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Reposted by Michael Zimmer

Melanie D’Arrigo @darrigomelanie.bsky.social · 9h

I feel like this photo of masked, armed men pepper spraying a pastor protecting his community is going to be a defining picture of this moment in America for a long, long time.

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Siva @sivav.bsky.social · 22h

I wrote about the “compact” for higher education

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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Walter Hickey @walthickey.bsky.social · 17h

this is a bfd sherwood.news/markets/orac...

Oracle tumbles after report that it’s lost nearly $100 million from renting out access to Nvidia’s Blackwell chips

Early returns from the AI boom look tiny for Oracle, per The Information....

sherwood.news

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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 17h

Just as a reminder, Bondi’s origin story in Trump world is that she said she was going to investigate Trump University, Trump sent her a $25K check and the investigation disappeared. She later became Trump’s personal defense lawyer. So yeah, don’t challenge her integrity.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 17h

Bondi to Blumenthal: "You lied. How dare you? I'm a career prosecutor. Don't you ever challenge my integrity. Do not question my ability to be fair and impartial."

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Marquette Center for Data, Ethics, and Society @mudataethics.bsky.social · 18h

It was so exciting to see the community turn out for @alexhanna.bsky.social's talk on "The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech's Hype and Create the Future We Want" at @boswellbooks.bsky.social Boswell Book Company last night.
(crowd photo via Melissa Shew)

Image of Alex Hanna at a podium in a bookstore holding a copy of "The AI Con"

Image from the back of the room with a seated audience listening to Alex Hanna discussing her book "The AI Con"

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Michael Zimmer @michaelzimmer.bsky.social · 18h

Hey Apple, please make something and take my money....

The Verge @theverge.com · 18h

The company says it’s still committed to smart displays, as Amazon doubles down on the category.

Google hints at a new Nest Hub

The Nest Hub may live again

www.theverge.com

Reposted by Michael Zimmer

Coach Finstock @coachfinstock.bsky.social · 1d

BREAKING: Son of the most powerful man on the planet who's name is on dozens of golf courses and buildings and shakes down every institution for payoffs and bribes is rich. HOW DID HE DO IT

Forbes @forbes.com · 1d

Trump’s youngest son taught his dad a thing or two about crypto. Now the NYU sophomore is making a fortune before he even turns 20.

How 19-Year-Old Barron Trump Is Worth $150 Million

Trump’s youngest son taught his dad a thing or two about crypto. Now the NYU sophomore is making a fortune before he even turns 20.

www.forbes.com

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Scary Werewolf Bar Kochba @dickius.bsky.social · 2d

Wow, it must be terrible being told that you can’t use the bathroom.

'Very difficult situation': Kristi Noem whines locals not letting ICE agents use restrooms

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem complained that her agents were not being permitted to use restrooms in Chicago because of opposition from residents.During a Sunday interview on ...

www.rawstory.com

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Tom Nichols @radiofreetom.bsky.social · 2d

I think this is right:
"We've slid into some form of authoritarianism," says Steven Levitsky, a professor of government at Harvard. "It is relatively mild compared to some others. It is certainly reversible, but we are no longer living in a liberal democracy."
www.npr.org/2025/04/22/n...

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Michael Zimmer @michaelzimmer.bsky.social · 3d

I'm listening to "The Gutenberg Parenthesis" by @jeffjarvis.bsky.social and am really enjoying revisiting some of the core ideas (McLuhan, Ong, Eisenstein) from my graduate work in Media Ecology through the lens of a contemporary writer who has suffered through the internet age.

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The Oregonian @oregonian.com · 4d

Federal officer blasts chemical spray into vocal but nonviolent Portland protester, video shows

The interaction illustrates how federal law enforcement officers do use aggressive tactics against protesters who yell and needle officers but don’t appear to present clear physical threats.

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Zack Whittaker @zackwhittaker.com · 3d

Discord said late on Friday that hackers stole users' government-issued IDs (passports and driver's licenses) from one of its customer support databases.

I wrote a few words about the risks of age verification laws, and why collecting people's government IDs is bad for security and privacy.

Discord says users' government IDs used for age checks stolen by hackers

Thanks to age verification laws, expect more data breaches of users' government-issued passports and driver's licenses.

this.weekinsecurity.com

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Reposted by Michael Zimmer

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 3d

*A Republican lawmaker objected to reference to Charlie Kirk holding “often racist and controversial views” in local Alaska news
*The corporate owner took down the story and edited it
*The journalists resigned

This feels like more and more of our media now.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/u...

Journalists at 3 Newspapers Quit Over Edits to a Charlie Kirk Story

www.nytimes.com

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The Antifa Lorax @anarchymarshmallow.bsky.social · 5d

[Stares in long covid]

L.A. TACO @lataco.bsky.social · 5d

DHS posted their response on X: “To be clear: We will NOT comply with Gavin Newsom’s unconstitutional mask ban." LAPD has kept quiet, following several L.A. TACO requests for comment.

By Aisha Wallace-Palomares

The full story: lataco.com/masked-law-e...

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Comfortably Numb @numb.comfortab.ly · 5d

TRUMP: Imma run extortion racket against higher education.

NYT:

Trump Offered Universities an Invitation for a Deal. Some See a Trap.

Trump officials want schools to sign on to conservative priorities for special treatment. Some in higher education say agreeing would end academic freedom.

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nilay patel @reckless.bsky.social · 5d

"What is this entire anti-terrorism memorandum if not an admission that terrorism works, and that terrorism has secured the White House?"

wake up babe @lopatto.bsky.social and @sarahjeong.bsky.social banger alert www.theverge.com/policy/79051...

It is of course helpful to remember that in the Trump regime, every accusation is a confession. Antifa might not be organized, but the Department of Homeland Security sure is. George Soros might not be paying professional protesters, but right-wing media personalities are bankrolled by Trumpist billionaires. In the case of Ben Shapiro, that’s billionaires Dan and Farris Wilks; for Rumble, thank Peter Thiel. This is to say nothing of Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News, or Elon Musk’s X, or the Daily Caller itself, which is funded by Charles Koch.

Indeed, the memo’s description of the environment that leads to terroristic violence applies cleanly to the entire right-wing ecosystem. But perhaps the most striking accusation-as-confession is this paragraph from the national security presidential memorandum:

This political violence is not a series of isolated incidents and does not emerge organically. Instead, it is a culmination of sophisticated, organized campaigns of targeted intimidation, radicalization, threats, and violence designed to silence opposing speech, limit political activity, change or direct policy outcomes, and prevent the functioning of a democratic society.

What is this but an elegant encapsulation of the past 10 years? It describes everything from the removal of Jimmy Kimmel from the air to the Libs of TikTok pattern of incitement to Charlie Kirk’s Professor Watchlist to Fox News’ defamation of Dominion Voting Systems and its employees to the celebrity worship of people like Kyle Rittenhouse.

What is this entire anti-terrorism memorandum if not an admission that terrorism works, and that terrorism has secured the White House?

a verge feature story with the headline / subheadline of "Everything is terrorism in Trump’s America /
Identifying faceless ICE agents. Mutual aid for jailed protesters. Calling JD Vance a fascist. The war on ‘antifa’ is a war on free speech, and it’s just getting started."

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Reposted by Michael Zimmer

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 6d

Q: How did the White House decide it was appropriate for Jared Kushner to be working on matters that involve Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia -- 3 countries combined that have given him more than $2.5b

LEAVITT: It's frankly despicable that you're trying to suggest that it's inappropriate

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Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 6d

But also we’re terrified of the subway

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 6d

Stephen Miller: "All that bullshit is done, over, it's finished. The gangbangers you deal with- they think they're ruthless? They have no idea how ruthless we are. They think they're tough? They have no idea how tough we are. They think they're hardcore? We are so much more hardcore than they are"

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Michael Zimmer @michaelzimmer.bsky.social · 6d

This is precisely the form factor I hope Apple reveals this month to help simplify our kitchen counter.

The Verge @theverge.com · 7d

Amazon finally did the damn hardware right

Amazon nails it

buff.ly

Reposted by Michael Zimmer

Jake Lahut @jakelahut.writes.news · 6d

"'My jaw dropped when I read it,' says an SBA employee who asked to remain anonymous... The employee says they worried that if someone actually used the email template, it 'would be a blatant violation of the Hatch Act.'"
www.wired.com/story/govern...

Federal Workers Are Being Told to Blame Democrats for the Shutdown

Workers at one agency were given unhinged, partisan language to use when setting out-of-office replies.

www.wired.com

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Reposted by Michael Zimmer

Karl Jacoby @karl-jacoby.bsky.social · 7d

Over the past century and a half, the US military has developed an entire body of law relating to the legitimate use of force that Hegseth completely erases here. To most in the armed forces, it is important to have a code of ethics (no matter how imperfect). Otherwise they are just hired killers.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 7d

Hegseth: "We unleash overwhelming and punishing violence on the enemy. We also don't fight with stupid rules of engagement. We untie the hands of our warfighters to intimidate, demoralize, hunt, and kill the enemies of our country. No more politically correct and overbearing rules of engagement."

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Anthony Michael Kreis @anthonymkreis.bsky.social · 7d

The English in 1685: ehhh
Americans in 1776: absolutely not
Katie Miller:

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Michael Zimmer @michaelzimmer.bsky.social · 7d

Reminder: We are thrilled to welcome @alexhanna.bsky.social co-author of "The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech's Hype and Create the Future We Want" to Milwaukee on October 6, 2025 for a book talk at Boswell Books. Free & open to the public. Please join us! www.eventbrite.com/e/alex-hanna...

Image of Dr. Alex Hanna and cover of the book The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech's Hype and Create the Future We Want

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Michael Zimmer @michaelzimmer.bsky.social · 7d

This is disgusting.

Michael Zimmer @michaelzimmer.bsky.social · 7d

So great that our leaders now just give TED talks to their staff.

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