Reposted by Reid
If you can't imagine yourself as a refugee, you have a very narrow idea of what the future might look like.
If you don't think political circumstances can shift, and you don't think your home might one day be a place that is unsafe for your family, you don't have the imagination to deal with SFF.
If you don't think political circumstances can shift, and you don't think your home might one day be a place that is unsafe for your family, you don't have the imagination to deal with SFF.
December 9, 2025 at 3:26 PM
If you can't imagine yourself as a refugee, you have a very narrow idea of what the future might look like.
If you don't think political circumstances can shift, and you don't think your home might one day be a place that is unsafe for your family, you don't have the imagination to deal with SFF.
If you don't think political circumstances can shift, and you don't think your home might one day be a place that is unsafe for your family, you don't have the imagination to deal with SFF.
Reposted by Reid
I can’t believe we’re at this stage, we in Northsky have been hard at work behind the scenes building up our infrastructure and tooling to make this happen. You can read all our newsletters to get a sense of what it takes to build an organization to operate the platform.
Heads up! We're sending out invite codes to our subscribers starting next week. Invites will roll out gradually and chronologically. We're excited to welcome you to safer skies!
Read more about it here: northskysocial.com/posts/norths...
Read more about it here: northskysocial.com/posts/norths...
Northsky Update #5: We're sending invites!
northskysocial.com
December 8, 2025 at 6:31 AM
I can’t believe we’re at this stage, we in Northsky have been hard at work behind the scenes building up our infrastructure and tooling to make this happen. You can read all our newsletters to get a sense of what it takes to build an organization to operate the platform.
Reposted by Reid
In a back channeled "offer" to the International Criminal Court, the United States proposed dropping sanctions on ICC officials if the Court
•Dropped charges on Israeli officials and pledged not to indict anymore
•Stopped investigating crimes in Afghanistan
•Amended the ICC treaty
the ICC said: no
•Dropped charges on Israeli officials and pledged not to indict anymore
•Stopped investigating crimes in Afghanistan
•Amended the ICC treaty
the ICC said: no
Exclusive: ICC shuns US demands to drop Israel war crimes probe and amend treaty
Washington also called for end to Afghanistan investigation and change to Rome Statute in return for lifting sanctions
www.middleeasteye.net
December 6, 2025 at 11:26 PM
In a back channeled "offer" to the International Criminal Court, the United States proposed dropping sanctions on ICC officials if the Court
•Dropped charges on Israeli officials and pledged not to indict anymore
•Stopped investigating crimes in Afghanistan
•Amended the ICC treaty
the ICC said: no
•Dropped charges on Israeli officials and pledged not to indict anymore
•Stopped investigating crimes in Afghanistan
•Amended the ICC treaty
the ICC said: no
Reposted by Reid
Again: the Purpose of LLM- type "AI" bullshit engines is not to tell you the truth or to lie to you, but to tell you something you are statistically determined to be more likely to accept, irrespective of facts— which makes them perfect for accelerating dis- & misinformation & persuasive propaganda…
AI dialogues shifted political support by 2 to 3 points in trials, eclipsing standard ads. Roughly one-third of this effect persisted for a month. However, models optimized for persuasion proved more factually error-prone.
#MLSky
#MLSky
AI chatbots can persuade voters to change their minds
Conversations with AI can sway people’s political views. Concerningly, a chatbot’s facts are not always accurate, especially when it supports right-wing positions.
www.nature.com
December 5, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Again: the Purpose of LLM- type "AI" bullshit engines is not to tell you the truth or to lie to you, but to tell you something you are statistically determined to be more likely to accept, irrespective of facts— which makes them perfect for accelerating dis- & misinformation & persuasive propaganda…
Reposted by Reid
We’re entering a new era of childhood mortality & disability, & almost no one will care bc they’ll just get used to “the new normal” within a few years. They’ll ignore the harm.
How do I know? Because that’s exactly how it went w/COVID, which is the 2nd largest threat to childhood health rn.
How do I know? Because that’s exactly how it went w/COVID, which is the 2nd largest threat to childhood health rn.
Breaking: After contentious debates and three failed attempts at a vote, a federal vaccine committee decided on Friday to end the decades-long recommendation that all newborns be immunized at birth against hepatitis B.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/05/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/05/h...
An End to Hepatitis B Shots for All Newborns
www.nytimes.com
December 5, 2025 at 4:57 PM
We’re entering a new era of childhood mortality & disability, & almost no one will care bc they’ll just get used to “the new normal” within a few years. They’ll ignore the harm.
How do I know? Because that’s exactly how it went w/COVID, which is the 2nd largest threat to childhood health rn.
How do I know? Because that’s exactly how it went w/COVID, which is the 2nd largest threat to childhood health rn.
Reposted by Reid
Duolingo announced it was going “AI-first” just over six months ago. Since then its stock is down 64%.
December 5, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Duolingo announced it was going “AI-first” just over six months ago. Since then its stock is down 64%.
Reposted by Reid
"All is lost" narratives are popular because people generally do not want to take action. Taking action is tiring so if all is lost, you are off the hook. Nothing is more seductive than not having to do anything.
December 5, 2025 at 4:35 PM
"All is lost" narratives are popular because people generally do not want to take action. Taking action is tiring so if all is lost, you are off the hook. Nothing is more seductive than not having to do anything.
Reposted by Reid
The decisions AI make about us are often discriminatory.
The AI Civil Rights Act of 2025 would help ensure developers and deployers of artificial intelligence don't violate our civil rights.
The AI Civil Rights Act of 2025 would help ensure developers and deployers of artificial intelligence don't violate our civil rights.
AI is Infringing on Your Civil Rights. Here’s How We Can Stop That | ACLU
By supporting the AI Civil Rights Act of 2025, Congress can take a monumental step to protect our civil rights in the digital age.
www.aclu.org
December 5, 2025 at 3:03 PM
The decisions AI make about us are often discriminatory.
The AI Civil Rights Act of 2025 would help ensure developers and deployers of artificial intelligence don't violate our civil rights.
The AI Civil Rights Act of 2025 would help ensure developers and deployers of artificial intelligence don't violate our civil rights.
Reposted by Reid
can confirm
the secret sauce is just going to a lot of boring meetings
the secret sauce is just going to a lot of boring meetings
I really can't emphasize enough that if you care about local politics, all you gotta do is show up. Just a regular schmegular person showing up. Literally just show up consistently in person and within a remarkably short amount of time, you will have a shocking amount of influence.
December 5, 2025 at 3:03 PM
can confirm
the secret sauce is just going to a lot of boring meetings
the secret sauce is just going to a lot of boring meetings
Reposted by Reid
I’m tired of weak politicians who take days to craft political statements and stand for nothing.
Support your immigrant residents. Stop acting like our communities are a burden to your election campaign. Disgusting.
Support your immigrant residents. Stop acting like our communities are a burden to your election campaign. Disgusting.
December 4, 2025 at 3:52 AM
I’m tired of weak politicians who take days to craft political statements and stand for nothing.
Support your immigrant residents. Stop acting like our communities are a burden to your election campaign. Disgusting.
Support your immigrant residents. Stop acting like our communities are a burden to your election campaign. Disgusting.
Reposted by Reid
It's worth noting that this finding that bird flu is likely airborne came from the ProPublica investigation, not from the USDA or HHS.
Egg producers suspect bird flu is traveling through the air.
After a disastrous Midwestern outbreak early this year, we tested that theory and found that where the wind blew, the virus followed.
Vaccines could help, but the USDA hasn’t approved them.
After a disastrous Midwestern outbreak early this year, we tested that theory and found that where the wind blew, the virus followed.
Vaccines could help, but the USDA hasn’t approved them.
What the U.S. Government Is Dismissing That Could Seed a Bird Flu Pandemic
Egg producers suspect bird flu is traveling through the air. After a disastrous Midwestern outbreak early this year, we tested that theory and found that where the wind blew, the virus followed. Vacci...
www.propublica.org
December 4, 2025 at 7:50 AM
It's worth noting that this finding that bird flu is likely airborne came from the ProPublica investigation, not from the USDA or HHS.
Reposted by Reid
if cisfeminist orgs don't have the resources to be able to protect a minority of women who are currently under mass attack as a conduit to control all women then they've become utterly subservient to the patriarchal state, unfortunately
December 3, 2025 at 2:20 PM
if cisfeminist orgs don't have the resources to be able to protect a minority of women who are currently under mass attack as a conduit to control all women then they've become utterly subservient to the patriarchal state, unfortunately
Reposted by Reid
what accommodations would a worker need that you would consider so disruptive that people would fake claims to get it and why is it disruptive.
do you have a great answer for what it would even be?
do you have a great answer for what it would even be?
Balancing "no person with a disability should be denied accommodations" with "it's important to discourage non-disabled people from pretending to be disabled to take advantage of these accommodations" is really difficult and I don't have a great answer for what anyone should do about it.
December 3, 2025 at 6:04 AM
what accommodations would a worker need that you would consider so disruptive that people would fake claims to get it and why is it disruptive.
do you have a great answer for what it would even be?
do you have a great answer for what it would even be?
Reposted by Reid
“In 1999, I interviewed Prince for TIME and he told me to leave my tape recorder off because he didn’t trust what future technology might do with unauthorized recordings of his voice.
At the time, I thought Prince was being paranoid.”
time.com/7338205/rage...
At the time, I thought Prince was being paranoid.”
time.com/7338205/rage...
It's Time to Rage Against the AI Music Machine
If AI music takes over "humans will begin to echo the machines, and there will be a downward spiral into slop."
time.com
December 3, 2025 at 12:14 PM
“In 1999, I interviewed Prince for TIME and he told me to leave my tape recorder off because he didn’t trust what future technology might do with unauthorized recordings of his voice.
At the time, I thought Prince was being paranoid.”
time.com/7338205/rage...
At the time, I thought Prince was being paranoid.”
time.com/7338205/rage...
Reposted by Reid
every trans person i see post about the OU suspension knows that the suspended target is trans & a grad student, & has an innate awareness that this is about purging trans employees. every cis person i see thinks the target is a rando professor & that this is about giving conservatives good grades
December 1, 2025 at 12:04 AM
every trans person i see post about the OU suspension knows that the suspended target is trans & a grad student, & has an innate awareness that this is about purging trans employees. every cis person i see thinks the target is a rando professor & that this is about giving conservatives good grades
Reposted by Reid
The institutions we used to trust are crumbling. In this hellscape, we need new nodes of survival intelligence & that's what I do at patreon.com/mattbc, high-level legal, medical, political intel to navigate this shit. I’m grateful to supporters who keep this accessible, almost nothing is paywalled
Get more from Matthew Cortland on Patreon
creating Shouldn't Need to Be a Lawyer
patreon.com
November 29, 2025 at 9:48 PM
The institutions we used to trust are crumbling. In this hellscape, we need new nodes of survival intelligence & that's what I do at patreon.com/mattbc, high-level legal, medical, political intel to navigate this shit. I’m grateful to supporters who keep this accessible, almost nothing is paywalled
Reposted by Reid
The most precious commodity you have is your attention. You don’t have to waste it on poor-faith debates or arguments with strangers if you don’t think they’ll be productive. You can prioritize the things that matter to you and make your life richer.
November 30, 2025 at 8:00 PM
The most precious commodity you have is your attention. You don’t have to waste it on poor-faith debates or arguments with strangers if you don’t think they’ll be productive. You can prioritize the things that matter to you and make your life richer.
Reposted by Reid
The highest calling of journalism isn’t to tell two sides of a story.
The highest calling of journalism is to tell the truth.
And acting like a stenographer is a betrayal of your audience.
The highest calling of journalism is to tell the truth.
And acting like a stenographer is a betrayal of your audience.
Unfortunately, in US journalism it is considered neutral to spread a lie, but it is considered "biased" to call out a lie. So, there is a structural asymmetry that rewards colorful lies with virality.
November 30, 2025 at 7:49 AM
The highest calling of journalism isn’t to tell two sides of a story.
The highest calling of journalism is to tell the truth.
And acting like a stenographer is a betrayal of your audience.
The highest calling of journalism is to tell the truth.
And acting like a stenographer is a betrayal of your audience.
Reposted by Reid
“[Eventually] humanities depts will be forced to accept AI-authored assignments, as part of revised university policy to cooperate with these billionaires. It's already happening, and our response needs to be decisive. Because our students' ability to *think* is at stake.”
really important thread ⬇️
really important thread ⬇️
An issue we're seeing at all levels of university is that many students are simply refusing to do *anything*. They aren't reading the syllabus, aren't following assignment guidelines, aren't engaging with material, ignoring deadlines. And this might seem like old news, but it truly has ramped up.
November 30, 2025 at 8:13 AM
“[Eventually] humanities depts will be forced to accept AI-authored assignments, as part of revised university policy to cooperate with these billionaires. It's already happening, and our response needs to be decisive. Because our students' ability to *think* is at stake.”
really important thread ⬇️
really important thread ⬇️
Reposted by Reid
"The problem with Long COVID is that most of society would rather not see it. We want to believe the pandemic was just a bad dream we awoke from years ago. (When I hear someone say during COVID, in the past tense, I want to flip a table.)"
#LongCOVID
Source: archive.md/7Rer1
#LongCOVID
Source: archive.md/7Rer1
November 29, 2025 at 5:56 AM
"The problem with Long COVID is that most of society would rather not see it. We want to believe the pandemic was just a bad dream we awoke from years ago. (When I hear someone say during COVID, in the past tense, I want to flip a table.)"
#LongCOVID
Source: archive.md/7Rer1
#LongCOVID
Source: archive.md/7Rer1
Reposted by Reid
seasonal reminder that if someone says they don't drink:
-it's none of your business why
-hosts should have several non-alcoholic beverage options
-the holidays can be a tough period for non-drinkers
-many jokes about not drinking are bad
-people are burned out and might just be tired
-it's none of your business why
-hosts should have several non-alcoholic beverage options
-the holidays can be a tough period for non-drinkers
-many jokes about not drinking are bad
-people are burned out and might just be tired
November 28, 2025 at 3:50 PM
seasonal reminder that if someone says they don't drink:
-it's none of your business why
-hosts should have several non-alcoholic beverage options
-the holidays can be a tough period for non-drinkers
-many jokes about not drinking are bad
-people are burned out and might just be tired
-it's none of your business why
-hosts should have several non-alcoholic beverage options
-the holidays can be a tough period for non-drinkers
-many jokes about not drinking are bad
-people are burned out and might just be tired
Reposted by Reid
The problem with fetishizing the rule of law is that people have to break the law to resist fascism, state violence, and oppression. This has always been true, and is very much the case RIGHT NOW.
November 29, 2025 at 1:44 AM
The problem with fetishizing the rule of law is that people have to break the law to resist fascism, state violence, and oppression. This has always been true, and is very much the case RIGHT NOW.
Reposted by Reid
In the editing room! 🎙️ Bad Press: how the media manufactures consent in the era of COVID. Public health is often in the news but it’s not always covered well. Power influences the narratives we hear from outlets and journalists. Coming soon w/ Julia Doubleday + Kayli Jamieson. Don’t miss it! 🩷💚💀
October 30, 2025 at 8:02 PM
In the editing room! 🎙️ Bad Press: how the media manufactures consent in the era of COVID. Public health is often in the news but it’s not always covered well. Power influences the narratives we hear from outlets and journalists. Coming soon w/ Julia Doubleday + Kayli Jamieson. Don’t miss it! 🩷💚💀
Reposted by Reid
Yes.
Creating a kind of collective psychosis that probably mirrors some of the individual cases of “AI psychosis”
Creating a kind of collective psychosis that probably mirrors some of the individual cases of “AI psychosis”
one insidious thing about gen AI is it's not just causing us to mistrust dodgy images, it's also making us mistrust images that look perfectly normal. this is gaslighting in a very literal sense bc the technology is undermining the trust we have in our own ability to perceive reality!
November 29, 2025 at 1:38 AM
Yes.
Creating a kind of collective psychosis that probably mirrors some of the individual cases of “AI psychosis”
Creating a kind of collective psychosis that probably mirrors some of the individual cases of “AI psychosis”
Reposted by Reid
"you belong here" means "you are responsible for staying here and fixing this no matter what" when it is delivered to you by someone who also says "and I cannot be held responsible for ever making you feel like you belong and are seen"
This is why I don't accept invites to talk to girls about tech
This is why I don't accept invites to talk to girls about tech
I believe a lot of folks underestimate the bruising psychological effect of being told "you belong here" while simultaneously being consistently oppressed by the same people
Bearing witness & providing community & data to prove it's real is so important
Bearing witness & providing community & data to prove it's real is so important
November 28, 2025 at 6:45 PM
"you belong here" means "you are responsible for staying here and fixing this no matter what" when it is delivered to you by someone who also says "and I cannot be held responsible for ever making you feel like you belong and are seen"
This is why I don't accept invites to talk to girls about tech
This is why I don't accept invites to talk to girls about tech