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Kate Starbird

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

Source: Wikipedia
Kate Starbird
H-index: 38
Communication & Media Studies 30%
Sociology 18%
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by Kate Starbird

katestarbird.bsky.social
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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by Kate Starbird

katestarbird.bsky.social
No. I don’t. Not even a tiny bit.

by Kate Starbird

katestarbird.bsky.social
The pandemic? No. The policies to slow the counting… seemingly designed to create uncertainty that could be leveraged to contest results? Quite possibly.
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by Kate Starbird

katestarbird.bsky.social
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.
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by Kate Starbird

katestarbird.bsky.social
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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by Brendan Nyhan — Reposted by: Kate Starbird, Lisa W. Fazio, David Lazer , and 17 more

brendannyhan.bsky.social
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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by Kate Starbird — Reposted by: Anne Applebaum, Greg Linden

katestarbird.bsky.social
Is it true? Is it false? Does he know he’s lying? Or is he high on his own supply of bullshit? None of it matters. It’s bullshit. All that matters is that it (claims that blue cities are dangerous & lawless) is useful, and he seems to think it is. So then, useful for what? Seems like we’ll find out.
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by Kate Starbird — Reposted by: Anne Applebaum, Christina Pagel

katestarbird.bsky.social
Trump and the right wing bullshit machine working in high gear to motivate and justify a (potentially violent) federal response to unrest that is largely a figment of their imagination and (where it is real) a reaction to federal agitation. A vicious, intentional, and intensifying cycle.
acyn.bsky.social
Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 2d
Trump: Portland is burning to the ground—insurrectionists all over the place. The politicians are afraid for their lives. That’s the only reason they say there’s nothing happening.
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Reposted by: Kate Starbird, Jonathan Wolff, David Rothschild , and 1 more

acyn.bsky.social
Trump: Portland is burning to the ground—insurrectionists all over the place. The politicians are afraid for their lives. That’s the only reason they say there’s nothing happening.
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by Kate Starbird

katestarbird.bsky.social
Concise summary of the Trump admin’s proposed “compact” with universities: “In other words, this is the most sweeping pile of unconstitutional conditions that any American constitutional lawyer has ever seen in the wild.”
fishkin.bsky.social
Joey Fishkin @fishkin.bsky.social · 3d
I thought I'd put the administration's proposed "compact" with universities in context, so I wrote the blog post below.

It's especially for journalists covering this story!

Many details about how the compact itself works and why the administration has retreated to this strategy.
Balkinization: The Art of Replacing the Law with the Deal
A group blog on constitutional law, theory, and politics
balkin.blogspot.com
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Reposted by: Kate Starbird

brunojnavarro.bsky.social
The Nobel prize winner Maria Ressa has said Americans are like “deer in the headlights” amid the collapse of US institutions and free speech under the Trump administration, particularly after Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension.
Americans are ‘deer in the headlights’ in face of Trump assault on free speech, Maria Ressa tells Jon Stewart
Nobel prize winner says US institutions have collapsed much quicker than expected under the Trump administration
www.theguardian.com
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Reposted by: Kate Starbird, Stephen M. Walt, Kim L. Scheppele , and 24 more

fishkin.bsky.social
I thought I'd put the administration's proposed "compact" with universities in context, so I wrote the blog post below.

It's especially for journalists covering this story!

Many details about how the compact itself works and why the administration has retreated to this strategy.
Balkinization: The Art of Replacing the Law with the Deal
A group blog on constitutional law, theory, and politics
balkin.blogspot.com
12 260 540

by Kate Starbird

katestarbird.bsky.social
It’s textbook bullshit. It doesn’t matter (to him) if it’s true or false, or if he believes it or not, just that it’s useful. And in this case, it’s incredibly useful for helping to justify and mobilize his planned violence against — and censorship of — his perceived political enemies.
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by Kate Starbird

katestarbird.bsky.social
Because institutions don't like to sticks their necks out? That's been my experience. But IMO, for this response, at worst, it's a toe in the water of resistance. I would let them know the water is warm there.
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by Kate Starbird

katestarbird.bsky.social
That’s one of the persistent challenges… but I think it’s meant to run atop a federated protocol, like BlueSky does, where the user can choose its feeds and other services.
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by Kate Starbird — Reposted by: Margot C. Finn

katestarbird.bsky.social
Great to see researchers building next generation tools for curating/augmenting social media feeds. There remain sticky challenges for incentivizing and sustaining use of tools like these, but design (eg around attention dynamics) has played a role in where we are right now, and can help get us out.
manoelhortaribeiro.bsky.social
Manoel Horta Ribeiro @manoelhortaribeiro.bsky.social · 21d
Social media feeds today are optimized for engagement, often leading to misalignment between users' intentions and technology use.

In a new paper, we introduce Bonsai, a tool to create feeds based on stated preferences, rather than predicted engagement.

arxiv.org/abs/2509.10776
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by Kate Starbird

katestarbird.bsky.social
There's value in that kind of feedback. As individuals we tend to defend things that we've already said. In this case, it's a group of admin, comms, & lawyers intensely parsing every word, so the psychology may be different... but collective sensemaking suggests some of the same dynamics are in play
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by Kate Starbird — Reposted by: Lisa W. Fazio

katestarbird.bsky.social
Colleagues have pointed out that the Dartmouth response is strategically ambiguous. If I were faculty or alumni, I would provide feedback that: 1) you interpret this to mean that the unviersity is refusing to sign a corrupt contract; and 2) you are proud of the university for taking that stance.
katestarbird.bsky.social
Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · 3d
Dartmouth’s response to the Trump admin’s corrupt contract, short and sweet: “You have often heard me say that higher education is not perfect and that we can do better. At the same time, we will never compromise our academic freedom and our ability to govern ourselves.”
dpmoriarity.bsky.social
Daniel P. Moriarity @dpmoriarity.bsky.social · 3d
Dartmouth response to the Trump Administration Compact

president.dartmouth.edu/news/2025/10...
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by Kate Starbird

katestarbird.bsky.social
Univ comms have a knack for a certain kind of ambiguity. I think there’s value in positive feedback the University will hear from those interpreting this statement as refusal to go along w/ the compact. But it could be setting the stage for signing a different compact as the “draft” language hints.
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by Kate Starbird

katestarbird.bsky.social
Indeed. I hope you all can make it mean what we hope it means.
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by Kate Starbird — Reposted by: Robert C. Richards

katestarbird.bsky.social
Dartmouth’s response to the Trump admin’s corrupt contract, short and sweet: “You have often heard me say that higher education is not perfect and that we can do better. At the same time, we will never compromise our academic freedom and our ability to govern ourselves.”
dpmoriarity.bsky.social
Daniel P. Moriarity @dpmoriarity.bsky.social · 3d
Dartmouth response to the Trump Administration Compact

president.dartmouth.edu/news/2025/10...
Response to the ‘Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education’ | Office of the President
president.dartmouth.edu
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Reposted by: Kate Starbird, Ben H. Ansell, Nancy Kanwisher , and 10 more

dpmoriarity.bsky.social
Dartmouth response to the Trump Administration Compact

president.dartmouth.edu/news/2025/10...
Response to the ‘Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education’ | Office of the President
president.dartmouth.edu
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Reposted by: Kate Starbird, Anupam Chander, Peter Thorne , and 12 more

justinhendrix.bsky.social
Macron remarks are notable- some quotes: "We have been incredibly naive in entrusting our democratic space to social networks that are controlled either by large American entrepreneurs or large Chinese companies, whose interests are not at all the survival or proper functioning of our democracies."
defenddemocracy.bsky.social
Defend Democracy @defenddemocracy.bsky.social · 3d
President Macron: “Europeans, let's wake up!

We have been incredibly naive in entrusting our democratic space to social networks.”

defenddemocracy.eu/macron-democ...
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by Kate Starbird

katestarbird.bsky.social
* and professional propagandists
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Reposted by: Kate Starbird, Martin Paul Eve, Paul M. Schwartz , and 3 more

brsoucek.bsky.social
Strong statement today from UC's Academic Senate:
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Reposted by: Kate Starbird, Eric Goldman, Robert C. Richards , and 4 more

jameeljaffer.bsky.social
Don’t believe anyone who tells you that intelligence shows anything “without a doubt,” but even if the intelligence was water-tight, this strike was still murder. No law permits the deliberate, premeditated killing of civilians.
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Reposted by: Kate Starbird, Nina Jankowicz, Eric Goldman , and 4 more

esqueer.net
This was done at the direction of Pam Bondi. The US government is now dictating what apps you can have on your phone.

The underlying threat here is if Apple didn't comply, they'd slap billions in tariffs on Apple products.
Alt text: Screenshot of a Fox News Digital article reporting that Apple removed the ICEBlock tracking app from its App Store after the Department of Justice raised safety concerns. The article states DOJ officials, under Attorney General Pam Bondi, asked Apple to take down the app, claiming it endangered law enforcement officers and shielded illegal immigrants. Bondi confirmed the removal in a statement, saying ICEBlock put ICE agents at risk and emphasized DOJ’s commitment to protecting federal officers.
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by Kate Starbird

katestarbird.bsky.social
This post here? Sure.
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Reposted by: Kate Starbird

lawfaremedia.org
Rep. Jordan "treated Google’s resistance as proof of censorship, and his own success in getting YouTube to capitulate on a fact-checking policy as a victory for free speech. He isn’t fighting against censorship, he’s redefining it in service to his political objectives," writes @noupside.bsky.social
Speech, Coercion, and the Myth of the Censorship Regime
Google's letter to Rep. Jim Jordan inadvertently provides evidence against the "censorship industrial complex" narrative he is using it to support.
www.lawfaremedia.org
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Reposted by: Kate Starbird, David Lazer, Scott L. Greer , and 9 more

aaup.org
The Trump admin’s offer to give preferential treatment to institutions that toe the party line reeks of bribery in exchange for allegiance to a partisan ideological agenda.

This is corruption.

Adherence to ‘loyalty oaths’ would usher in a new era of thought policing in American higher education.
Universities Must Reject Trump Admin 'Loyalty Oath' Compacts
The AAUP and AFT warn that the Trump administration’s offer to give preferential treatment to colleges and universities that court government favor in exchange for allegiance to a partisan ideological...
www.aaup.org
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