Carol Ann VaughnCross, Ph.D.
@vaughncrossca.bsky.social
Social Historian, Pre-21c Tech History, American Religious History, History of SexRaceReligion in the US Bible Belt; 6th-Generation Alabamian; Anti-Trump 1989+ “All I have is a voice to undo the folded lie” - WA Auden, “Sept 1, 1939”
Reposted by Carol Ann VaughnCross, Ph.D.
Episode 129: “The American Revolution as a World War”
Most of the stories we will tell about the American Revolution during the nation's 250th anniversary in 2026 will take on a feel of American exceptionalism. They will come mostly from within the geographical bounds of what today is the United…
Most of the stories we will tell about the American Revolution during the nation's 250th anniversary in 2026 will take on a feel of American exceptionalism. They will come mostly from within the geographical bounds of what today is the United…
Episode 129: “The American Revolution as a World War”
Most of the stories we will tell about the American Revolution during the nation's 250th anniversary in 2026 will take on a feel of American exceptionalism. They will come mostly from within the geographical bounds of what today is the United States, and most of those stories will concentrate on the eastern seaboard—the so-called "13 colonies." Our guest in this episode, University of Maryland historian Richard Bell, encourages us to take a broader view.
thewayofimprovement.blog
December 2, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Episode 129: “The American Revolution as a World War”
Most of the stories we will tell about the American Revolution during the nation's 250th anniversary in 2026 will take on a feel of American exceptionalism. They will come mostly from within the geographical bounds of what today is the United…
Most of the stories we will tell about the American Revolution during the nation's 250th anniversary in 2026 will take on a feel of American exceptionalism. They will come mostly from within the geographical bounds of what today is the United…
Reposted by Carol Ann VaughnCross, Ph.D.
Unfortunately, the conversation @profgabriele.com and I recently had about the crusades and their role in the worldview and political project of the current US Right remains relevant. bsky.app/profile/arde...
Wrote about it:
December 2, 2025 at 7:53 AM
Unfortunately, the conversation @profgabriele.com and I recently had about the crusades and their role in the worldview and political project of the current US Right remains relevant. bsky.app/profile/arde...
Reposted by Carol Ann VaughnCross, Ph.D.
Contrary to popular reports, DOGE has “burrowed into the agencies like ticks,” government sources tell WIRED. www.wired.com/story/what-i...
DOGE Isn’t Dead. Here’s What Its Operatives Are Doing Now
Contrary to popular reports, DOGE has “burrowed into the agencies like ticks,” government sources tell WIRED.
www.wired.com
December 2, 2025 at 11:03 AM
Contrary to popular reports, DOGE has “burrowed into the agencies like ticks,” government sources tell WIRED. www.wired.com/story/what-i...
Reposted by Carol Ann VaughnCross, Ph.D.
Reposted by Carol Ann VaughnCross, Ph.D.
Aren’t there, like, laws against this?
We just published a deep look into David Sacks, the White House's AI and Crypto czar. The story examines how he has been able keep hundreds of stakes in AI-related and crypto companies as he influences gov policy in those very industries.
Here's what we found:
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/30/t...
Here's what we found:
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/30/t...
Silicon Valley’s Man in the White House Is Benefiting Himself and His Friends
www.nytimes.com
November 30, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Aren’t there, like, laws against this?
Reposted by Carol Ann VaughnCross, Ph.D.
Has any reporter even asked if he is either a government employee or special government employee (SGE)? With a background check, clearance, and conflict of interest adjudication? And like, an official supervisor? Does he get a govt phone? Are his work emails and texts archived per the law?
November 30, 2025 at 11:16 PM
Has any reporter even asked if he is either a government employee or special government employee (SGE)? With a background check, clearance, and conflict of interest adjudication? And like, an official supervisor? Does he get a govt phone? Are his work emails and texts archived per the law?
Reposted by Carol Ann VaughnCross, Ph.D.
What is Jared Kushner's job in the administration?
I’d rather question why is Kushner there and why is he laying out a vision? We did not vote him into any gov position nor the senate we voted for has approved his candidacy.
This isn’t a grey zone anymore, it’s 50 shades of grey.
This isn’t a grey zone anymore, it’s 50 shades of grey.
November 30, 2025 at 11:12 PM
What is Jared Kushner's job in the administration?
Reposted by Carol Ann VaughnCross, Ph.D.
Friends! Here is the first episode of a new podcast i'm hosting. I'm thinking of it as a way of trying to have more of the conversations I have w/ smart ppl about the internet/politics/broken attention economy in public. first guest is the great @hankgreen.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=A492...
Hank Green: It’s Going to Get Worse Before It Gets Better | Galaxy Brain
YouTube video by The Atlantic
www.youtube.com
November 14, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Friends! Here is the first episode of a new podcast i'm hosting. I'm thinking of it as a way of trying to have more of the conversations I have w/ smart ppl about the internet/politics/broken attention economy in public. first guest is the great @hankgreen.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=A492...
Reposted by Carol Ann VaughnCross, Ph.D.
wrote with @matteowong.bsky.social about Elon's ritual humiliation at the hand of his chatbot, Grok. It's hilarious, yes. But it's also a reminder that he's trying to bend his platform/tools to rewrite or warp history (gift link) www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
November 21, 2025 at 7:05 PM
wrote with @matteowong.bsky.social about Elon's ritual humiliation at the hand of his chatbot, Grok. It's hilarious, yes. But it's also a reminder that he's trying to bend his platform/tools to rewrite or warp history (gift link) www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
Reposted by Carol Ann VaughnCross, Ph.D.
this is quite good and thorough www.nytimes.com/2025/11/23/t...
What OpenAI Did When ChatGPT Users Lost Touch With Reality
www.nytimes.com
November 23, 2025 at 6:35 PM
this is quite good and thorough www.nytimes.com/2025/11/23/t...
Reposted by Carol Ann VaughnCross, Ph.D.
An astonishing amount of (mostly pro -Trump) fake news during the 2016 election was created by people just trying to make money in Veles, Macedonia. www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
The Macedonian Fake News Industry and the 2016 US Election | PS: Political Science & Politics | Cambridge Core
The Macedonian Fake News Industry and the 2016 US Election - Volume 54 Issue 1
www.cambridge.org
November 23, 2025 at 7:01 PM
An astonishing amount of (mostly pro -Trump) fake news during the 2016 election was created by people just trying to make money in Veles, Macedonia. www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Reposted by Carol Ann VaughnCross, Ph.D.
this isn't 1 problem caused by 1 platform/piece of technology. it's many overlapping problems caused by a bunch of systems that were optimized for scale and/or built & rolled out without any real care for how they'd be used and abused. one can only conclude this is the desired use for all this tech
Twitter pays people based on engagement (views, retweets, comments, etc). It appears that many MAGA accounts are based abroad and they use AI technology to generate low-effort rage bait.
My guess is that this will get worse as AI tech improves. For instance, fake videos of minorities doing crime.
My guess is that this will get worse as AI tech improves. For instance, fake videos of minorities doing crime.
November 23, 2025 at 6:41 PM
this isn't 1 problem caused by 1 platform/piece of technology. it's many overlapping problems caused by a bunch of systems that were optimized for scale and/or built & rolled out without any real care for how they'd be used and abused. one can only conclude this is the desired use for all this tech
Reposted by Carol Ann VaughnCross, Ph.D.
the culture war/political divide is obviously real. but stuff like this shows it's also heavily amplified by essentially synthetic actors. researchers know this but the extent is notable. the platforms like this engagement. this is a desired outcome for them. fraying the social fabric for ad revenue
November 24, 2025 at 4:44 PM
the culture war/political divide is obviously real. but stuff like this shows it's also heavily amplified by essentially synthetic actors. researchers know this but the extent is notable. the platforms like this engagement. this is a desired outcome for them. fraying the social fabric for ad revenue
Reposted by Carol Ann VaughnCross, Ph.D.
I wrote about the fake account blowup on X this weekend. A genuine post-truth nightmare and proof that these companies have polluted their platforms so thoroughly and traded reality for profit that they've undermined the very idea of what the internet is supposed to be.
That MAGA Account Might Be a Troll From Pakistan
How X blew up its own platform with a new location feature
www.theatlantic.com
November 24, 2025 at 4:33 PM
I wrote about the fake account blowup on X this weekend. A genuine post-truth nightmare and proof that these companies have polluted their platforms so thoroughly and traded reality for profit that they've undermined the very idea of what the internet is supposed to be.
Reposted by Carol Ann VaughnCross, Ph.D.
I’ve graded things you people wouldn’t believe, etc. It just shouldn’t be national news that any particular college student has a brain made of some flavor of mush, or that someone is trying real hard to teach them something. The U of O statement couldn’t spare a single word for the instructor. Ugh.
November 30, 2025 at 11:12 PM
I’ve graded things you people wouldn’t believe, etc. It just shouldn’t be national news that any particular college student has a brain made of some flavor of mush, or that someone is trying real hard to teach them something. The U of O statement couldn’t spare a single word for the instructor. Ugh.
Reposted by Carol Ann VaughnCross, Ph.D.
Alina Habba’s parents emigrated to the US from Iraq citing persecution.
November 30, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Alina Habba’s parents emigrated to the US from Iraq citing persecution.
Reposted by Carol Ann VaughnCross, Ph.D.
The Trump apologist checklist after Trump or his administration does something awful:
1. Fake news, it didn’t happen.
2. It might’ve happened, but it would be OK if it happened.
3. So it happened, so what.
4. Whatabout [insert names of various presidents here]
1. Fake news, it didn’t happen.
2. It might’ve happened, but it would be OK if it happened.
3. So it happened, so what.
4. Whatabout [insert names of various presidents here]
November 30, 2025 at 6:53 PM
The Trump apologist checklist after Trump or his administration does something awful:
1. Fake news, it didn’t happen.
2. It might’ve happened, but it would be OK if it happened.
3. So it happened, so what.
4. Whatabout [insert names of various presidents here]
1. Fake news, it didn’t happen.
2. It might’ve happened, but it would be OK if it happened.
3. So it happened, so what.
4. Whatabout [insert names of various presidents here]
Reposted by Carol Ann VaughnCross, Ph.D.
Senator Kelly is correct.
Plus a Public Service Announcement:
KEY section of Department of Defense's Law of War Manual is 18.3.2.1.
The VERY rule on the "requirement" to refuse illegal orders gives as its paradigmatic example of what is "clearly illegal:
"orders to fire upon the shipwrecked."
Plus a Public Service Announcement:
KEY section of Department of Defense's Law of War Manual is 18.3.2.1.
The VERY rule on the "requirement" to refuse illegal orders gives as its paradigmatic example of what is "clearly illegal:
"orders to fire upon the shipwrecked."
November 30, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Senator Kelly is correct.
Plus a Public Service Announcement:
KEY section of Department of Defense's Law of War Manual is 18.3.2.1.
The VERY rule on the "requirement" to refuse illegal orders gives as its paradigmatic example of what is "clearly illegal:
"orders to fire upon the shipwrecked."
Plus a Public Service Announcement:
KEY section of Department of Defense's Law of War Manual is 18.3.2.1.
The VERY rule on the "requirement" to refuse illegal orders gives as its paradigmatic example of what is "clearly illegal:
"orders to fire upon the shipwrecked."
Reposted by Carol Ann VaughnCross, Ph.D.
Trump pardons a narcotics kingpin, but he blows up fishing boats in the Caribbean.
WHOA. Trump says he will pardon Juan Orlando Hernandez, who once said that he wanted to “shove the drugs right up the noses of the gringos.” He had people killed as part of his narco-trafficking ring, which he at times operated directly out of his presidential office.
November 29, 2025 at 1:18 AM
Trump pardons a narcotics kingpin, but he blows up fishing boats in the Caribbean.
Reposted by Carol Ann VaughnCross, Ph.D.
Assuming every boat Trump and Hegseth blew up contained the amount of drugs they claim, Hernandez was responsible for bringing more drugs into the US than every one of them had combined. By far. And yet, Trump murders 80+ people and counting while pardoning the narco kingpin.
November 29, 2025 at 1:41 AM
Assuming every boat Trump and Hegseth blew up contained the amount of drugs they claim, Hernandez was responsible for bringing more drugs into the US than every one of them had combined. By far. And yet, Trump murders 80+ people and counting while pardoning the narco kingpin.
Reposted by Carol Ann VaughnCross, Ph.D.
This is explicitly confirming the allegation: that he's ordering the killings for their own sake. The logical implication of which is hit them again if there are any survivors, which is both exactly what the Post reported and a cold-blooded textbook war crime.
a lot of words, none of them denying that Hegseth gave an order to kill helpless people who were stranded at sea after he blew up their boats
November 29, 2025 at 1:57 AM
This is explicitly confirming the allegation: that he's ordering the killings for their own sake. The logical implication of which is hit them again if there are any survivors, which is both exactly what the Post reported and a cold-blooded textbook war crime.
Reposted by Carol Ann VaughnCross, Ph.D.
Unavoidable conclusion: SCOTUS has put 1 man in America above the law & created a king. Not the first time a case has been decided wrong. The fix for democracy lies, as it did in Dred Scott, with fixing a broken decision. Hopefully this one won’t require a civil war. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/u...
Judge Dismisses Georgia Election Interference Case Against Trump
www.nytimes.com
November 26, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Unavoidable conclusion: SCOTUS has put 1 man in America above the law & created a king. Not the first time a case has been decided wrong. The fix for democracy lies, as it did in Dred Scott, with fixing a broken decision. Hopefully this one won’t require a civil war. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/u...
Reposted by Carol Ann VaughnCross, Ph.D.
The shooting, to be clear, is the responsibility of the shooter. But it's a sad tragedy ahead of the holiday. Having experienced a loss during the holidays, my heart breaks for all of people involved and their families.
November 27, 2025 at 12:01 AM
The shooting, to be clear, is the responsibility of the shooter. But it's a sad tragedy ahead of the holiday. Having experienced a loss during the holidays, my heart breaks for all of people involved and their families.
Reposted by Carol Ann VaughnCross, Ph.D.
A sad irony in Washington, D.C., where West Virginia National Guardsmen were shot today. Six days ago, a court ruled their deployment was illegal, but stayed the order pending appeal. My heart goes out to these public servants and their families. oag.dc.gov/sites/defaul...
November 26, 2025 at 11:48 PM
A sad irony in Washington, D.C., where West Virginia National Guardsmen were shot today. Six days ago, a court ruled their deployment was illegal, but stayed the order pending appeal. My heart goes out to these public servants and their families. oag.dc.gov/sites/defaul...
Reposted by Carol Ann VaughnCross, Ph.D.
National Guard aren’t ICE or Border Patrol. They didn’t sign up looking to harass and repress people. They’re volunteers, part time, in case of emergency. They didn’t ask for this.
West Virginia National Guard shouldn’t have been deployed in Washington DC.
Victims of the shooter and the president.
West Virginia National Guard shouldn’t have been deployed in Washington DC.
Victims of the shooter and the president.
November 28, 2025 at 3:06 AM
National Guard aren’t ICE or Border Patrol. They didn’t sign up looking to harass and repress people. They’re volunteers, part time, in case of emergency. They didn’t ask for this.
West Virginia National Guard shouldn’t have been deployed in Washington DC.
Victims of the shooter and the president.
West Virginia National Guard shouldn’t have been deployed in Washington DC.
Victims of the shooter and the president.