B Jarosz
@datageekb.bsky.social
Data geek.
Here for demography, public health, social justice, evidence-based policymaking, and math jokes.
Here for demography, public health, social justice, evidence-based policymaking, and math jokes.
Go submit those comments!
DYK there are revisions planned for the American Community Survey (ACS), the largest annual survey in the nation?
And YOU can share your support or concerns!
📣 Public comments are open through February 17, 2026.
Read more about it here:
dataindex.us/newsletter/a...
And YOU can share your support or concerns!
📣 Public comments are open through February 17, 2026.
Read more about it here:
dataindex.us/newsletter/a...
Take Action: American Community Survey | America's Data Index
dataindex.us
February 11, 2026 at 11:44 PM
Go submit those comments!
Reposted by B Jarosz
Did you know there are revisions planned for the American Community Survey (ACS), the largest annual survey in the nation?
Read more about these changes and how to submit a comment in our latest blog post.
📣 Public comments are open through February 17, 2026.
Read more about these changes and how to submit a comment in our latest blog post.
📣 Public comments are open through February 17, 2026.
Take Action: American Community Survey | America's Data Index
dataindex.us
February 11, 2026 at 9:15 PM
Did you know there are revisions planned for the American Community Survey (ACS), the largest annual survey in the nation?
Read more about these changes and how to submit a comment in our latest blog post.
📣 Public comments are open through February 17, 2026.
Read more about these changes and how to submit a comment in our latest blog post.
📣 Public comments are open through February 17, 2026.
Reposted by B Jarosz
Police in Bloomington, MN just announced that one of the guys they arrested in an underage sex trafficking sting was a **background checker for ICE agents.**
He had a high security clearance in the Trump administration... and he was caught trying to abuse children. Sickening.
He had a high security clearance in the Trump administration... and he was caught trying to abuse children. Sickening.
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 PM
Police in Bloomington, MN just announced that one of the guys they arrested in an underage sex trafficking sting was a **background checker for ICE agents.**
He had a high security clearance in the Trump administration... and he was caught trying to abuse children. Sickening.
He had a high security clearance in the Trump administration... and he was caught trying to abuse children. Sickening.
Reposted by B Jarosz
apnews.com/article/cens... rights groups seek to dismiss a Republican lawsuit to exclude noncitizens from US census
Immigrant rights groups seek to dismiss a Republican lawsuit to exclude noncitizens from US census
Immigrant rights groups are seeking to toss out a Republican lawsuit that would prohibit the U.S. Census Bureau from counting people who are in the U.S. illegally during the 2030 census.
apnews.com
February 10, 2026 at 10:57 PM
apnews.com/article/cens... rights groups seek to dismiss a Republican lawsuit to exclude noncitizens from US census
Reposted by B Jarosz
My aunt and uncle went without power for 2.5 months after Maria. My grandfather who lives in San Juan went even longer. The power lines were the most impactful image of many tonight.
Bad Bunny is telling the world that the people in Puerto Rico are American citizens and deserve reliable and resilient electricity and infrastructure investment from the U.S. government.
February 9, 2026 at 2:47 AM
My aunt and uncle went without power for 2.5 months after Maria. My grandfather who lives in San Juan went even longer. The power lines were the most impactful image of many tonight.
Reposted by B Jarosz
Trump goes full racist during Black History Month, refuses to apologize. What the research says about why this matters.
www.whitetoolong.net/p/trump-goes...
www.whitetoolong.net/p/trump-goes...
February 8, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Trump goes full racist during Black History Month, refuses to apologize. What the research says about why this matters.
www.whitetoolong.net/p/trump-goes...
www.whitetoolong.net/p/trump-goes...
Reposted by B Jarosz
If you didn’t catch the significance of the exploding transformers in Bad Bunny’s halftime show, I gotcha. Here’s one of a bunch of pieces I wrote from/on Puerto Rico about the crisis—and Trump’s role in it. slate.com/news-and-pol...
Washington’s Corruption Has Created Another Humanitarian Crisis in Puerto Rico
The island’s earthquakes are its latest man-made disaster.
slate.com
February 9, 2026 at 1:59 AM
If you didn’t catch the significance of the exploding transformers in Bad Bunny’s halftime show, I gotcha. Here’s one of a bunch of pieces I wrote from/on Puerto Rico about the crisis—and Trump’s role in it. slate.com/news-and-pol...
More of this energy please:
A family was parking their stroller at the entrance to a public garden. One person asked "Shouldn't we bring all of the stuff so no one takes it?" The other responded: "Only someone who's desperate for diapers and 3T clothes would do that. Leave it."
A family was parking their stroller at the entrance to a public garden. One person asked "Shouldn't we bring all of the stuff so no one takes it?" The other responded: "Only someone who's desperate for diapers and 3T clothes would do that. Leave it."
February 7, 2026 at 6:40 PM
More of this energy please:
A family was parking their stroller at the entrance to a public garden. One person asked "Shouldn't we bring all of the stuff so no one takes it?" The other responded: "Only someone who's desperate for diapers and 3T clothes would do that. Leave it."
A family was parking their stroller at the entrance to a public garden. One person asked "Shouldn't we bring all of the stuff so no one takes it?" The other responded: "Only someone who's desperate for diapers and 3T clothes would do that. Leave it."
I used to teach at a community college in the Panhandle. I've been saying for years that--despite it being one of the most rewarding jobs I've ever had--I'm glad I don't anymore because it was only a matter of time before my class was illegal.
Apparently, we're there.
Apparently, we're there.
I do want to shout-out my fellow sociologists, who have collectively created a discipline so woke that not a single one of our introductory textbooks can make it past Florida's censors.
Great work everyone.
Great work everyone.
February 7, 2026 at 2:22 AM
I used to teach at a community college in the Panhandle. I've been saying for years that--despite it being one of the most rewarding jobs I've ever had--I'm glad I don't anymore because it was only a matter of time before my class was illegal.
Apparently, we're there.
Apparently, we're there.
Reposted by B Jarosz
"The end of the World Factbook is a reminder of how fragile public access to federal data can be."
Tonight's recommended reading from @csmarcum.bsky.social @dataindex.us
dataindex.us/newsletter/a...
Tonight's recommended reading from @csmarcum.bsky.social @dataindex.us
dataindex.us/newsletter/a...
The World Factbook Was a Valuable Data Resource | America's Data Index
dataindex.us
February 6, 2026 at 3:53 AM
"The end of the World Factbook is a reminder of how fragile public access to federal data can be."
Tonight's recommended reading from @csmarcum.bsky.social @dataindex.us
dataindex.us/newsletter/a...
Tonight's recommended reading from @csmarcum.bsky.social @dataindex.us
dataindex.us/newsletter/a...
Reposted by B Jarosz
They have made clear that it was never just about illegal immigration: they hate all immigrants.
The Small Business Administration said in a policy note that green card holders won't be allowed to apply for SBA loans, effective March 1.
SBA to bar green card holders from applying for small business loans
The Small Business Administration said in a policy note that green card holders won't be allowed to apply for SBA loans, effective March 1.
www.10news.com
February 5, 2026 at 7:12 PM
They have made clear that it was never just about illegal immigration: they hate all immigrants.
I'm still thinking about this, and I think what has me so flabbergasted is that the LLM *could* have just plagiarized. Or paraphrased. (Oddly, plagiarism would have been preferable to what happened.)
But instead it straight up hallucinated verifiably false answers
But instead it straight up hallucinated verifiably false answers
So, just for funsies I asked an LLM to summarize disclosure avoidance in the 2020 Census.
And gave it a list of documents to summarize from.
Reader.
It lied.
It lied so badly.
I am certain the results were wrong because **I wrote all of the documents in that list.**
And gave it a list of documents to summarize from.
Reader.
It lied.
It lied so badly.
I am certain the results were wrong because **I wrote all of the documents in that list.**
February 3, 2026 at 4:08 PM
I'm still thinking about this, and I think what has me so flabbergasted is that the LLM *could* have just plagiarized. Or paraphrased. (Oddly, plagiarism would have been preferable to what happened.)
But instead it straight up hallucinated verifiably false answers
But instead it straight up hallucinated verifiably false answers
So, just for funsies I asked an LLM to summarize disclosure avoidance in the 2020 Census.
And gave it a list of documents to summarize from.
Reader.
It lied.
It lied so badly.
I am certain the results were wrong because **I wrote all of the documents in that list.**
And gave it a list of documents to summarize from.
Reader.
It lied.
It lied so badly.
I am certain the results were wrong because **I wrote all of the documents in that list.**
February 3, 2026 at 4:02 AM
So, just for funsies I asked an LLM to summarize disclosure avoidance in the 2020 Census.
And gave it a list of documents to summarize from.
Reader.
It lied.
It lied so badly.
I am certain the results were wrong because **I wrote all of the documents in that list.**
And gave it a list of documents to summarize from.
Reader.
It lied.
It lied so badly.
I am certain the results were wrong because **I wrote all of the documents in that list.**
Revised plans for critical 2026 census test raise some 🚩
🔴 Dropped test site in Colorado
🔴 Dropped language support for online response (English only)
🔴 Asking USPS workers, rather than trained Census Bureau staff, to conduct in-field operations
Details in 🧵
🔴 Dropped test site in Colorado
🔴 Dropped language support for online response (English only)
🔴 Asking USPS workers, rather than trained Census Bureau staff, to conduct in-field operations
Details in 🧵
February 2, 2026 at 6:35 PM
Revised plans for critical 2026 census test raise some 🚩
🔴 Dropped test site in Colorado
🔴 Dropped language support for online response (English only)
🔴 Asking USPS workers, rather than trained Census Bureau staff, to conduct in-field operations
Details in 🧵
🔴 Dropped test site in Colorado
🔴 Dropped language support for online response (English only)
🔴 Asking USPS workers, rather than trained Census Bureau staff, to conduct in-field operations
Details in 🧵
I mean... I'm never mad at "well duh" research if it gets more people to admit the emperor is naked.
What's most amazing about this is the fact that the WSJ needed a “study” to figure it out.
February 1, 2026 at 3:35 PM
I mean... I'm never mad at "well duh" research if it gets more people to admit the emperor is naked.
Reposted by B Jarosz
I just got tear gassed along with thousands of union members, many of whom had their families with them. Federal agents at the ICE facility tear gassed children. We must abolish ICE, DHS, and we must have prosecutions. I expect to see enforcement of our city code prohibiting the use of tear gas.
February 1, 2026 at 1:23 AM
I just got tear gassed along with thousands of union members, many of whom had their families with them. Federal agents at the ICE facility tear gassed children. We must abolish ICE, DHS, and we must have prosecutions. I expect to see enforcement of our city code prohibiting the use of tear gas.
Reposted by B Jarosz
First question: I'm hoping to help! How do I get started?
January 30, 2026 at 11:10 PM
First question: I'm hoping to help! How do I get started?
In case you missed it...
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our webinar, The Day Federal Data Went Dark: A Year of Monitoring and Action. We are grateful to be in a community with so many amazing organizations.
You can watch the recording to learn about more than a dozen efforts to monitor and safeguard federal data.
You can watch the recording to learn about more than a dozen efforts to monitor and safeguard federal data.
The Day Federal Data Went Dark: A Year of Monitoring and Action
January 31, 2025, is infamous as the day thousands of federal datasets and webpages went dark. While many of these resources have since been restored–often after being scrubbed of references to gender, DEI, and climate–they continue to face significant risks. In the webinar, we mark the one-year anniversary of this takedown to discuss the current state of federal data and recognize the immense amount of work that has been done to defend these public resources. Leaders from the data community will share insights on monitoring tools they have developed and the actions being taken to safeguard essential federal data. This webinar is cohosted by dataindex.us and the Association of Public Data Users. 0:00 Introduction 2:53 EssentialData.US x Federation of American Scientists 6:51 American Statistical Association 10:31 CDC Data Project 14:17 Friends of BLS 17:50 Public Environmental Data Partners 21:24 The Leadership Conference Education Fund 26:26 Movement Advancement Project 30:37 Population Association of America 35:05 Democracy 2025 40:42 Data Rescue Project 44:16 Population Reference Bureau 47:14 Association of Public Data Users 50:10 dataindex.us 55:19 Conclusion
tinyurl.com
January 30, 2026 at 8:22 PM
In case you missed it...
That's some data...
Personally I think this is too much money for Donald trumps untrained heavily armed militia
January 29, 2026 at 3:14 AM
That's some data...
Reposted by B Jarosz
The Society of Government Economists annual conference (April 17 in DC) doesn't typically include research on crime and the CJ system - but organizers would like to change this!
Send them your research. Deadline: Feb 13.
Send them your research. Deadline: Feb 13.
January 28, 2026 at 2:30 PM
The Society of Government Economists annual conference (April 17 in DC) doesn't typically include research on crime and the CJ system - but organizers would like to change this!
Send them your research. Deadline: Feb 13.
Send them your research. Deadline: Feb 13.
Reposted by B Jarosz
I am. But there are three things at play here regarding ICE collecting private data. Quick rundown on the issue, why you should be paying attention, and what I'm doing about it:
So which politician is calling for the dismantling of the probably illegal database that ice & this government is collecting biometric data of protesters?
January 27, 2026 at 9:28 PM
I am. But there are three things at play here regarding ICE collecting private data. Quick rundown on the issue, why you should be paying attention, and what I'm doing about it:
Reposted by B Jarosz
There is a cost to science denial.
January 27, 2026 at 9:29 PM
There is a cost to science denial.
Reposted by B Jarosz
2/ I'm buried with some other stuff so no more charts until later (or tmw) but the gist is that the household survey *counts* in the BLS jobs report - employment, unemployment, labor force, etc - are all keyed to the Census estimates.
And therefore all are currently overcounts.
And therefore all are currently overcounts.
January 27, 2026 at 9:39 PM
2/ I'm buried with some other stuff so no more charts until later (or tmw) but the gist is that the household survey *counts* in the BLS jobs report - employment, unemployment, labor force, etc - are all keyed to the Census estimates.
And therefore all are currently overcounts.
And therefore all are currently overcounts.
Reposted by B Jarosz
Population Estimates Thread:
1/ We got new Census Bureau population estimates today, and they confirm what we already suspected... population growth slowed dramatically in 2025.
Census estimates the population grew by 1.38M in 2025, vs. a projection of 1.90M a year ago.
1/ We got new Census Bureau population estimates today, and they confirm what we already suspected... population growth slowed dramatically in 2025.
Census estimates the population grew by 1.38M in 2025, vs. a projection of 1.90M a year ago.
January 27, 2026 at 9:24 PM
Population Estimates Thread:
1/ We got new Census Bureau population estimates today, and they confirm what we already suspected... population growth slowed dramatically in 2025.
Census estimates the population grew by 1.38M in 2025, vs. a projection of 1.90M a year ago.
1/ We got new Census Bureau population estimates today, and they confirm what we already suspected... population growth slowed dramatically in 2025.
Census estimates the population grew by 1.38M in 2025, vs. a projection of 1.90M a year ago.