Ben Carter
@archaeoscape.bsky.social
Archaeologist. Open. Community/ Public. Digital. GIS. LiDAR. Landscape. Small scale + non-hierarchical. Andes, Ecuador, Maine, Pennsylvania. Studying the construction of landscapes of resistance... Maine-iac. Views are my own (not my employers).
Reposted by Ben Carter
UPDATE: “The Washington National Opera decided to move out of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts where it has played since 1971 in perhaps the largest artistic rebuke yet to Trump’s campaign to remake the Kennedy Center in his image.”
Washington National Opera Is Leaving the Kennedy Center
www.nytimes.com
January 9, 2026 at 11:11 PM
UPDATE: “The Washington National Opera decided to move out of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts where it has played since 1971 in perhaps the largest artistic rebuke yet to Trump’s campaign to remake the Kennedy Center in his image.”
Reposted by Ben Carter
Timeline cleanse
Badger grooming parlour. If you've got an itch, you gotta scratch it eh?
Many thanks Bob Eade for this wonderful film of Badger behaviour.
Many thanks Bob Eade for this wonderful film of Badger behaviour.
January 9, 2026 at 11:32 AM
Timeline cleanse
Reposted by Ben Carter
Oh my gosh you guys! The House just passed my bill to extend the health care tax credits for three more years!
January 8, 2026 at 10:39 PM
Oh my gosh you guys! The House just passed my bill to extend the health care tax credits for three more years!
Reposted by Ben Carter
Ongoing and obvious reminder that firing chemical weapons directly at people's heads like this *is* deadly force.
January 8, 2026 at 4:57 PM
Ongoing and obvious reminder that firing chemical weapons directly at people's heads like this *is* deadly force.
Reposted by Ben Carter
#2.
Excellent, clarifying piece on the (real) legal pathway that Minnesota has to prosecute the ICE agent who shot and killed a woman today.
No, federal agents do not have absolute immunity from start charges, no matter what the Trump administration claims.
No, federal agents do not have absolute immunity from start charges, no matter what the Trump administration claims.
Wrote a piece for @slate.com explaining that states have a long history of prosecuting federal officers when they allegedly use excessive force. Federal officers are only immune from such prosecutions when they act reasonably in carrying out lawful duties.
January 8, 2026 at 12:36 AM
#2.
Reposted by Ben Carter
There is currently an enormous protest in the streets of Minneapolis in response to the murder there today by the American Gestapo, ICE. I take some comfort in this.
January 8, 2026 at 12:26 AM
There is currently an enormous protest in the streets of Minneapolis in response to the murder there today by the American Gestapo, ICE. I take some comfort in this.
Reposted by Ben Carter
This is excellent coverage: it gives readers context beyond the specific incident, showing a pattern of excessive force, and also documents that DHS keeps using the same and increasingly debunked explanations. Much better than both sidesing the shooting.
Important context for claims that the Nicole Renee Good was obstructing/assaulting officers before she was shot & killed:
The last time immigration agents shot a woman (Marimar Martinez, Chicago) they made similar claims. Prosecutors have already dropped the charges www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news...
The last time immigration agents shot a woman (Marimar Martinez, Chicago) they made similar claims. Prosecutors have already dropped the charges www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news...
Deadly Minneapolis ICE shooting echoes Franklin Park, Marimar Martinez shootings during Operation Midway Blitz
The deadly Minneapolis shooting by an ICE agent that killed a woman Wednesday morning recalls shootings by federal immigration agents in Chicago during the height of Operation Midway Blitz in the fall...
www.cbsnews.com
January 7, 2026 at 11:37 PM
This is excellent coverage: it gives readers context beyond the specific incident, showing a pattern of excessive force, and also documents that DHS keeps using the same and increasingly debunked explanations. Much better than both sidesing the shooting.
Reposted by Ben Carter
Black Lives Matter LA:
An off-duty ICE cop murdered a Black father on New Year’s Eve.
Join community and extended family for a candlelight vigil in honor of #KeithPorter aka Pooter on
SUNDAY AT 6PM AT 17171 Roscoe Blvd. in Northridge
(where Brother Keith was slain). Bring candles. #AbolishICE
An off-duty ICE cop murdered a Black father on New Year’s Eve.
Join community and extended family for a candlelight vigil in honor of #KeithPorter aka Pooter on
SUNDAY AT 6PM AT 17171 Roscoe Blvd. in Northridge
(where Brother Keith was slain). Bring candles. #AbolishICE
January 5, 2026 at 1:33 AM
Black Lives Matter LA:
An off-duty ICE cop murdered a Black father on New Year’s Eve.
Join community and extended family for a candlelight vigil in honor of #KeithPorter aka Pooter on
SUNDAY AT 6PM AT 17171 Roscoe Blvd. in Northridge
(where Brother Keith was slain). Bring candles. #AbolishICE
An off-duty ICE cop murdered a Black father on New Year’s Eve.
Join community and extended family for a candlelight vigil in honor of #KeithPorter aka Pooter on
SUNDAY AT 6PM AT 17171 Roscoe Blvd. in Northridge
(where Brother Keith was slain). Bring candles. #AbolishICE
Reposted by Ben Carter
I was offline much of the afternoon and haven't seen much about this yet but everything I've seen is, in a word, horrendous
"A doctor at the scene attempted to help the woman who was shot, but was kept away by federal agents. When an ambulance finally arrived, it was blocked from reaching her by law-enforcement vehicles, and paramedics had to reach her on foot."
A Deadly Shooting in Minnesota
A federal immigration agent’s killing of a woman driving an SUV fits into a tragic pattern.
www.theatlantic.com
January 8, 2026 at 12:43 AM
I was offline much of the afternoon and haven't seen much about this yet but everything I've seen is, in a word, horrendous
Reposted by Ben Carter
ICE’s public violence should be a reminder that they commit brutal acts in private facilities too.
Every report has been horrific and we only have the smallest glimpse into the horrors.
Every report has been horrific and we only have the smallest glimpse into the horrors.
2025 was ICE’s deadliest year in two decades. Here are the 32 people who died in custody
The deaths came as the Trump administration ramped up immigration enforcement, detaining a record number of people
www.theguardian.com
January 7, 2026 at 8:11 PM
ICE’s public violence should be a reminder that they commit brutal acts in private facilities too.
Every report has been horrific and we only have the smallest glimpse into the horrors.
Every report has been horrific and we only have the smallest glimpse into the horrors.
Reposted by Ben Carter
masked, unidentified goons who assault and murder with impunity. a literal gestapo.
This is the ICE agent who murdered a woman by shooting her multiple times in the face.
January 7, 2026 at 7:36 PM
masked, unidentified goons who assault and murder with impunity. a literal gestapo.
Reposted by Ben Carter
I need people to wrap their minds around the fact that here in Minneapolis, ICE broke the window of a vehicle yesterday, pepper sprayed the occupants, and arrested them, and shot another observer in the face today, and OBSERVERS ARE STILL GOING OUT TO PROTECT THEIR NEIGHBORS AT MASSIVE PERSONAL RISK
I’m eating lunch, I’m having a panic attack, I’m charging my phone, and then I’m going back out to try and keep my neighborhood safe.
January 7, 2026 at 5:47 PM
I need people to wrap their minds around the fact that here in Minneapolis, ICE broke the window of a vehicle yesterday, pepper sprayed the occupants, and arrested them, and shot another observer in the face today, and OBSERVERS ARE STILL GOING OUT TO PROTECT THEIR NEIGHBORS AT MASSIVE PERSONAL RISK
Reposted by Ben Carter
“With an assist from A.I., he said: “You can effectively separate private value from common value, which will allow the human mating market to go from zero sum to positive sum for the first time in human history, which could unlock untold human well-being and happiness.”
I would laugh so hard.
I would laugh so hard.
Prompt: A room I would never set foot in.
Can You Optimize Love?
www.nytimes.com
January 7, 2026 at 2:57 PM
“With an assist from A.I., he said: “You can effectively separate private value from common value, which will allow the human mating market to go from zero sum to positive sum for the first time in human history, which could unlock untold human well-being and happiness.”
I would laugh so hard.
I would laugh so hard.
Reposted by Ben Carter
Generative AI is an engine for churning out contaminated information faster than people can produce safe information, let alone fact check and correct it.
And corrections never remove the original contamination, it's an attempt to stem the metaphorical bleeding and hope for the best. 11/
And corrections never remove the original contamination, it's an attempt to stem the metaphorical bleeding and hope for the best. 11/
January 6, 2026 at 3:12 AM
Generative AI is an engine for churning out contaminated information faster than people can produce safe information, let alone fact check and correct it.
And corrections never remove the original contamination, it's an attempt to stem the metaphorical bleeding and hope for the best. 11/
And corrections never remove the original contamination, it's an attempt to stem the metaphorical bleeding and hope for the best. 11/
Reposted by Ben Carter
"I’m going to pause here just to review: an institution that purports to be a university has told a philosophy professor he is forbidden from teaching Plato."
surreal times
dailynous.com/2026/01/06/t...
surreal times
dailynous.com/2026/01/06/t...
Texas A&M Bans Plato - Daily Nous
Drop the race and gender material from your course and the Plato readings, or teach a different course. You have a day to decide. That's a paraphrase of what Martin Peterson, professor of philosophy a...
dailynous.com
January 7, 2026 at 10:36 AM
"I’m going to pause here just to review: an institution that purports to be a university has told a philosophy professor he is forbidden from teaching Plato."
surreal times
dailynous.com/2026/01/06/t...
surreal times
dailynous.com/2026/01/06/t...
Reposted by Ben Carter
Professor Fired for Charlie Kirk Post Gets $500,000 From School, Is Reinstated
Professor Fired for Charlie Kirk Post Gets $500,000 From School, Is Reinstated
Professor Darren Michael has reportedly been reinstated and given $50,000 after being fired over posts about assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The post Professor Fired for Charlie Kirk Post Gets $500,000 From School, Is Reinstated first appeared on Mediaite.
dlvr.it
January 7, 2026 at 3:09 AM
Professor Fired for Charlie Kirk Post Gets $500,000 From School, Is Reinstated
Reposted by Ben Carter
What do these companies have in common?
-Cigna
-Comcast
-General Mills
-Allstate
-Marriott
-Hilton
-Walmart
-Amazon
-Microsoft
-Meta
All promised after January 6, 2021 to stop funding lawmakers who tried to overturn the 2020 election.
And all have broken that promise.
-Cigna
-Comcast
-General Mills
-Allstate
-Marriott
-Hilton
-Walmart
-Amazon
-Microsoft
-Meta
All promised after January 6, 2021 to stop funding lawmakers who tried to overturn the 2020 election.
And all have broken that promise.
January 6, 2026 at 5:15 PM
What do these companies have in common?
-Cigna
-Comcast
-General Mills
-Allstate
-Marriott
-Hilton
-Walmart
-Amazon
-Microsoft
-Meta
All promised after January 6, 2021 to stop funding lawmakers who tried to overturn the 2020 election.
And all have broken that promise.
-Cigna
-Comcast
-General Mills
-Allstate
-Marriott
-Hilton
-Walmart
-Amazon
-Microsoft
-Meta
All promised after January 6, 2021 to stop funding lawmakers who tried to overturn the 2020 election.
And all have broken that promise.
Reposted by Ben Carter
Reposted by Ben Carter
DELL EXEC: Consumers are “not buying based on AI. In fact I think AI probably confuses them more than it helps them understand a specific outcome."
@pcgamer.com #CES
www.pcgamer.com/hardware/del...
@pcgamer.com #CES
www.pcgamer.com/hardware/del...
Dell seems to be the first to realise we don't actually care about AI PCs
"What we've learned over the course of this year, from a consumer perspective, is they're not buying based on AI."
www.pcgamer.com
January 6, 2026 at 11:26 PM
DELL EXEC: Consumers are “not buying based on AI. In fact I think AI probably confuses them more than it helps them understand a specific outcome."
@pcgamer.com #CES
www.pcgamer.com/hardware/del...
@pcgamer.com #CES
www.pcgamer.com/hardware/del...
Reposted by Ben Carter
NEW: X/Twitters continue to freely use xAI's Grok to generate and disseminate nonconsensual explicit deepfakes of real women and underage girls.
Neither X nor xAI have taken meaningful action to fix the issue. So we're following that inaction live:
futurism.com/artificial-i...
Neither X nor xAI have taken meaningful action to fix the issue. So we're following that inaction live:
futurism.com/artificial-i...
January 6, 2026 at 9:33 PM
NEW: X/Twitters continue to freely use xAI's Grok to generate and disseminate nonconsensual explicit deepfakes of real women and underage girls.
Neither X nor xAI have taken meaningful action to fix the issue. So we're following that inaction live:
futurism.com/artificial-i...
Neither X nor xAI have taken meaningful action to fix the issue. So we're following that inaction live:
futurism.com/artificial-i...
Reposted by Ben Carter
“Secretaries Rubio and Hegseth looked every senator in the eye a few weeks ago and said this wasn’t about regime change. I didn’t trust them then and we see now that they blatantly lied to Congress.”
— NJ Sen. Andy Kim, a former national security adviser, on the illegally of Trump’s unauthorized war
— NJ Sen. Andy Kim, a former national security adviser, on the illegally of Trump’s unauthorized war
Members of Congress Decry Trump’s Act of War on Venezuela as “Illegal”
Senators and House members accuse Trump and his aides of disregarding the Constitution and lying to Congress.
www.thenation.com
January 3, 2026 at 10:09 PM
“Secretaries Rubio and Hegseth looked every senator in the eye a few weeks ago and said this wasn’t about regime change. I didn’t trust them then and we see now that they blatantly lied to Congress.”
— NJ Sen. Andy Kim, a former national security adviser, on the illegally of Trump’s unauthorized war
— NJ Sen. Andy Kim, a former national security adviser, on the illegally of Trump’s unauthorized war
Reposted by Ben Carter
The firing of Sang Hea Kil from her tenured professorship at San Jose State for her pro-Palestinian speech has major implications for academic freedom and unions at public universities.
Despite unanimously winning the faculty hearing, the campus president overturned the decision.
Read more here👇
Despite unanimously winning the faculty hearing, the campus president overturned the decision.
Read more here👇
San Jose State professor fights back after being fired over Palestine protest
San Jose State professor Sang Hea Kil was suspended over allegations related to a Palestine protest, and now the university plans to fire her. Omar Zahzah speaks with Kil about the precedent set by he...
mondoweiss.net
January 5, 2026 at 6:09 PM
The firing of Sang Hea Kil from her tenured professorship at San Jose State for her pro-Palestinian speech has major implications for academic freedom and unions at public universities.
Despite unanimously winning the faculty hearing, the campus president overturned the decision.
Read more here👇
Despite unanimously winning the faculty hearing, the campus president overturned the decision.
Read more here👇
Reposted by Ben Carter
Reposted by Ben Carter
New interview! On Trump, Venezuela, and the plan to divide and destroy the world youtu.be/htdwr6qSm1M?...
Trump's Apocalypse Mindset: Becoming The Annihilator, Sarah Kendzior
YouTube video by The Mark Thompson Show
youtu.be
January 6, 2026 at 1:15 PM
New interview! On Trump, Venezuela, and the plan to divide and destroy the world youtu.be/htdwr6qSm1M?...