Burcu Baykurt
@baykurt.bsky.social
media studies, STS, cities, ethnography at UMass Amherst
bbaykurt@umass.edu | https://baykurt.org/ | https://glotechlab.net/
bbaykurt@umass.edu | https://baykurt.org/ | https://glotechlab.net/
Reposted by Burcu Baykurt
WaPo laying off entire Middle East team
February 4, 2026 at 3:01 PM
WaPo laying off entire Middle East team
Reposted by Burcu Baykurt
NEWS: The cuts were so severe that at least one department head asked to leave The Post rather than be included in the planning.
Peter Finn, The Post's international editor, requested that he be laid off once he learned about the scope of the cuts to his section.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/b...
Peter Finn, The Post's international editor, requested that he be laid off once he learned about the scope of the cuts to his section.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/b...
Washington Post Begins Sweeping Layoffs
www.nytimes.com
February 4, 2026 at 3:11 PM
NEWS: The cuts were so severe that at least one department head asked to leave The Post rather than be included in the planning.
Peter Finn, The Post's international editor, requested that he be laid off once he learned about the scope of the cuts to his section.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/b...
Peter Finn, The Post's international editor, requested that he be laid off once he learned about the scope of the cuts to his section.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/b...
Reposted by Burcu Baykurt
Media coverage of Gaza has plummeted. So today on @thenation.com, we're doing something pretty special: we're only running pieces by people in and from Gaza.
We're calling it "A Day for Gaza." You can find links to all of the incredible pieces here. Please read! www.thenation.com/article/worl...
We're calling it "A Day for Gaza." You can find links to all of the incredible pieces here. Please read! www.thenation.com/article/worl...
A Day for Gaza
Today, The Nation is turning over its website exclusively to stories from Gaza and its people. This is why.
www.thenation.com
February 3, 2026 at 2:54 PM
Media coverage of Gaza has plummeted. So today on @thenation.com, we're doing something pretty special: we're only running pieces by people in and from Gaza.
We're calling it "A Day for Gaza." You can find links to all of the incredible pieces here. Please read! www.thenation.com/article/worl...
We're calling it "A Day for Gaza." You can find links to all of the incredible pieces here. Please read! www.thenation.com/article/worl...
Reposted by Burcu Baykurt
So while there may be rollbacks, I feel it is unlikely to ever go back to pre-2025, because having covered fed IT and cyber issues for a decade, I know that interoperability is a huge issue. Even where connecting data would be legal/benign, it was a technical challenge that has now been solved.
There will need to be a MoonShot-equivalent governmental commitment to the erasure of these illegal databases, the re-protection of personally identifiable data, an evaluation of every govt IT system touched by DOGE, GrokxAI and Palantir, and the prosecution of the offeding companies and their CEOs.
February 3, 2026 at 3:51 PM
So while there may be rollbacks, I feel it is unlikely to ever go back to pre-2025, because having covered fed IT and cyber issues for a decade, I know that interoperability is a huge issue. Even where connecting data would be legal/benign, it was a technical challenge that has now been solved.
Reposted by Burcu Baykurt
Interoperability between federal datasets is likely to be one of the long term impacts of the Trump administration. Most of these databases were designed not to easily share information with other systems/agencies.
You'd need to be committed and willing to break ton of laws...
You'd need to be committed and willing to break ton of laws...
February 3, 2026 at 3:23 PM
Interoperability between federal datasets is likely to be one of the long term impacts of the Trump administration. Most of these databases were designed not to easily share information with other systems/agencies.
You'd need to be committed and willing to break ton of laws...
You'd need to be committed and willing to break ton of laws...
Reposted by Burcu Baykurt
NEW: Our investigation for @thenerve_news reveals not only that Peter Thiel’s Palantir is completely enmeshed in our critical national infrastructure.
It’s also the ‘cloud support’ for our nuclear weapons system 🤯
1/
www.thenerve.news/p/palantir-t...
It’s also the ‘cloud support’ for our nuclear weapons system 🤯
1/
www.thenerve.news/p/palantir-t...
January 28, 2026 at 11:32 AM
NEW: Our investigation for @thenerve_news reveals not only that Peter Thiel’s Palantir is completely enmeshed in our critical national infrastructure.
It’s also the ‘cloud support’ for our nuclear weapons system 🤯
1/
www.thenerve.news/p/palantir-t...
It’s also the ‘cloud support’ for our nuclear weapons system 🤯
1/
www.thenerve.news/p/palantir-t...
Reposted by Burcu Baykurt
The “colonial boomerang” is not a boomerang, it’s a continuum. Settler colonial policing/occupation of a divided society at home begets occupation tactics/mindsets abroad begets tactics at home. The R&D of empire and population pacification is a collective endeavor shared by all empires.
January 27, 2026 at 2:24 PM
The “colonial boomerang” is not a boomerang, it’s a continuum. Settler colonial policing/occupation of a divided society at home begets occupation tactics/mindsets abroad begets tactics at home. The R&D of empire and population pacification is a collective endeavor shared by all empires.
Reposted by Burcu Baykurt
"Non-violent tactics that waste a company’s time or money are really effective. For Enterprise, we’ve made and cancelled car reservations, saying the roads are too icy. At Home Depot... people [lined] up to buy ice scrapers and then getting in line to return them, in a way that clogs the lines."
"We had one hotel publicly refuse to house ICE, which became a big national news story when DHS went after them. That’s a hotel we were targeting, and it was mostly because of our pressure. We had two more hotels temporarily shut down to avoid housing ICE..."
www.laborpolitics.com/p/how-minnea...
www.laborpolitics.com/p/how-minnea...
How to Block ICE In Your City
Minneapolis organizer Aru Shiney-Ajay on effective tactics to disrupt ICE—and the need to target corporate collaborators
www.laborpolitics.com
January 27, 2026 at 2:05 PM
"Non-violent tactics that waste a company’s time or money are really effective. For Enterprise, we’ve made and cancelled car reservations, saying the roads are too icy. At Home Depot... people [lined] up to buy ice scrapers and then getting in line to return them, in a way that clogs the lines."
Reposted by Burcu Baykurt
Marimar Martinez was the first US citizen shot by ICE.
They claimed she was a terrorist. Said she was brandishing a weapon.
They lied. Video footage exonerated her and showed the ICE agent shot her five times.
He bragged to other agents “five shots, 7 holes”.
A 🧵 of ICE abuse
They claimed she was a terrorist. Said she was brandishing a weapon.
They lied. Video footage exonerated her and showed the ICE agent shot her five times.
He bragged to other agents “five shots, 7 holes”.
A 🧵 of ICE abuse
Text messages and a moved SUV: How the government’s case against a Chicago woman shot by a Border Patrol agent fell apart | CNN
A wide grin was plastered on Marimar Martinez’s face Thursday as she thanked her attorneys outside an Illinois courtroom and told reporters, “I’m just blessed. I’m happy.”
www.cnn.com
January 25, 2026 at 4:47 AM
Marimar Martinez was the first US citizen shot by ICE.
They claimed she was a terrorist. Said she was brandishing a weapon.
They lied. Video footage exonerated her and showed the ICE agent shot her five times.
He bragged to other agents “five shots, 7 holes”.
A 🧵 of ICE abuse
They claimed she was a terrorist. Said she was brandishing a weapon.
They lied. Video footage exonerated her and showed the ICE agent shot her five times.
He bragged to other agents “five shots, 7 holes”.
A 🧵 of ICE abuse
Reposted by Burcu Baykurt
Conflicting info about whether Pretti was murdered by ICE or CBP makes it clear that ICE is not single "rogue agency"
ICE, CBP and ALL policing & borders must be abolished. This isn't just one agency; its an entire infrastructure of carceral control, illegalization & criminalization, and fascism.
ICE, CBP and ALL policing & borders must be abolished. This isn't just one agency; its an entire infrastructure of carceral control, illegalization & criminalization, and fascism.
January 24, 2026 at 8:39 PM
Conflicting info about whether Pretti was murdered by ICE or CBP makes it clear that ICE is not single "rogue agency"
ICE, CBP and ALL policing & borders must be abolished. This isn't just one agency; its an entire infrastructure of carceral control, illegalization & criminalization, and fascism.
ICE, CBP and ALL policing & borders must be abolished. This isn't just one agency; its an entire infrastructure of carceral control, illegalization & criminalization, and fascism.
Reposted by Burcu Baykurt
this photo. minneapolis. 💜
📷️ Alex Kormann/Star Tribune
📷️ Alex Kormann/Star Tribune
January 23, 2026 at 10:04 PM
this photo. minneapolis. 💜
📷️ Alex Kormann/Star Tribune
📷️ Alex Kormann/Star Tribune
Reposted by Burcu Baykurt
Statements here. knightcolumbia.org/content/fede...
January 23, 2026 at 1:33 AM
Statements here. knightcolumbia.org/content/fede...
Reposted by Burcu Baykurt
ICE surveillance sweeps up activists, organizers, journalists, family members, and entire communities. When the government buys access to location data and online histories, everyone’s rights are at risk. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...
ICE Is Going on a Surveillance Shopping Spree
We need to have a hard look at the surveillance industry. It is a key enabler of vast and untold violations of human rights and civil liberties, and it continues to be used by aspiring autocrats to
www.eff.org
January 18, 2026 at 11:01 PM
ICE surveillance sweeps up activists, organizers, journalists, family members, and entire communities. When the government buys access to location data and online histories, everyone’s rights are at risk. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...
Am I that naive to think that stopping, downsizing, and even abolishing ICE should have been an easy point to defend for Democrats, especially right now??
January 22, 2026 at 2:41 PM
Am I that naive to think that stopping, downsizing, and even abolishing ICE should have been an easy point to defend for Democrats, especially right now??
Reposted by Burcu Baykurt
Notably did NOT post this to bluesky, where her office bends to local custom and mostly just says "this is wrong!!" about a news link.
January 22, 2026 at 1:29 PM
Notably did NOT post this to bluesky, where her office bends to local custom and mostly just says "this is wrong!!" about a news link.
Reposted by Burcu Baykurt
*POSTDOC ANNOUNCEMENT* @casipenn.bsky.social @upenn.edu
We invite recent PhDs in the social sciences, whose work focuses on contemporary India, to apply for a postdoctoral fellowship position for the 2026-2027 academic year. Review of applications begins Feb 2.
More at the link below 👇
We invite recent PhDs in the social sciences, whose work focuses on contemporary India, to apply for a postdoctoral fellowship position for the 2026-2027 academic year. Review of applications begins Feb 2.
More at the link below 👇
CASI Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program | Center for the Advanced Study of India (CASI)
Call for Applications: 2026-2027 Academic Year OpeningThe Center for the Advanced Study of India (CASI) at the University of Pennsylvania invites applications to fill a postdoctoral fellowship positio...
casi.sas.upenn.edu
January 16, 2026 at 6:39 AM
*POSTDOC ANNOUNCEMENT* @casipenn.bsky.social @upenn.edu
We invite recent PhDs in the social sciences, whose work focuses on contemporary India, to apply for a postdoctoral fellowship position for the 2026-2027 academic year. Review of applications begins Feb 2.
More at the link below 👇
We invite recent PhDs in the social sciences, whose work focuses on contemporary India, to apply for a postdoctoral fellowship position for the 2026-2027 academic year. Review of applications begins Feb 2.
More at the link below 👇
Reposted by Burcu Baykurt
I'm co-chairing the Society for Social Studies of Science @4sweb.bsky.social Conference in Toronto, Oct 2026. #STS #scipol #innovation
Theme: "TechnoPower • Technoscientific Futures".
Open panel submissions portal is open! ls!
Deadline: 2nd February 2026
www.4sonline.org/about_the_co...
Theme: "TechnoPower • Technoscientific Futures".
Open panel submissions portal is open! ls!
Deadline: 2nd February 2026
www.4sonline.org/about_the_co...
About the Conference
www.4sonline.org
January 14, 2026 at 4:12 PM
I'm co-chairing the Society for Social Studies of Science @4sweb.bsky.social Conference in Toronto, Oct 2026. #STS #scipol #innovation
Theme: "TechnoPower • Technoscientific Futures".
Open panel submissions portal is open! ls!
Deadline: 2nd February 2026
www.4sonline.org/about_the_co...
Theme: "TechnoPower • Technoscientific Futures".
Open panel submissions portal is open! ls!
Deadline: 2nd February 2026
www.4sonline.org/about_the_co...
Reposted by Burcu Baykurt
🟡 NEW: The New York Times and Washington Post learned of a secret US raid on Venezuela soon before it was scheduled to begin Friday night — but held off publishing what they knew to avoid endangering US troops.
www.semafor.com/article/01/0...
www.semafor.com/article/01/0...
News organizations held off on reporting Venezuela raid
The American news organizations held their stories over concerns about endangering US troops.
www.semafor.com
January 4, 2026 at 2:04 AM
🟡 NEW: The New York Times and Washington Post learned of a secret US raid on Venezuela soon before it was scheduled to begin Friday night — but held off publishing what they knew to avoid endangering US troops.
www.semafor.com/article/01/0...
www.semafor.com/article/01/0...
Reposted by Burcu Baykurt
The New York Times has just confirmed that 40 civilians died in President Trump's invasion.
This is the aftermath in one area
This is the aftermath in one area
January 4, 2026 at 3:56 AM
The New York Times has just confirmed that 40 civilians died in President Trump's invasion.
This is the aftermath in one area
This is the aftermath in one area
Reposted by Burcu Baykurt
AAUP-TNS explains how the New School is vanguard in its approach to cuts, but its a model that will be rolled out elsewhere. Our fight is your fight!
Solidarity is the only way forward, and no data or consultant can control or manipulate it.
Join our struggle today: linktr.ee/aauptns
Solidarity is the only way forward, and no data or consultant can control or manipulate it.
Join our struggle today: linktr.ee/aauptns
The fight against austerity at The New School is connected to other fights in higher ed challenging admins that hire Huron, a consulting firm that offers data to justify budget cuts & faculty layoffs.
Ujju Aggarwal of AAUP-TNS says that solidarity across AAUP chapters & unions is the way forward.
Ujju Aggarwal of AAUP-TNS says that solidarity across AAUP chapters & unions is the way forward.
December 14, 2025 at 6:18 PM
AAUP-TNS explains how the New School is vanguard in its approach to cuts, but its a model that will be rolled out elsewhere. Our fight is your fight!
Solidarity is the only way forward, and no data or consultant can control or manipulate it.
Join our struggle today: linktr.ee/aauptns
Solidarity is the only way forward, and no data or consultant can control or manipulate it.
Join our struggle today: linktr.ee/aauptns
Reposted by Burcu Baykurt
BREAKING: A federal judge ordered the government to restore Rümeysa Öztürk's SEVIS student record after it was wrongfully terminated in retaliation for exercising her freedom of speech.
This allows her to fully engage with the opportunities of her PhD program.
This allows her to fully engage with the opportunities of her PhD program.
December 8, 2025 at 10:36 PM
BREAKING: A federal judge ordered the government to restore Rümeysa Öztürk's SEVIS student record after it was wrongfully terminated in retaliation for exercising her freedom of speech.
This allows her to fully engage with the opportunities of her PhD program.
This allows her to fully engage with the opportunities of her PhD program.
Reposted by Burcu Baykurt
realizing it’s not just administrators’ salaries that are sucking the life out NSSR but that they spent 800k to get Busta Rhymes to play a failed fundraiser (a fact I learned from @kmunro-econ.bsky.social) is just too fucking much.
get me out of this badly written satirical novel.
get me out of this badly written satirical novel.
December 7, 2025 at 5:24 PM
realizing it’s not just administrators’ salaries that are sucking the life out NSSR but that they spent 800k to get Busta Rhymes to play a failed fundraiser (a fact I learned from @kmunro-econ.bsky.social) is just too fucking much.
get me out of this badly written satirical novel.
get me out of this badly written satirical novel.
Reposted by Burcu Baykurt
They claim financial exigency, but then turn down $4 million pledges to keep the PhD programs open and disregard financial analyses that point to the real problem—bad real estate deals, spending on consultants, and their own salaries 2/2
December 6, 2025 at 4:24 PM
They claim financial exigency, but then turn down $4 million pledges to keep the PhD programs open and disregard financial analyses that point to the real problem—bad real estate deals, spending on consultants, and their own salaries 2/2
Reposted by Burcu Baykurt
I published this book four years ago, drawing together a decade+ of writing. At the time I noted on Reddit that some SV types took the title as a challenge: "not *yet*; if we can just perfect the model, we'll have full-on automated luxury libertarian urbanism!"
A City Is Not a Computer
A bold reassessment of "smart cities" that reveals what is lost when we conceive of our urban spaces as computers
press.princeton.edu
December 7, 2025 at 11:04 PM
I published this book four years ago, drawing together a decade+ of writing. At the time I noted on Reddit that some SV types took the title as a challenge: "not *yet*; if we can just perfect the model, we'll have full-on automated luxury libertarian urbanism!"