, Minnesota. On Novembe… Nikhil Marda needs your support for Madison Marathon for Suicide Prevention

www.gofundme.com

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Reposted by Nik Marda

Jake Johnson @jakejohnsonmn.bsky.social · Jul 18

We raised more money than Congressman Brad Finstad last quarter, and we did it without any corporate PAC donations.

No one has ever beat him like this in a fundraising quarter, and we’re just getting started. #MN01

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Reposted by Nik Marda

Jake Johnson @jakejohnsonmn.bsky.social · Jun 29

We had an incredible time at the Rochesterfest parade yesterday! Over 50 volunteers turned out and marched with us.

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Nik Marda @nrmarda.bsky.social · May 12

So come join us and help us get this campaign off the ground.

We're not only going to oust one of Elon Musk's biggest cheerleaders in Washington, but we're also going to elect an exceptional public servant to Congress:

secure.actblue.com/donate/jake-...

Donate to Jake Johnson for Congress

Show your support with a contribution to Jake Johnson for Congress

secure.actblue.com

Nik Marda @nrmarda.bsky.social · May 12

And Jake is a strong candidate to get the job done.

He raised over $100K on his first day.

And he actually LISTENS to voters — which is great for the people of southern MN, and less fun for his CM who has to pry him from crowds when we're running late
www.jakejohnsonforcongress.com/raised-100k-...

Jake Johnson Raises Over $100K on First Day

On the first day of his congressional campaign, local teacher Jake Johnson raised over $100K.

www.jakejohnsonforcongress.com

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Nik Marda @nrmarda.bsky.social · May 12

Not to mention just how badly southern MN is being hit by federal policy right now.

Our district's family farms and small businesses are being hammered by the tariffs, and our largest employer (the Mayo Clinic) is being threatened by DOGE and NIH cuts.

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Nik Marda @nrmarda.bsky.social · May 12

This is an R+6 seat.

Four of the last six races for this seat in #MN01 came within 4 points, and this race came within 0.5 points in the last Trump midterms.

Walz carried the district 7 times in the past 2 decades, and Klobuchar carried the district in 2024.

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Nik Marda @nrmarda.bsky.social · May 12

Now this is the part where people usually tell me "that's all fine and good, but MN-01 is a safe R seat"

Look, I learned math from the best. And I'm damn sure this is a winnable race.

You all need to go run your silly little election models again.

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Nik Marda @nrmarda.bsky.social · May 12

Meanwhile, our congressman Brad Finstad is nowhere to be found in our district — while he's in Washington working to gut the social safety net, support the tariffs, and ban nearly all abortions nationwide.

Also, he doesn't do his job? Like he just sucks at constituent services??

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Nik Marda @nrmarda.bsky.social · May 12

As a leader in his union, he's played a key role in negotiating contracts to improve working conditions for 1,000+ employees of Rochester Public Schools.

As a local advocate, he's helped improve school funding, environmental protections, and financial literacy in southern MN.

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Nik Marda @nrmarda.bsky.social · May 12

I saw him truly break new ground to help his students.

For example, he started a remedial math class for students at risk of dropping out. Not only did it help keep them in school, but dozens of these students went on to take accelerated math courses.

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Nik Marda @nrmarda.bsky.social · May 12

Jake is a lifelong resident of the district, the son of a garbage collector and a meter reader.

Programs like Medicaid and SNAP kept him on his feet, and Pell Grants gave him the chance to go to college.

He's been paying it forward as a public school teacher the past 19 years.

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Nik Marda @nrmarda.bsky.social · May 12

I'm fired up to start a new job as the campaign manager for @jakejohnsonmn.bsky.social, my high school math teacher who is running for Congress in MN-01!

This used to be Tim Walz's district. Today, it's repped by a founding member of the DOGE caucus.

He's going to flip this seat again.

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Reposted by Nik Marda

Jake Johnson @jakejohnsonmn.bsky.social · Apr 17

I’m a teacher, union leader, and father, and I'm running for Congress in southern Minnesota.

I grew up poor here, so I know what high prices and gutted public programs mean to working families.

Meanwhile, Brad Finstad is jacking up prices and won't listen to us.

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Reposted by Nik Marda

Alondra Nelson @alondra.bsky.social · Mar 21

I was pleased to join others in the research community in signing this scientific consensus statement on bias and discrimination in AI.

www.aibiasconsensus.org

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Nik Marda @nrmarda.bsky.social · Mar 21

The full statement and list of signatories is here: aibiasconsensus.org

If you're affiliated with an academic institution and/or have a PhD, you can sign on to the letter here: aibiasconsensus.org/contact-us

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Nik Marda @nrmarda.bsky.social · Mar 21

Over 100 researchers are issuing a statement today that reiterates the scientific consensus that AI can exacerbate bias and discrimination.

The last three U.S. Administrations — including the first Trump Administration — and 192 other nations have recognized this basic fact.

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Federation of American Scientists @scientistsorg.bsky.social · Mar 6

We released a letter with 16 of our closest friends telling the Trump Administration: Transparency is essential for public trust. It is imperative you maintain the federal agency AI use cases inventories at the current level of detail.

Read more ➡️ fas.org/publication/omb-ai-use-case-inventories/

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Nik Marda @nrmarda.bsky.social · Feb 5

Turns out if you keep "harnessing the benefits and mitigating the risks" of tech on the margin, you won't do enough to prevent the owners of that tech from amassing this much power

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Reposted by Nik Marda

sorelle @friedler.net · Jan 30

"guardrails so basic that any engineer should be ashamed to release a product without them"

This is exactly what OMB's guidance on AI (m-24-10 & 18) put in place for fed gov use of AI. But it's now being revised.

Glad consumer and tech groups are speaking up!

www.cnbc.com/2025/01/30/t...

Tech and consumer groups urge Trump White House to keep 'key rules' in place for AI

A joint letter from the Consumer Federation of America and Mozilla implored the White House to keep "key rules" in place for AI testing and transparency.

www.cnbc.com

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Reposted by Nik Marda

Marc Aidinoff @maidino.bsky.social · Jan 28

We have built a state that relies on nonprofits and industry to do its basic tasks.

Pausing funding breaks in this framework breaks the current us social safety net.

Though the legality of this directive is quite suspect, it goes WAY beyond research.

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · Jan 28

I am begging the national media to start taking this seriously.

Stop buying the claims that the framing of "temporary" or "pause."

They are altering the review processes of federally funded scientific research from merit-based peer review processes to political screening by ideologues.

Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · Jan 27

NEW — OMB temporarily pauses all agency grants and loans programs.

Per copy of memo: "The use of Federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies is a waste of taxpayer dollars that does not improve the day-to-day lives of those we serve."

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Natalie Alms @almsnatalie.bsky.social · Jan 23

The new order says that AI systems should be "free from ideological bias or engineered social agendas."

While an AI-focused order from Trump 1.0 pointed to civil rights/liberties protections, the latest order makes no such reference

www.nextgov.com/artificial-i...

Trump signs AI executive order

The order calls for the development of an AI action plan and sets up a process for revoking actions taken under President Biden’s previous AI executive order signed in October 2023.

www.nextgov.com

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Reposted by Nik Marda

amac @amac0.bsky.social · Jan 21

President Trump’s Executive Order re: DOGE is not the most important nor most inhumane EO from yesterday, but here’s a thread about it.

www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...

1/

Establishing And Implementing The President's "Department Of Government Efficiency" – The White House

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered: Section 1.

www.whitehouse.gov

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