Kausik
@kausikdatta22.bsky.social
Dipping my toes in the azure firmament. Opinions mine & mine alone. Usual disclaimers apply, of course. He/Him, distinctly Brown, human to cats.
From one of my most favorite ever scientist//journalist (@grrlscientist.bsky.social), review of an important scientific question that continues to unfold. grrlscientist.medium.com/modern-cats-...
#scicomm
#scicomm
Modern Cats Were Domesticated Only 2,000 Years Ago
Ancient DNA reveals the origin and global spread of the domestic cat out of its ancestral home in Africa.
grrlscientist.medium.com
February 17, 2026 at 3:28 PM
From one of my most favorite ever scientist//journalist (@grrlscientist.bsky.social), review of an important scientific question that continues to unfold. grrlscientist.medium.com/modern-cats-...
#scicomm
#scicomm
Reposted by Kausik
“By removing writing from reporters’ workloads, we’ve effectively freed up an extra workday for them each week.”
A newspaper editor actually said this! @theonion.com is cooked.
A newspaper editor actually said this! @theonion.com is cooked.
A conscientious journalism grad withdraw from a job when she learned the Cleveland Plain Dealer uses AI to write its stories.
Now the editor is castigating her and journalism professors for not being “prepared for the workforce.”
You can’t make this shit up.
www.cleveland.com/news/2026/02...
Now the editor is castigating her and journalism professors for not being “prepared for the workforce.”
You can’t make this shit up.
www.cleveland.com/news/2026/02...
February 16, 2026 at 1:10 PM
“By removing writing from reporters’ workloads, we’ve effectively freed up an extra workday for them each week.”
A newspaper editor actually said this! @theonion.com is cooked.
A newspaper editor actually said this! @theonion.com is cooked.
Reposted by Kausik
A conscientious journalism grad withdraw from a job when she learned the Cleveland Plain Dealer uses AI to write its stories.
Now the editor is castigating her and journalism professors for not being “prepared for the workforce.”
You can’t make this shit up.
www.cleveland.com/news/2026/02...
Now the editor is castigating her and journalism professors for not being “prepared for the workforce.”
You can’t make this shit up.
www.cleveland.com/news/2026/02...
February 16, 2026 at 12:16 PM
A conscientious journalism grad withdraw from a job when she learned the Cleveland Plain Dealer uses AI to write its stories.
Now the editor is castigating her and journalism professors for not being “prepared for the workforce.”
You can’t make this shit up.
www.cleveland.com/news/2026/02...
Now the editor is castigating her and journalism professors for not being “prepared for the workforce.”
You can’t make this shit up.
www.cleveland.com/news/2026/02...
Reposted by Kausik
Eligible voters of the United States!
The @npr.org voter registration guide has been updated to help get you ready for the 2026 primary elections.
You can find deadlines and the links you need to register and check your registration status at npr.org/vote
The @npr.org voter registration guide has been updated to help get you ready for the 2026 primary elections.
You can find deadlines and the links you need to register and check your registration status at npr.org/vote
How to register to vote and check your registration status
For the 2026 primary elections, NPR has collected deadlines and information on how to register to vote — online, in person or by mail — in every U.S. state and territory.
NPR.org
February 16, 2026 at 1:51 PM
Eligible voters of the United States!
The @npr.org voter registration guide has been updated to help get you ready for the 2026 primary elections.
You can find deadlines and the links you need to register and check your registration status at npr.org/vote
The @npr.org voter registration guide has been updated to help get you ready for the 2026 primary elections.
You can find deadlines and the links you need to register and check your registration status at npr.org/vote
Reposted by Kausik
RIP to a storied newspaper for which many great journalists have worked over the years. You had a great run but your editor has decided you’re done.
“We plan to hire an AI rewrite specialist to ingest the reporting by Hannah and others and use AI to convert it into stories.”
The editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer said it will use AI to ‘write’ its articles.
www.cleveland.com/news/2025/10...
The editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer said it will use AI to ‘write’ its articles.
www.cleveland.com/news/2025/10...
February 16, 2026 at 12:52 PM
RIP to a storied newspaper for which many great journalists have worked over the years. You had a great run but your editor has decided you’re done.
Reposted by Kausik
Musk is a malevolent force in American life, driven by white nationalism and incredibly influential given his obscene wealth. He's a supervillain.
But people get that. He's deeply unpopular, with an approval rating in the mid-30s with Trump. We just need political leaders willing to take him on.
But people get that. He's deeply unpopular, with an approval rating in the mid-30s with Trump. We just need political leaders willing to take him on.
We must speak plainly about the agenda Elon Musk & other MAGA leaders are pushing. It’s white nationalism.
There’s no room for Black, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, Native, Jewish or all other Americans in Musk’s monocultural vision.
Multiculturalism is superior. We can’t allow Musk & others to end it.
There’s no room for Black, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, Native, Jewish or all other Americans in Musk’s monocultural vision.
Multiculturalism is superior. We can’t allow Musk & others to end it.
February 15, 2026 at 4:01 PM
Musk is a malevolent force in American life, driven by white nationalism and incredibly influential given his obscene wealth. He's a supervillain.
But people get that. He's deeply unpopular, with an approval rating in the mid-30s with Trump. We just need political leaders willing to take him on.
But people get that. He's deeply unpopular, with an approval rating in the mid-30s with Trump. We just need political leaders willing to take him on.
Reposted by Kausik
Meta is putting a "Name Tag" feature in Ray-Bans - facial recognition through the glasses' camera. You look at someone, AI tells you who they are.
In an internal document, the company wrote that the timing is good because civil society groups are busy with politics and won't cause problems.
In an internal document, the company wrote that the timing is good because civil society groups are busy with politics and won't cause problems.
February 14, 2026 at 5:19 PM
Meta is putting a "Name Tag" feature in Ray-Bans - facial recognition through the glasses' camera. You look at someone, AI tells you who they are.
In an internal document, the company wrote that the timing is good because civil society groups are busy with politics and won't cause problems.
In an internal document, the company wrote that the timing is good because civil society groups are busy with politics and won't cause problems.
Reposted by Kausik
Disabled US citizen dragged out of her car and arrested by ICE: "2 days ago I had to go to the doctor to get a nerve block to stop the constant shooting pain through neck & head. A month later, I still can't raise my arms normally and do not sleep well."
February 15, 2026 at 6:23 AM
Disabled US citizen dragged out of her car and arrested by ICE: "2 days ago I had to go to the doctor to get a nerve block to stop the constant shooting pain through neck & head. A month later, I still can't raise my arms normally and do not sleep well."
Reposted by Kausik
The Department of Homeland Security has had to correct information provided to at least five states after its SAVE voter tool misidentified some voters as noncitizens, according to correspondence between state and federal officials.
With @texastribune.org
With @texastribune.org
“Not Ready for Prime Time.” A Federal Tool to Check Voter Citizenship Keeps Making Mistakes.
The Department of Homeland Security pushed out the revamped tool while it was still adding data. That led to widespread misidentification, particularly for citizens born outside the U.S.
www.propublica.org
February 15, 2026 at 2:00 AM
The Department of Homeland Security has had to correct information provided to at least five states after its SAVE voter tool misidentified some voters as noncitizens, according to correspondence between state and federal officials.
With @texastribune.org
With @texastribune.org
Reposted by Kausik
The officer was traveling 74 miles per hour in a 25-m.p.h. zone when he hit Jaahnavi Kandula in a crosswalk while responding to a call. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/u...
Seattle to Pay $29 Million to Family of Woman Fatally Struck by Police S.U.V.
www.nytimes.com
February 13, 2026 at 12:18 AM
The officer was traveling 74 miles per hour in a 25-m.p.h. zone when he hit Jaahnavi Kandula in a crosswalk while responding to a call. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/u...
Reposted by Kausik
Unbeknownst to most people, the GOP’s “Save America Act” would establish voter purge programs using data systems that experts say are unreliable. These systems reek of DOGE & thus of Elon Musk who is *heavily* promoting the Act on X. 1/ www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...
February 13, 2026 at 12:15 AM
Unbeknownst to most people, the GOP’s “Save America Act” would establish voter purge programs using data systems that experts say are unreliable. These systems reek of DOGE & thus of Elon Musk who is *heavily* promoting the Act on X. 1/ www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...
Reposted by Kausik
6/ I repeat: most Real IDs do *not* prove citizenship. (EDLs, which are available in only 5 states are an exception) The SAVE America Act thus misleads when it says voters can prove citizenship w/ “a form of ID issued consistent with the reqmts of…REAL ID…that indicates the applicant is a citizen….”
February 12, 2026 at 11:52 PM
6/ I repeat: most Real IDs do *not* prove citizenship. (EDLs, which are available in only 5 states are an exception) The SAVE America Act thus misleads when it says voters can prove citizenship w/ “a form of ID issued consistent with the reqmts of…REAL ID…that indicates the applicant is a citizen….”
Reposted by Kausik
5/ “[A]s many as 69M women who have taken their spouse’s name don’t have a birth certificate that matches their legal name. ‘The legislation does not mention the potential option for these Americans to present…a marriage certificate in combination w/ a birth certificate to prove their citizenship’…”
This one weird trick could stop US women from voting | Arwa Mahdawi
The Save Act – which would do the opposite of its title – could have a huge impact on the midterm elections
www.theguardian.com
February 12, 2026 at 11:16 PM
5/ “[A]s many as 69M women who have taken their spouse’s name don’t have a birth certificate that matches their legal name. ‘The legislation does not mention the potential option for these Americans to present…a marriage certificate in combination w/ a birth certificate to prove their citizenship’…”
Reposted by Kausik
4/ The GOP’s “SAVE America Act” has a list of approved citizenship documentation for voters. It includes Real IDs that “indicate citizenship,” which is highly misleading bc most REAL IDs *don’t* indicate citizenship. Read about it here: abcnews.com/Politics/sav...
February 12, 2026 at 11:12 PM
4/ The GOP’s “SAVE America Act” has a list of approved citizenship documentation for voters. It includes Real IDs that “indicate citizenship,” which is highly misleading bc most REAL IDs *don’t* indicate citizenship. Read about it here: abcnews.com/Politics/sav...
Reposted by Kausik
3/ Here’s a link to the Brennan Center’s July 2025 report warning about the problems with both the SAVE System and the Social Security Number database when used to purge voters from the voter rolls, as would occur under the “Save America Act”. Everyone should read it.
Homeland Security’s “SAVE” Program Exacerbates Risks to Voters
Bad data and a politicized overhaul could spread election fraud lies and disenfranchise voters.
www.brennancenter.org
February 12, 2026 at 11:08 PM
3/ Here’s a link to the Brennan Center’s July 2025 report warning about the problems with both the SAVE System and the Social Security Number database when used to purge voters from the voter rolls, as would occur under the “Save America Act”. Everyone should read it.
Reposted by Kausik
I read the Trump-backed voter suppression bill, the so-called “Save America Act,” so you don’t have to. Here’s my summary. Please tell your Senators to vote NO on this abomination: 202-224-3121. TY. 1/
February 12, 2026 at 11:02 PM
I read the Trump-backed voter suppression bill, the so-called “Save America Act,” so you don’t have to. Here’s my summary. Please tell your Senators to vote NO on this abomination: 202-224-3121. TY. 1/
Reposted by Kausik
BREAKING: The House passed the so-called SAVE America Act which threatens to upend our freedom to vote.
The bill could disenfranchise millions of eligible voters by requiring documents like passports or birth certificates to register to vote and forcing voter roll purges. The Senate must reject it.
The bill could disenfranchise millions of eligible voters by requiring documents like passports or birth certificates to register to vote and forcing voter roll purges. The Senate must reject it.
February 11, 2026 at 11:57 PM
BREAKING: The House passed the so-called SAVE America Act which threatens to upend our freedom to vote.
The bill could disenfranchise millions of eligible voters by requiring documents like passports or birth certificates to register to vote and forcing voter roll purges. The Senate must reject it.
The bill could disenfranchise millions of eligible voters by requiring documents like passports or birth certificates to register to vote and forcing voter roll purges. The Senate must reject it.
Reposted by Kausik
The People Who Believed that "Pro Worker Republicans" Were a Real Thing Were Massive Suckers, vol. 967:
www.ft.com/content/19f8...
www.ft.com/content/19f8...
Donald Trump’s top antitrust enforcer Gail Slater pushed out as turf war deepens
Departure comes after months of turmoil in Pam Bondi’s Department of Justice
www.ft.com
February 12, 2026 at 8:45 PM
The People Who Believed that "Pro Worker Republicans" Were a Real Thing Were Massive Suckers, vol. 967:
www.ft.com/content/19f8...
www.ft.com/content/19f8...
Reposted by Kausik
You can't... repeal... a scientific finding. At that point it's just called lying about it.
Breaking News: The Trump administration repealed the bedrock scientific finding that greenhouse gases threaten human life and well being, meaning that the EPA can no longer regulate them. nyti.ms/4rSszQu
February 12, 2026 at 8:38 PM
You can't... repeal... a scientific finding. At that point it's just called lying about it.
Reposted by Kausik
So the NYT finally covered the women’s pro volleyball situation (which I wrote about last year) and one of the players they interviewed just did a TikTok about how mad they are about their words being taken out of context. Read my story instead: defector.com/the-battle-f...
The Battle For Professional Volleyball Has Officially Begun | Defector
Megan Courtney-Lush was ready to retire. She played four years of college volleyball at Penn State and then went on to play professionally in Puerto Rico, Poland, Turkey, and Italy. After 10 years, sh...
defector.com
February 12, 2026 at 12:06 PM
So the NYT finally covered the women’s pro volleyball situation (which I wrote about last year) and one of the players they interviewed just did a TikTok about how mad they are about their words being taken out of context. Read my story instead: defector.com/the-battle-f...
Reposted by Kausik
The House GOP wants to investigate Bad Bunny because governing is hard and culture‑war theatrics are easy. Every time they launch one of these performative “inquiries,” they remind the country that they’ve traded public service for public spectacle.
House GOP launches Bad Bunny probe: 'Worse than the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction'
Rep. Mark Alford (R-MO) revealed that House Republicans are "investigating" Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show because they suspect it was "much worse than the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction."Du...
www.rawstory.com
February 11, 2026 at 1:51 AM
The House GOP wants to investigate Bad Bunny because governing is hard and culture‑war theatrics are easy. Every time they launch one of these performative “inquiries,” they remind the country that they’ve traded public service for public spectacle.
Reposted by Kausik
Invoking wealthy class solidarity to excuse sex crimes against children is sorta the Epstein Class in a nutshell
Bondi crashes out over Epstein: "The Dow is over 50,000 dollars! I don't know why you're laughing. You're a great stock trader as I hear, Raskin. The Dow is over 50,000 right now. The S&P at almost 7,000, and the Nasdaq smashing records. That's what we should be talking about."
February 11, 2026 at 4:48 PM
Invoking wealthy class solidarity to excuse sex crimes against children is sorta the Epstein Class in a nutshell
That our country would treat an American citizen and army veteran in such a shoddy and cruel way speaks volumes. www.cbsnews.com/atlanta/news...
Georgia army veteran deported to Jamaica after routine traffic stop speaks out on ICE detention, systemic failures
A Georgia Army veteran who spent nearly five decades in the United States was deported to Jamaica following a routine traffic stop.
www.cbsnews.com
February 11, 2026 at 4:56 PM
That our country would treat an American citizen and army veteran in such a shoddy and cruel way speaks volumes. www.cbsnews.com/atlanta/news...
Reposted by Kausik
“The global publishing platform Substack is generating revenue from newsletters that promote virulent Nazi ideology, white supremacy and antisemitism, a Guardian investigation has found…” www.theguardian.com/media/2026/f...
Revealed: How Substack makes money from hosting Nazi newsletters
Exclusive: Site takes a cut of subscriptions to content that promotes far-right ideology, white supremacy and antisemitism
www.theguardian.com
February 7, 2026 at 5:09 PM
“The global publishing platform Substack is generating revenue from newsletters that promote virulent Nazi ideology, white supremacy and antisemitism, a Guardian investigation has found…” www.theguardian.com/media/2026/f...
Reposted by Kausik
Amid the flagrant ethics violations among SCOTUS justices, a U.S. senator is demanding Justice Jackson be investigated for attending the Grammies. In a year in which she was nominated for one.
To be fair, Blackburn is really dumb. And hyper partisan. And rarely acts in good faith.
To be fair, Blackburn is really dumb. And hyper partisan. And rarely acts in good faith.
Marsha Blackburn Demands Probe Of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson For Crime Of 'Attended Grammys'
It's getting harder for any one GOP loon to stand out in a sea of weirdness.
www.wonkette.com
February 6, 2026 at 11:11 PM
Amid the flagrant ethics violations among SCOTUS justices, a U.S. senator is demanding Justice Jackson be investigated for attending the Grammies. In a year in which she was nominated for one.
To be fair, Blackburn is really dumb. And hyper partisan. And rarely acts in good faith.
To be fair, Blackburn is really dumb. And hyper partisan. And rarely acts in good faith.