Drew Courtney
@drewcourt.bsky.social
Lover of cities in general, DC in particular. Also: books, tea, bikes, etc. Comms Director at @cdt.org but all opinions are my dog's
I saw ho ho ho ha ha ha ha at Woolly Mammoth last night and it's a weird delight. You should go. www.woollymammoth.net/productions/...
ho ho ho ha ha ha ha
www.woollymammoth.net
November 21, 2025 at 5:13 PM
I saw ho ho ho ha ha ha ha at Woolly Mammoth last night and it's a weird delight. You should go. www.woollymammoth.net/productions/...
Reposted by Drew Courtney
The President cannot preempt state laws through an executive order, full stop. Preemption is a question for Congress, which they have considered and rejected, and should continue to reject. www.axios.com/2025/11/19/t...
White House floats executive order to override state AI laws
The White House can't preempt state-level regulation — that's Congress' job.
www.axios.com
November 20, 2025 at 6:11 PM
The President cannot preempt state laws through an executive order, full stop. Preemption is a question for Congress, which they have considered and rejected, and should continue to reject. www.axios.com/2025/11/19/t...
When people say "we can't have nuclear because of scaredy-cat environmentalists" what they mean is "we can't have nuclear because it's not feasible without BILLIONS of dollars of public subsidies." www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
Trump officials give $1 billion loan to restart Three Mile Island
The plan to reopen Three Mile Island to supply Microsoft with power wins a federal loan guarantee, shifting some of the risk onto taxpayers.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 20, 2025 at 5:20 PM
When people say "we can't have nuclear because of scaredy-cat environmentalists" what they mean is "we can't have nuclear because it's not feasible without BILLIONS of dollars of public subsidies." www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
Just for fun, imagine, IMAGINE, Nancy Pelosi in this situation.
holy shit mike johnson is SHOOK on Epstein vote in Senate
November 19, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Just for fun, imagine, IMAGINE, Nancy Pelosi in this situation.
Every time I see another post about the bad journalist(s).
a woman says i 'm bored and i 'm so bored
Alt: Lindsay Lohan says "I'm bored. I'm so bored."
media.tenor.com
November 18, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Every time I see another post about the bad journalist(s).
My favorite part of social media is giving everything the least charitable reading humanly possible.
November 17, 2025 at 9:24 PM
My favorite part of social media is giving everything the least charitable reading humanly possible.
Reposted by Drew Courtney
Probably fewer women in economics because they’re just not as smart, right, Larry?
The emails have Summers reporting to Epstein about his attempts to date a Harvard economics student & to hit on her during a seminar she was giving.
November 16, 2025 at 12:52 AM
Probably fewer women in economics because they’re just not as smart, right, Larry?
Technology 👏 Needs 👏 More 👏 Humanities 👏 Majors 👏
November 14, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Technology 👏 Needs 👏 More 👏 Humanities 👏 Majors 👏
Reposted by Drew Courtney
New report alert🚨🚨 Political influencers aren’t quite activists, media, or advertisers. So what are they? How do social media policies and government regulations apply?
🧵 on this transformative trend in democracy and politics:
cdt.org/insights/arc...
🧵 on this transformative trend in democracy and politics:
cdt.org/insights/arc...
Architects of Online Influence: How Creators, Platforms, and Policymakers Shape Political Speech
[ PDF version ] A social media creator gave gifts worth tens of thousands of dollars to Donald Trump during a livestream ahead of the 2024 presidential election. A progressive influencer ranted in a v...
cdt.org
November 13, 2025 at 9:20 PM
New report alert🚨🚨 Political influencers aren’t quite activists, media, or advertisers. So what are they? How do social media policies and government regulations apply?
🧵 on this transformative trend in democracy and politics:
cdt.org/insights/arc...
🧵 on this transformative trend in democracy and politics:
cdt.org/insights/arc...
Reposted by Drew Courtney
This particular aspect of AI errors - not just hallucinating and giving inaccurate info, but giving inaccurate info that validates users - is something we should all be VERY worried about as police and prosecutors begin to use AI to automate parts of their investigations
ChatGPT's sycophancy problem by the numbers: The Post found it began responses with variations on “yes” 10 times as often as it did with versions of “no.”
Really interesting analysis here by @gerritd.bsky.social & @jeremybmerrill.com
Really interesting analysis here by @gerritd.bsky.social & @jeremybmerrill.com
The Post analyzed 47,000 public ChatGPT conversations.
While 35% use it for info and 11% for coding, the most striking finding? The emotional intimacy.
ChatGPT: "You're not crazy sweetheart — you're just early."
Use this link to read it with a $4 day pass to @washingtonpost.com: bit.ly/47QOjUb
While 35% use it for info and 11% for coding, the most striking finding? The emotional intimacy.
ChatGPT: "You're not crazy sweetheart — you're just early."
Use this link to read it with a $4 day pass to @washingtonpost.com: bit.ly/47QOjUb
November 13, 2025 at 8:04 PM
This particular aspect of AI errors - not just hallucinating and giving inaccurate info, but giving inaccurate info that validates users - is something we should all be VERY worried about as police and prosecutors begin to use AI to automate parts of their investigations
There are a lot of reasons to be worried about the trend toward age verification requirements, but the (perhaps inevitable) threat to VPNs is one that's very much worth watching. www.cnet.com/tech/service...
New Age Verification Bills Could Ban VPNs, Jeopardize the Privacy of Millions
The proposed legislation claims to protect children, but could prompt people to flock to dangerous apps.
www.cnet.com
November 13, 2025 at 7:30 PM
There are a lot of reasons to be worried about the trend toward age verification requirements, but the (perhaps inevitable) threat to VPNs is one that's very much worth watching. www.cnet.com/tech/service...
Good 🧵on China's crackdown on influencers and what it says about the uncertain status of US election law.
I missed this last week - but wow what a convergence of what it means to be online in 2025. We're at the combination political-influencers-disinformation-transnational-repression-pizza-hut 🧵 www.cnbctv18.com/world/chinas...
China's new influencer law wants only degree-holders to discuss sensitive topics - CNBC TV18
Here's everything you need to know about the new influencer law in China and why it has sparked a debate over "freedom of speech" online.
www.cnbctv18.com
November 10, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Good 🧵on China's crackdown on influencers and what it says about the uncertain status of US election law.
The Supreme Court was never going to take this case. If you were worried about marriage before, you should be just as worried now. (I'm not saying you SHOULD be worried, just that this case doesn't say anything.) (You probably shouldn't be worried. I am worried.)
BREAKING: The Supreme Court rejects a call to overturn its decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide.
Supreme Court rejects call to overturn its decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide
The Supreme Court has rejected a call to overturn its landmark decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.
bit.ly
November 10, 2025 at 2:44 PM
The Supreme Court was never going to take this case. If you were worried about marriage before, you should be just as worried now. (I'm not saying you SHOULD be worried, just that this case doesn't say anything.) (You probably shouldn't be worried. I am worried.)
I think the better way to say this is that DHS is destroying records by default.
DHS confirmed it has stopped automatically storing officials' text messages.
Instead, officials are supposed to take a screenshot, send that to their work email, download it onto their work computer and run a text-recognition program on it. Every time.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/u...
Instead, officials are supposed to take a screenshot, send that to their work email, download it onto their work computer and run a text-recognition program on it. Every time.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/u...
November 7, 2025 at 3:28 PM
I think the better way to say this is that DHS is destroying records by default.
This is the first AI product I've actually been excited about. Yes, I'm terrified of the privacy implications, but when it comes to housework, semi-competent is fine by me. (See, for example, the current state of my home.) youtu.be/f3c4mQty_so?...
I Tried the First Humanoid Home Robot. It Got Weird. | WSJ
YouTube video by The Wall Street Journal
youtu.be
November 7, 2025 at 2:45 PM
This is the first AI product I've actually been excited about. Yes, I'm terrified of the privacy implications, but when it comes to housework, semi-competent is fine by me. (See, for example, the current state of my home.) youtu.be/f3c4mQty_so?...
I Saw the TV Glow
November 6, 2025 at 11:42 PM
I Saw the TV Glow
I'm no great fan of Murial Bowser, but based just on what's in this article, I'm skeptical. More reporting, please.
Oh wow: The @nytimes.com reports the Department of Justice is reportedly investigating @mayorbowser.dc.gov for corruption over a 2023 trip she took to Qatar. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/u...
Justice Dept. Is Said to Be Investigating D.C. Mayor Over Foreign Trip
www.nytimes.com
November 6, 2025 at 11:31 PM
I'm no great fan of Murial Bowser, but based just on what's in this article, I'm skeptical. More reporting, please.
I continue to pray for the Robert Caro-style biography of Pelosi that she deserves. She made a lot of very difficult things look easy, and I think a detailed, fine-grained narrative of how that actually happened would be fascinating.
JUST IN: Nancy Pelosi, the first female speaker of the House, won't seek re-election, ending a nearly 40-year career in Congress.
Nancy Pelosi, first female speaker of the House, won't seek re-election to Congress
The California Democrat led her party in the House for two decades. Her decision will open up her San Francisco-based seat for the first time in nearly 40 years.
nbcnews.to
November 6, 2025 at 2:35 PM
I continue to pray for the Robert Caro-style biography of Pelosi that she deserves. She made a lot of very difficult things look easy, and I think a detailed, fine-grained narrative of how that actually happened would be fascinating.
I would be very interested in reading literally any analysis of yesterday's elections that doesn't involve the author doubling down on their priors.
It's not that what you thought on Monday is wrong. It's just not that interesting.
It's not that what you thought on Monday is wrong. It's just not that interesting.
November 5, 2025 at 3:38 PM
I would be very interested in reading literally any analysis of yesterday's elections that doesn't involve the author doubling down on their priors.
It's not that what you thought on Monday is wrong. It's just not that interesting.
It's not that what you thought on Monday is wrong. It's just not that interesting.
Reposted by Drew Courtney
Bomb threats at polling places in New Jersey today follow a troubling pattern. Election officials are now seeing coordinated threats not just in federal election years, but in off-year local elections too. This is becoming a consistent tactic to disrupt voting and intimidate election workers.
Across New Jersey, bomb threats at multiple polling locations have prompted closures and relocations today
Bomb threats force closures at some New Jersey polling places
Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh said polling sites at School 2 and School 10 in Paterson were shut down after threats were received.
newjersey.news12.com
November 4, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Bomb threats at polling places in New Jersey today follow a troubling pattern. Election officials are now seeing coordinated threats not just in federal election years, but in off-year local elections too. This is becoming a consistent tactic to disrupt voting and intimidate election workers.
Reposted by Drew Courtney
Airline #Privacy is a serious problem, as airlines essentially have no privacy requirements (Dept of Transportation started investigating airline privacy practices last year but the agency has since dropped it).
You should opt out of this practice ASAP.
You should opt out of this practice ASAP.
PSA from 404 Media: you can opt-out of a data broker selling your flight travel data to the government to be searched without a warrant. Here's how I did it. This is ARC, the data broker owned by major U.S. airlines like United, Delta, American, etc
www.404media.co/how-to-opt-o...
www.404media.co/how-to-opt-o...
How to Opt-Out of Airlines Selling Your Travel Data to the Government
The Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC), owned by major U.S. airlines, collects billions of ticketing records and sells them to the government to be searched without a warrant. I managed to opt-out o...
www.404media.co
November 4, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Airline #Privacy is a serious problem, as airlines essentially have no privacy requirements (Dept of Transportation started investigating airline privacy practices last year but the agency has since dropped it).
You should opt out of this practice ASAP.
You should opt out of this practice ASAP.
Reposted by Drew Courtney
The Future of Speech Online Conference starts tomorrow! Join us and many incredible experts to talk about jawboning, the First Amendment, and government efforts to shape private speech. @cdt.org
standtogether.swoogo.com/foso25/9611110
standtogether.swoogo.com/foso25/9611110
Home
standtogether.swoogo.com
October 27, 2025 at 3:27 PM
The Future of Speech Online Conference starts tomorrow! Join us and many incredible experts to talk about jawboning, the First Amendment, and government efforts to shape private speech. @cdt.org
standtogether.swoogo.com/foso25/9611110
standtogether.swoogo.com/foso25/9611110
Who in the world would vote for a person so uncommitted to their hometown that they'll leave it if they can't be in charge?
Andrew Cuomo says he will continue to not live in New York City if Zohran Mamdani becomes NYC mayor.
October 27, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Who in the world would vote for a person so uncommitted to their hometown that they'll leave it if they can't be in charge?
Reposted by Drew Courtney
Proud to be part of the @CDT.org team as we celebrate 30+ years of championing digital rights! Join us at #TechPromCDT on Oct. 23, 2025 for the conversations (and the vibes) that make tech policy exciting. 🎉
cdt.org/event/2025-t...
cdt.org/event/2025-t...
2025 Tech Prom
Join us on October 23, 2025, at The LINE DC for this year’s Tech Prom! 🎟️ [ Reserve Your Seat ] | 🏛️ [ Sponsor the Event ] At the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT), we fight to advance civil...
cdt.org
October 17, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Proud to be part of the @CDT.org team as we celebrate 30+ years of championing digital rights! Join us at #TechPromCDT on Oct. 23, 2025 for the conversations (and the vibes) that make tech policy exciting. 🎉
cdt.org/event/2025-t...
cdt.org/event/2025-t...