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katestarbird.bsky.social
Kate Starbird
@katestarbird.bsky.social
88K followers 2.9K following 3.8K posts

Researcher of online rumors & disinformation. Former basketball player. Prof at University of Washington, HCDE. Co-founder of the UW Center for an Informed Public. Personal account: Views may not reflect those of my employer. #RageAgainstTheBullshitMachine .. more

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Catherine Evelyn Starbird is an American computer scientist and former women's professional basketball player.

Source: Wikipedia
Communication & Media Studies 30%
Sociology 18%
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katestarbird.bsky.social
Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · Mar 27
On Feb 24, I gave a lecture at UW explaining what my team's decade-plus research on online rumors during crises reveals about the right wing "bullshit machine." Fittingly, a lightning strike impacted the original audio. Here's a fixed version w/ the full transcript: www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjiG...
A Spotlight on Rumors
YouTube video by UW (University of Washington)
www.youtube.com
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Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Joe R. Feagin, Brendan Nyhan , and 29 more

thedailyshow.com
The Daily Show @thedailyshow.com · 10h
The following is REAL footage from Portland, 2025. Viewer discretion is advised.
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Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Lisa W. Fazio, Margaret Mitchell , and 22 more

atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 14h
RFK Jr on Tylenol and autism: "It is not proof. We're doing the studies to make the proof."
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Reposted by Julie L. Lockwood, Kate Starbird

nocapspacewbb.com
No Cap Space WBB @nocapspacewbb.com · 15h
On October 8th, 2021, A’ja Wilson was blocked by Brittney Griner with a series on the line.

Four years to the day, the Aces superstar elevated over Alyssa Thomas to get Vegas within one win of a title.

A proper payoff for a hero’s journey, @aghaubner.bsky.social writes.
With A WNBA Finals Game Winner In Hand, A'ja Wilson's Ascent Is Now Complete
There's no question about it now. One win away from a third WNBA title in four years and on the heels of a Game Three game winning jumper, A'ja Wilson is officially the undisputed best in the world.
open.substack.com
5 26

katestarbird.bsky.social
Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · 16h
Perhaps not surprising, considering the people at the helm of this particular authoritarian regime came to power by promoting these conspiracy theory cliches (or tropes) within an increasingly online information ecosystem that became “wired” for their spread.
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Reposted by Kate Starbird

cellllla.bsky.social
Cella (is on the job market) @cellllla.bsky.social · 16h
✨I’m on the academic job market ✨

I’m a PhD candidate at @hcii.cmu.edu studying tech, labor, and resistance 👩🏻‍💻💪🏽💥

I research how workers and communities contest harmful sociotechnical systems and shape alternative futures through everyday resistance and collective action

More info: cella.io
Cella M. Sum –
cella.io
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Reposted by Dorothy Bishop, Kate Starbird

sbagen.bsky.social
Sam Bagenstos @sbagen.bsky.social · 17h
I am really glad that @jeremymberg.bsky.social wrote this. Everybody who cares about science, and about knowledge generation and civil society generally, should read and share with their favorite administrator.

Deafening Quiet from the Scientific Establishment
open.substack.com/pub/donmoyni...
Deafening Quiet from the Scientific Establishment
Leaders are underestimating the risks of not fighting back
open.substack.com
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Reposted by Greg Linden

katestarbird.bsky.social
Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · 1d
Words to live by.
qjurecic.bsky.social
Quinta Jurecic @qjurecic.bsky.social · 1d
he's going to come after you either way, so you might as well act with integrity
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Reposted by Kate Starbird

zenakeita.bsky.social
Zena Keita @zenakeita.bsky.social · 1d
A’JA. THAT IS A TOUGH ASS SHOT.
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Reposted by Rosemary A. Joyce, Kate Starbird

sethcotlar.bsky.social
Seth Cotlar @sethcotlar.bsky.social · 1d
Two big GOP activists from Oregon were in DC last month for meetings with Trump admin officials. On their podcast they talk about a plan they discussed to nullify the results of Oregon's 2026 federal elections. Pass federal voter ID law, then refuse to seat OR delegation because OR didn't comply.
Ep. 18: September to Remember October 6 • S1 E18 • 44 min Also, we proposed a idea how to do a end run on vote by mail. Concept is based on what Trump proposed. When you vote, you check everyone's citizenship as well as voter ID. In a vote by mail state, you might be able to check citizenship during voter registration. You can send copies of your passport and your birth certificate in. How in the world are you going to check our voters? Voter ID, right? Vote by mail. So that creates a problem for Oregon. But if federal government new requirement is to check both, and if Oregon can comply with the requirements, what would happen to our election result? I'm talking about the entire federal delegation. For federal elections, we're talking about only federal elections. COMMON SENSE Vascluar Ep. 18: September to Remember October 6 • S1 E18 • 44 min So entire federal delegation, congressmen and senators could be challenged, could be unseated because you didn't follow federal requirements to elect them. So I said the trade-off is worth it. You know why? Democrats control two Senate seats out of six congressional seats. We only control one. They control five. You talk about trade-off, right? COMMON SENSE Sanctuany
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Reposted by Kate Starbird

aaup-penn.bsky.social
AAUP–Penn @aaup-penn.bsky.social · 1d
To sign this loyalty oath, as AAUP-Penn president Jessa Lingel says, “would be a total betrayal of our values” whyy.org/articles/pen...
Penn union organizers call Trump demands on higher ed ‘total betrayal of our values’
The White House asked nine universities to make sweeping policy changes to access federal programs like visas and research grants.
whyy.org
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Reposted by Will Jennings, Brendan Nyhan, Rosemary A. Joyce , and 7 more

pbump.com
Philip Bump @pbump.com · 1d
I spent more than a decade at The Post. It was good to me and I was proud to work there. I’ve largely refrained from being critical since I left. But this framing of the special counsel probe is embarrassing and flatly wrong. Stunning, but not. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
Opinion | Jack Smith’s lawfare and James Comey’s arraignment on pathetically weak charges
Good people will be deterred from public service if they see a meaningful risk of winding up in jail afterward.
www.washingtonpost.com
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Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Kevin J. Anchukaitis, Rosemary A. Joyce , and 9 more

qjurecic.bsky.social
Quinta Jurecic @qjurecic.bsky.social · 1d
he's going to come after you either way, so you might as well act with integrity
38 1.1K 5.2K

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Bessma Momani

katestarbird.bsky.social
Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · 1d
Siva Vaidhyanathan on the Trump admin’s proposed “compact” for universities (to give up academic freedom in exchange for favorable treatment by the Trump government): “This ‘compact’ is more like an invitation to borrow money from the mob, with substantial control and future penalties assured.”
sivav.bsky.social
Siva @sivav.bsky.social · 1d
And from me:

newrepublic.com/article/2013...
Why This Essay Could Cause the University of Virginia to Shut Down
How Linda McMahon’s latest “compact” would do deep and permanent harm to American higher education
newrepublic.com
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katestarbird.bsky.social
Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · 1d
This is excellent, especially: “This ‘compact’ is more like an invitation to borrow money from the mob, with substantial control and future penalties assured.”
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Reposted by Kate Starbird

sivav.bsky.social
Siva @sivav.bsky.social · 1d
And from me:

newrepublic.com/article/2013...
Why This Essay Could Cause the University of Virginia to Shut Down
How Linda McMahon’s latest “compact” would do deep and permanent harm to American higher education
newrepublic.com
2 2 8

katestarbird.bsky.social
Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · 1d
The signs said "Sinclair lies" ... so I think just awareness of the fact that KOMO is now owned by Sinclair (and has been for a LONG while), which many folks around Seattle (my own family included) just didn't understand.
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katestarbird.bsky.social
Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · 1d
The comments on this post are … something. The lack of empathy, political imagination, and strategic thinking is troubling. C’mon folks. Ben points out a vulnerability and lever (the NG troops who could become allies against these deployments) and the replies are like, “Nope. Eff that. Eff them.”
raders.bsky.social
Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 2d
Texas National Guard troops arriving in Chicago (via ABC News)

Remember: These are not MAGA stormtroopers. These are everyday teachers and accountants who signed up to serve their country with their spare time. They're being used as political pawns by venal, un-American, draft-dodging president
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Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Bonnie Honig, Henry Farrell , and 1 more

katestarbird.bsky.social
Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · 1d
Henry Farrell on the Trump admin’s proposed “compact” for universities, arguing that the rollout signals weakness, and that academics need to band together to reject this authoritarian attack on university independence and academic freedom.

Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/o...
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Reposted by Kate Starbird

amykristinsanders.bsky.social
Amy Kristin Sanders @amykristinsanders.bsky.social · 1d
Timely panel on government employee speech that all my academic colleagues at public universities should attend in light of recent reprimands, firings and removals of faculty for comments about Charlie Kirk's murder and more. georgiafirstamendmentfoundation18.wildapricot.org/event-6368238
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Reposted by Timothy Snyder, Mark A. Lemley, Rosemary A. Joyce , and 5 more

gregsargent.bsky.social
Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 1d
JB Pritzker and Gavin Newsom are doing something new and important: They understand Stephen Miller's theory of fascist power politics, and they've developed a theory on how to combat it. More Dems need to reckon with Miller's understanding of the moment.

New from me:
newrepublic.com/article/2014...
Inside Stephen Miller’s Secret Plan to Normalize Trump’s Dictator Rule
He wants to supercharge searing civil tensions to get low-information voters to embrace their inner authoritarian. Exactly two Democrats appear to fully grasp this.
newrepublic.com
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Reposted by Dani Rodrik, Marc Lynch, Ben H. Ansell , and 11 more

himself.bsky.social
Henry Farrell @himself.bsky.social · 1d
"It wanted to signal strength. Instead, it’s revealing its weakness. The administration’s need to break the academy is forcing it to make a desperately risky gamble." www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/o...
Opinion | You Beat Trumpism by Banding Together. It’s as Hard and as Simple as That.
www.nytimes.com
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Reposted by David R. Miller, Kate Starbird, Colin Woodard

raders.bsky.social
Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 2d
Texas National Guard troops arriving in Chicago (via ABC News)

Remember: These are not MAGA stormtroopers. These are everyday teachers and accountants who signed up to serve their country with their spare time. They're being used as political pawns by venal, un-American, draft-dodging president
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katestarbird.bsky.social
Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · 2d
Nice weather and good vibes today in Seattle. Saw a group of protesters outside KOMO (the Sinclair-owned local TV station here in Seattle) today. And another group on a 99 overpass with a sign that said “Stand Up. Speak Out.”
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katestarbird.bsky.social
Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · 2d
No. I don’t. Not even a tiny bit.

Reposted by Jennifer Bussell, Kate Starbird

peter-butler.bsky.social
Peter Butler @peter-butler.bsky.social · 2d
Bloomberg research found wholesale electricity up ~270% in areas near data centers

It doesn't seem like nearly enough people are taking it seriously

One A.I. image isn't too much energy, but 5 million videos? Per day/hour/minute whatever. It's not sustainable

www.bloomberg.com/graphics/202...
AI Data Centers Are Sending Power Bills Soaring
Wholesale electricity costs as much as 267% more than it did five years ago in areas near data centers. That’s being passed on to customers.
www.bloomberg.com
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katestarbird.bsky.social
Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · 2d
The pandemic? No. The policies to slow the counting… seemingly designed to create uncertainty that could be leveraged to contest results? Quite possibly.
1

katestarbird.bsky.social
Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · 2d
Yup. Those policies contributed to the rumors that became the foundations of the big lie. Not surprising (given what we know now), but the paper offers empirical evidence for that argument.
1 1

katestarbird.bsky.social
Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · 2d
Recently published work from colleagues Morgan Wack (postdoc at University of Zurich) & Joey Schafer (UW PhD candidate) showing how state election policies that delayed vote counting fueled rumoring and conspiracy theorizing around the 2020 election: blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/20...
The 2020 US election shows how state election policies can fuel conspiracy theories about voting | USAPP
States that allowed pre-Election Day processing saw a reduction of over a third in expected misinformation compared to states with restrictive rules.
blogs.lse.ac.uk
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Reposted by Lisa W. Fazio, David Lazer, Joshua S. Weitz , and 16 more

brendannyhan.bsky.social
Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 3d
My new op-ed with @lkfazio.bsky.social:

Trump sent a 'compact' to our universities. They should reject this devil's bargain.
Any institution that yields to these broad and intrusive demands would forever be subservient to the whims of the government.
www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnb...
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