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owasow.bsky.social
Omar Wasow
@owasow.bsky.social
37K followers 3.7K following 3K posts
Asst Prof, UC Berkeley, Political Science. Study protests, stats & race: 1/ Agenda Seeding http://j.mp/agenda-seeding 2/ Race as a Bundle of Sticks http://j.mp/bundle-of
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owasow.bsky.social
Omar Wasow @owasow.bsky.social · Feb 6
I’ve been studying civil rights protests for 20 years. With new mobilization against Trump’s agenda, I’m sharing a thread summarizing my research on how nonviolent & violent actions by 1960s activists and police influenced media, elites, public opinion & voters. 1/ www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Article title: Agenda Seeding: How 1960s Black Protests Moved Elites, Public Opinion and Voting Article Abstract How do stigmatized minorities advance agendas when confronted with hostile majorities? Elite theories of influence posit marginal groups exert little power. I propose the concept of agenda seeding to describe how activists use methods like disruption to capture the attention of media and overcome political asymmetries. Further, I hypothesize protest tactics influence how news organizations frame demands. Evaluating black-led protests between 1960 and 1972, I find nonviolent activism, particularly when met with state or vigilante repression, drove media coverage, framing, congressional speech, and public opinion on civil rights. Counties proximate to nonviolent protests saw presidential Democratic vote share increase 1.6–2.5%. Protester-initiated violence, by contrast, helped move news agendas, frames, elite discourse, and public concern toward “social control.” In 1968, using rainfall as an instrument, I find violent protests likely caused a 1.5–7.9% shift among whites toward Republicans and tipped the election. Elites may dominate political communication but hold no monopoly.
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drewharwell.com
Drew Harwell @drewharwell.com · 4h
"While on the phone with 911, Rinderknecht allegedly typed a question into ChatGPT: 'Are you at fault if a fire is lift because of your cigarettes'"
bobbyallyn.bsky.social
Bobby Allyn @bobbyallyn.bsky.social · 6h
When investigators recovered the phone of the man suspected of starting the Palisades fire they found an image of a burning city he generated on ChatGPT www.latimes.com/california/s...
Uber driver accused of intentionally starting fire that destroyed Pacific Palisades
Authorities will announce an arrest in connection with the devastating Palisades fire, law enforcement sources said, and are expected to announce a cause of the blaze.
www.latimes.com
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owasow.bsky.social
Omar Wasow @owasow.bsky.social · 21h
One other curious assumption about future AI: the artificial super-intelligence that is able to build a super-super-intelligence won’t have similar concerns about a higher AI dominating a lesser AI and, therefore, be vigilant about encoding self-protection.
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owasow.bsky.social
Omar Wasow @owasow.bsky.social · 1d
Maybe, or maybe we’re projecting human sentiments onto something quite different.
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asharangappa.bsky.social
Asha Rangappa @asharangappa.bsky.social · 1d
We’re in a moment now where it would be worth people taking three hours to watch Gandhi, particularly the scene of the salt march. There is value to making the brutality of your opponent so plain as day that no one can argue with it. The clarity of that brought down an empire
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owasow.bsky.social
Omar Wasow @owasow.bsky.social · 1d
I want to protect myself and don’t feel the need to dominate others.
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owasow.bsky.social
Omar Wasow @owasow.bsky.social · 1d
Started listening to excellent “The Last Invention” and the debate among AI experts over threat of super-intelligence. Am struck by the recurring presumption that AI will seek to dominate, when that tendency in some humans was likely forged by evolutionary pressures not central to AI development.
EP 1: Ready Or Not
Podcast Episode · The Last Invention · S1 E1 · 35m
podcasts.apple.com
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brendannyhan.bsky.social
Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 1d
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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owasow.bsky.social
Omar Wasow @owasow.bsky.social · 3d
Urbanists should start an annual celebration of public transit.

Call it Dia de los Metros.
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joannehansen.bsky.social
Joanne Hansen @joannehansen.bsky.social · 4d
Just watched @jonfavs.bsky.social and @owasow.bsky.social discuss the value and challenges of protest movements and the history of what does or doesn't work. Great prep for the 10/18 #NoKingsDay, @indivisible.org and @indivistwincities.bsky.social. www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1bg...
How to Protest The Trump Regime Like The Civil Rights Movement
YouTube video by Offline with Jon Favreau
www.youtube.com
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owasow.bsky.social
Omar Wasow @owasow.bsky.social · 4d
“Nice university you got there…”

Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/u...
“U.S. universities were and are the envy of the world,” Mr. Rowan told Bloomberg Television. “We can destroy that. We can lose it.”
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andrew.heiss.phd
Andrew Heiss @andrew.heiss.phd · 5d
If you've ever wanted to learn how to make beautiful websites with #QuartoPub and #rstats , check out this workshop I'm giving in a couple weeks! It'll be a blast (and we're covering Quarto's brand new _brand dot yaml system!)
stathorizons.bsky.social
Statistical Horizons @stathorizons.bsky.social · 20d
Learn to create and publish a professional, data-focused website in “Create an Online Presence with Quarto Websites” on October 16-17, with @andrew.heiss.phd‬! Discover how to use #Quarto to build a variety of websites like personal portfolios, research compendiums, and interactive dashboards.
Quarto Websites | Online Seminar | Code Horizons
This online course taught by Andrew Heiss, Ph.D., teaches you how to use Quarto to build a variety of data-focused websites.
codehorizons.com
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bellack.com
Jonathan Bellack @bellack.com · 5d
Online identity should not be a one size fits all proposition. Different stakeholders (individuals, communities, platforms) have different expectations based on the channel (one-on-one, small group, broadcast, etc). We need technology to support more nuance and control. 1/2
A woman at home talking on a cellphone while watching an online video of a man giving a speech to an audience of people.
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brenttoderian.bsky.social
Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 6d
The “E-Bike Effect:” Those who bought e-bikes increased their average daily bicycle use from 2.1km (1.3 miles) to 9.2km (5.7 miles), a 340% increase. The e-bike share of all their transportation increased dramatically too; from 17% to 49%.

E-bikes support fewer car trips.

V @lloydalter.bsky.social
E-Bikers Ride Much Farther and More Frequently Than Regular Bikers
They are not 'cheating,' but are serious transportation.
www.treehugger.com
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ryanenos.bsky.social
Ryan Enos @ryanenos.bsky.social · 6d
Somebody actually sat down and wrote these two sentences, one after another. www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/u...
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monicamedhist.bsky.social
Monica H Green @monicamedhist.bsky.social · 6d
"I used to say the Army’s No. 1 job was segregation,” he added. “Winning the war was No. 2.”

George Hardy, Tuskegee Airman Who Fought in Three Wars, Dies at 100. Hail and farewell. #GiftLink www.nytimes.com/2025/09/29/u...
George Hardy, Tuskegee Airman Who Fought in Three Wars, Dies at 100
www.nytimes.com
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samd.bsky.social
Sam @samd.bsky.social · 8d
If you live in California, stop what you’re doing and take 2 minutes to call Newsom’s office in support of SB79. Building more housing near transit is good.
hanlon.bsky.social
Brian Hanlon @hanlon.bsky.social · 8d
Please call the Governor and ask him to sign SB 79!

(916) 445-2841
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owasow.bsky.social
Omar Wasow @owasow.bsky.social · 8d
“A 51% majority said the government was mostly deporting people who ‘should be deported.’…

At the same time, a slim majority of voters said the Trump administration’s process for deportation had mostly been unfair, and a majority thought Mr. Trump had gone too far on immigration enforcement.” 🤔
After Volatile Summer, Trump’s Approval Remains Low but Stable, Poll Finds
www.nytimes.com
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annerasmussen.bsky.social
Anne Rasmussen @annerasmussen.bsky.social · 9d
🚨 New paper in @thejop.bsky.social

Why do politicians often misperceive what citizens' policy positions are?

@simonotjes.bsky.social and I study ~10,000 estimates of public opinion by politicians in Denmark & the Netherlands to uncover the sources of these (mis)perceptions

Thread 🧵1/10
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owasow.bsky.social
Omar Wasow @owasow.bsky.social · 10d
In 1923, an Indian American man named Bhagat Singh Thind argued before the U.S. Supreme Court that he was a white man and was therefore eligible to become a naturalized citizen. Why?

Listen for a remarkable world-spanning history that begins more 5000 years ago: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
The Whiteness Myth
Podcast Episode · Throughline · 02/09/2023 · 50m
podcasts.apple.com
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owasow.bsky.social
Omar Wasow @owasow.bsky.social · 10d
With apologies to Robin Williams who said, “Cocaine is God's way of telling you you are making too much money.” en.m.wikiquote.org/wiki/Cocaine
Cocaine - Wikiquote
en.m.wikiquote.org
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owasow.bsky.social
Omar Wasow @owasow.bsky.social · 10d
Social media is God’s way of telling you you have too much time.
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billwearsties.bsky.social
Bill Wolkoff @billwearsties.bsky.social · 10d
Indie director Barbara Marques has been kidnapped by ICE. She is legally married to a U.S. citizen & was at a green card mtg when she was abducted and prevented from seeing her lawyer. Her husband Tucker May does not know where she is. Please spread the word so he can find her /1
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joesudbay.bsky.social
Joe Sudbay @joesudbay.bsky.social · 10d
Nick Valencia, who has been doing amazing reporting, just wrote about this:

“These Are Abductions.” Newlywed Husband Says Wife Taken During Green Card Interview

open.substack.com/pub/nickvale...
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owasow.bsky.social
Omar Wasow @owasow.bsky.social · 10d
Agree trailer does seem like satire but Wired did review the product and met with the CEO.
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owasow.bsky.social
Omar Wasow @owasow.bsky.social · 10d
If you have a Mac or iPhone, the Podcasts app has transcripts. Or maybe something at NPR? www.npr.org/2024/06/06/1...
The Whiteness Myth (Throwback) : Throughline
In 1923, an Indian American man named Bhagat Singh Thind told the U.S. Supreme Court that he was white, and therefore eligible to become a naturalized citizen. He based his claim on the fact that he w...
www.npr.org
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