Alys Brooks
@alysbrooks.bsky.social
Freelance writer, reporter, and developer. she/her/hers. @transjournalists.org member. @MarquetteU alumna. Words @rewirenewsgroup.com, CapTimes, Door County Knock
Pinned
![Single-panel XKCD comic featuring two stick figures, one with a pony tail ("Ponytail") and one with no hair ("Cueball")
[Ponytail and Cueball are talking. Ponytail has her hand raised, palm up, towards Cueball.]
Ponytail: Silicate chemistry is second nature to us geochemists, so it's easy to forget that the average person probably only knows the formulas for olivine and one or two feldspars.
Cueball: And quartz, of course.
Ponytail: Of course.
[Caption below the panel]
Even when they're trying to compensate for it, experts in anything wildly overestimate the average person's familiarity with their field."
Transcription from Explain XKCD.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:6nnyd6iazdj7me322fy5ncyt/bafkreih7h5yhhkkpi42cjb5c7kokeeje4yfbmp6cu4b7ghoibqulgmg4dm@jpeg)
I think this comic applies to discussions about what the electorate knows more than we'd like to admit.
Lisa Desjardins of PBS NewsHour is reporting there may be a deal. Her summary:
"- CR through Jan 30
- ACA vote by a December date Dems choose the bill
- Minibus with reversal of shutdown RIFs
- SNAP is funded through next September"
x.com/LisaDNews/st...
"- CR through Jan 30
- ACA vote by a December date Dems choose the bill
- Minibus with reversal of shutdown RIFs
- SNAP is funded through next September"
x.com/LisaDNews/st...
Lisa Desjardins on X: "SENATE DEAL: Per source familiar, deal w GOP led by Sens King, Hassan, Shaheen has “more than enough” Dems supporting it. - CR through Jan 30 - ACA vote by a December date Dems choose the bill - Minibus with reversal of shutdown RIFs - SNAP is funded through next September" / X
SENATE DEAL: Per source familiar, deal w GOP led by Sens King, Hassan, Shaheen has “more than enough” Dems supporting it. - CR through Jan 30 - ACA vote by a December date Dems choose the bill - Minibus with reversal of shutdown RIFs - SNAP is funded through next September
x.com
November 9, 2025 at 11:54 PM
Lisa Desjardins of PBS NewsHour is reporting there may be a deal. Her summary:
"- CR through Jan 30
- ACA vote by a December date Dems choose the bill
- Minibus with reversal of shutdown RIFs
- SNAP is funded through next September"
x.com/LisaDNews/st...
"- CR through Jan 30
- ACA vote by a December date Dems choose the bill
- Minibus with reversal of shutdown RIFs
- SNAP is funded through next September"
x.com/LisaDNews/st...
Reposted by Alys Brooks
@burness.bsky.social has been on top of this story for years, read him here on this latest: boltsmag.org/five-ways-20...
November 7, 2025 at 9:01 PM
@burness.bsky.social has been on top of this story for years, read him here on this latest: boltsmag.org/five-ways-20...
Reposted by Alys Brooks
The Supreme Court has granted the Trump administration’s emergency appeal to temporarily block a court order to fully fund SNAP food aid payments during the government shutdown.
Trump administration seeks to halt SNAP food aid payments after a court order
The Trump administration has asked a federal appeals court to block a judge’s order to distribute November’s full SNAP benefits during a U.S. government shutdown. U.S.
bit.ly
November 8, 2025 at 2:35 AM
The Supreme Court has granted the Trump administration’s emergency appeal to temporarily block a court order to fully fund SNAP food aid payments during the government shutdown.
Reposted by Alys Brooks
Panera’s moderately caffeinated lemonade was loosely associated with 2 deaths before it was taken off market.
This article alone has 4 examples of ChatGPT encouraging young people to commit suicide, and OpenAI’s own public stats estimate over a million users discuss suicide with ChatGPT each week.
This article alone has 4 examples of ChatGPT encouraging young people to commit suicide, and OpenAI’s own public stats estimate over a million users discuss suicide with ChatGPT each week.
I fully believe in the corporate death penalty and believe we would be a better world if OpenAI lost its corporate charter and was forcibly dissolved.
www.cnn.com/2025/11/06/u...
www.cnn.com/2025/11/06/u...
ChatGPT encouraged college graduate to commit suicide, family claims in lawsuit against OpenAI | CNN
A 23-year-old man killed himself in Texas after ChatGPT ‘goaded’ him to commit suicide, his family says in a lawsuit.
www.cnn.com
November 7, 2025 at 10:56 PM
Panera’s moderately caffeinated lemonade was loosely associated with 2 deaths before it was taken off market.
This article alone has 4 examples of ChatGPT encouraging young people to commit suicide, and OpenAI’s own public stats estimate over a million users discuss suicide with ChatGPT each week.
This article alone has 4 examples of ChatGPT encouraging young people to commit suicide, and OpenAI’s own public stats estimate over a million users discuss suicide with ChatGPT each week.
Reposted by Alys Brooks
Index of Consumer Sentiment (by University of Michigan) is just about its all-time low.
November 7, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Index of Consumer Sentiment (by University of Michigan) is just about its all-time low.
Reposted by Alys Brooks
The "Trump v. Hawaii" standard they're citing to justify this was the case in Trump 1.0 when SCOTUS greenlit his Muslim travel ban, emphasizing that your rights are only as strong as your neighbors
NEW: On the shadow docket, the Supreme Court lets Trump resume misgendering trans Americans on their passports, claiming "the government is merely attesting to a historical fact without subjecting anyone to differential treatment." All three liberals dissent. www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
![This case concerns an Executive Branch policy requiring
all new passports to display an individual’s biological sex at
birth. The United States District Court for the District of
Massachusetts preliminarily enjoined the Government
from enforcing the policy, and the First Circuit declined to
stay the injunction pending appeal. The Government then
filed this stay application. Applying our familiar stay fac-
tors at this preliminary stage, we grant the application.
Displaying passport holders’ sex at birth no more offends
equal protection principles than displaying their country of
birth—in both cases, the Government is merely attesting to
a historical fact without subjecting anyone to differential
treatment. And on this record, respondents have failed to
establish that the Government’s choice to display biological
sex “lack[s] any purpose other than a bare . . . desire to
harm a politically unpopular group.” Trump v. Hawaii, 585
U. S. 667, 705 (2018) (internal quotation marks omitted).
Nor are respondents likely to prevail in arguing that the
State Department acted arbitrarily and capriciously by de-
clining to depart from Presidential rules that Congress ex-
pressly required it to follow. See 22 U. S. C. §211a.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:6h7b2i6ttw3l4t7pvbvxdith/bafkreiacrtgoecxjy5y7ojz7xzbun4c4nwutjcvqn4qb4p25ldpt6va5lu@jpeg)
November 6, 2025 at 11:05 PM
The "Trump v. Hawaii" standard they're citing to justify this was the case in Trump 1.0 when SCOTUS greenlit his Muslim travel ban, emphasizing that your rights are only as strong as your neighbors
Reposted by Alys Brooks
Firmly believe one of the ways to improve trust in journalism among young people is to support them in learning to research, write, and report themselves. Even if they never pursue it as a job, it helps to understand the process, and encourages them to engage with their local journalism outlets.
About half of the teens surveyed believe that journalists frequently “make up details, such as quotes” and “pay for sources.” More than a third of teens believe journalists could improve by simply “Telling the truth,” “Fact checking,” and “Not lying.” buff.ly/7vgO0ci
“Biased,” “Boring,” “Chaotic,” and “Bad”: A majority of teens hold negative views of news media, report finds
About half of the teens surveyed believe that journalists frequently “make up details, such as quotes” and “pay for sources.”
www.niemanlab.org
November 6, 2025 at 11:51 PM
Firmly believe one of the ways to improve trust in journalism among young people is to support them in learning to research, write, and report themselves. Even if they never pursue it as a job, it helps to understand the process, and encourages them to engage with their local journalism outlets.
Reposted by Alys Brooks
NEW: On the shadow docket, the Supreme Court lets Trump resume misgendering trans Americans on their passports, claiming "the government is merely attesting to a historical fact without subjecting anyone to differential treatment." All three liberals dissent. www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
November 6, 2025 at 8:16 PM
NEW: On the shadow docket, the Supreme Court lets Trump resume misgendering trans Americans on their passports, claiming "the government is merely attesting to a historical fact without subjecting anyone to differential treatment." All three liberals dissent. www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
Reposted by Alys Brooks
Pulitzer Prize photo right here.
November 6, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Pulitzer Prize photo right here.
Reposted by Alys Brooks
BREAKING: Colorado voters approved a ballot measure that would raise state income taxes on higher-earning households to fund free meals for all public school students.
Follow AP for live updates.
Follow AP for live updates.
Live updates: US voters head to the polls in first general election since Trump's return to power
One year after Donald Trump retook the presidency, 2025 Election Day includes closely watched races for New York City mayor, New Jersey governor and California's Proposition 50.
bit.ly
November 5, 2025 at 3:33 AM
BREAKING: Colorado voters approved a ballot measure that would raise state income taxes on higher-earning households to fund free meals for all public school students.
Follow AP for live updates.
Follow AP for live updates.
In contrast to what some strategists and editorial boards have urged, Zohran Mamdani's campaign embraced groups targeted by the Trump administration.
"Here we believe in standing up for those we love, whether you are an immigrant, a member of the trans community, one of the many black women Trump has fired, a single mom waiting for the cost of groceries to go down, or anyone else with your back against the wall. Your struggle is ours too."
November 5, 2025 at 4:50 AM
In contrast to what some strategists and editorial boards have urged, Zohran Mamdani's campaign embraced groups targeted by the Trump administration.
BTW, great lede by The 19th reporter @gracepanetta.bsky.social: "Democratic Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani has twice defeated Andrew Cuomo, who resigned as governor in the face of sexual harassment allegations, in New York City’s mayoral race."
November 5, 2025 at 2:37 AM
BTW, great lede by The 19th reporter @gracepanetta.bsky.social: "Democratic Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani has twice defeated Andrew Cuomo, who resigned as governor in the face of sexual harassment allegations, in New York City’s mayoral race."
Reposted by Alys Brooks
Zohran Mamdani will be New York’s youngest mayor in over a century and the city’s first Muslim and first South Asian mayor. He has twice defeated Andrew Cuomo, who resigned as governor in the face of sexual harassment allegations. https://bit.ly/47pa8LH
Zohran Mamdani, who ran on universal child care, elected New York City mayor
Mamdani defeated Andrew Cuomo, who resigned as governor in 2021 in the face of sexual misconduct allegations.
19thnews.org
November 5, 2025 at 2:11 AM
Zohran Mamdani will be New York’s youngest mayor in over a century and the city’s first Muslim and first South Asian mayor. He has twice defeated Andrew Cuomo, who resigned as governor in the face of sexual harassment allegations. https://bit.ly/47pa8LH
Reposted by Alys Brooks
Sliwa is giving his concession speech, and he just conceded to Mamdani.
November 5, 2025 at 2:28 AM
Sliwa is giving his concession speech, and he just conceded to Mamdani.
Even if the robots were first here, it would be because of a lot of human effort: people at news agencies calling races, people publishing the called races, and of course poll workers actually making sure all the ballots are collected and tabulated.
the humans at Wikipedia already have Abigail Spanberger's win; the robots at Grokipedia do not
November 5, 2025 at 1:01 AM
Even if the robots were first here, it would be because of a lot of human effort: people at news agencies calling races, people publishing the called races, and of course poll workers actually making sure all the ballots are collected and tabulated.
Reposted by Alys Brooks
Virginia has elected Ghazala Hashmi as the state’s next lieutenant governor, making her the first Muslim woman ever elected to statewide office in the United States. 19thnews.org/2025/11/virg...
November 5, 2025 at 12:41 AM
Virginia has elected Ghazala Hashmi as the state’s next lieutenant governor, making her the first Muslim woman ever elected to statewide office in the United States. 19thnews.org/2025/11/virg...
Reposted by Alys Brooks
Importantly: Polls are still open in Atlanta. It's really not a good practice to call races while polls are open in a region of the state.
November 5, 2025 at 12:52 AM
Importantly: Polls are still open in Atlanta. It's really not a good practice to call races while polls are open in a region of the state.
Reposted by Alys Brooks
HUGE. Important first result tonight. Decision Desk has called Virginia governor for Spanberger. election-night.decisiondeskhq.com/date/2025-11...
November 5, 2025 at 12:35 AM
HUGE. Important first result tonight. Decision Desk has called Virginia governor for Spanberger. election-night.decisiondeskhq.com/date/2025-11...
Former Vice President Dick Cheney died yesterday at 84. Considered by many to be a uniquely powerful vice president, Cheney advocated for the Iraq war, which ultimately cost hundreds of thousands of lives. He also pushed for the U.S. to use torture and mass surveillance as part of the war on terror.
November 5, 2025 at 12:50 AM
Former Vice President Dick Cheney died yesterday at 84. Considered by many to be a uniquely powerful vice president, Cheney advocated for the Iraq war, which ultimately cost hundreds of thousands of lives. He also pushed for the U.S. to use torture and mass surveillance as part of the war on terror.
Reposted by Alys Brooks
👀 Scoop: IRS Direct File, the free government-backed program that let you file your taxes for free, is dead.
IRS wrote to state tax agencies saying it would not be operational this coming tax season, per records I've obtained.
IRS Direct File: 2023-2025.
(Story from when the pilot launched.)
IRS wrote to state tax agencies saying it would not be operational this coming tax season, per records I've obtained.
IRS Direct File: 2023-2025.
(Story from when the pilot launched.)
IRS tests free e-filing system that could compete with tax-prep giants
The tax agency has quietly built its own prototype system for filing tax returns digitally and free of charge, according to current and former officials.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 4, 2025 at 9:42 PM
👀 Scoop: IRS Direct File, the free government-backed program that let you file your taxes for free, is dead.
IRS wrote to state tax agencies saying it would not be operational this coming tax season, per records I've obtained.
IRS Direct File: 2023-2025.
(Story from when the pilot launched.)
IRS wrote to state tax agencies saying it would not be operational this coming tax season, per records I've obtained.
IRS Direct File: 2023-2025.
(Story from when the pilot launched.)
Reposted by Alys Brooks
today’s information came out piecemeal, and people should be able to share their own situations on their own time, but I could share this much ^ as it is pretty cut and dry on the facts.
Teen Vogue also no longer has any trans staffers as of today.
Teen Vogue also no longer has any trans staffers as of today.
November 3, 2025 at 11:28 PM
today’s information came out piecemeal, and people should be able to share their own situations on their own time, but I could share this much ^ as it is pretty cut and dry on the facts.
Teen Vogue also no longer has any trans staffers as of today.
Teen Vogue also no longer has any trans staffers as of today.
Reposted by Alys Brooks
thank you for all the support; the statement from our union is now live here with some more reporting.
now that this is public I can confirm that the majority of today’s layoffs were women of color. there are no longer any Black women working at Teen Vogue.
now that this is public I can confirm that the majority of today’s layoffs were women of color. there are no longer any Black women working at Teen Vogue.
November 3, 2025 at 11:25 PM
thank you for all the support; the statement from our union is now live here with some more reporting.
now that this is public I can confirm that the majority of today’s layoffs were women of color. there are no longer any Black women working at Teen Vogue.
now that this is public I can confirm that the majority of today’s layoffs were women of color. there are no longer any Black women working at Teen Vogue.
Reposted by Alys Brooks
Their cruelty knows no bounds.
Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon has ordered trans military members to appear at their separation board hearings in drag, dressed and groomed to the standards of their sex assigned at birth and not their gender identity.
www.advocate.com/news/pentago...
Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon has ordered trans military members to appear at their separation board hearings in drag, dressed and groomed to the standards of their sex assigned at birth and not their gender identity.
www.advocate.com/news/pentago...
New Pentagon memo dictates how transgender troops must look to defend their service
“This administration is desperate to distract from the reality that these service members have impeccable records and that there is no reason whatsoever to separate them from military service,” attorn...
www.advocate.com
November 3, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Their cruelty knows no bounds.
Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon has ordered trans military members to appear at their separation board hearings in drag, dressed and groomed to the standards of their sex assigned at birth and not their gender identity.
www.advocate.com/news/pentago...
Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon has ordered trans military members to appear at their separation board hearings in drag, dressed and groomed to the standards of their sex assigned at birth and not their gender identity.
www.advocate.com/news/pentago...
Reposted by Alys Brooks
Here in Atlanta yesterday, more than 2,000 people waited in their cars—one woman for 14 hours—for a box of food. The giveaway ended early; there wasn't enough to go around.
Multiply this scene by countless others across the country, and you get a sense of how crushing the desperation is right now.
Multiply this scene by countless others across the country, and you get a sense of how crushing the desperation is right now.
November 2, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Here in Atlanta yesterday, more than 2,000 people waited in their cars—one woman for 14 hours—for a box of food. The giveaway ended early; there wasn't enough to go around.
Multiply this scene by countless others across the country, and you get a sense of how crushing the desperation is right now.
Multiply this scene by countless others across the country, and you get a sense of how crushing the desperation is right now.
Disagreements among LGBTQ people — including disagreements about who should be included at all — are real, but this one-sided article lacks context and doesn’t show the disagreements are growing.
From my own experience and surveys, LGB people who don’t think we belong are a minority.
From my own experience and surveys, LGB people who don’t think we belong are a minority.
In which a straight woman highlights a bunch of known anti trans activists and claims there's a divide in the queer community.
It's pure propaganda and gaslighting.
It's pure propaganda and gaslighting.
November 2, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Disagreements among LGBTQ people — including disagreements about who should be included at all — are real, but this one-sided article lacks context and doesn’t show the disagreements are growing.
From my own experience and surveys, LGB people who don’t think we belong are a minority.
From my own experience and surveys, LGB people who don’t think we belong are a minority.