Kat O’Brien
@lavidagata.bsky.social
Iowa-born, NYC-influenced, Spain living. Former sports journalist launching a sports tourism company, Gata Sports Tours. Runner, traveler, pro-democracy, love to read. My own opinions. Signal @Democracy.23
Pinned
Kat O’Brien
@lavidagata.bsky.social
· Oct 12
I’m thrilled to announce - ahead of this week’s World Football Summit - that I am launching a business of sports tourism in Spain: Gata Sports Tours. This combines a few of my great loves: sports, España, travel, storytelling and helping people love España almost as much as I do. 1/
Reposted by Kat O’Brien
fucking cowards all
That didn't last long.
"A few hours later, Hilton followed up with an updated statement, saying 'We have been in direct contact with the hotel, and they have apologized for the actions of their team, which was not in keeping with their policies...'"
"A few hours later, Hilton followed up with an updated statement, saying 'We have been in direct contact with the hotel, and they have apologized for the actions of their team, which was not in keeping with their policies...'"
Hilton Hotel That Refused DHS Reservations Backpedals
The hotel told 404 Media in a statement “We are in touch with the impacted guests to ensure they are accommodated.”
www.404media.co
January 5, 2026 at 11:24 PM
fucking cowards all
🥲
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has been dissolved, ending its 58 years as the primary funder for PBS, NPR and local TV and radio stations
Corporation For Public Broadcasting Is Dissolved After 58 Years Of Service
www.huffpost.com
January 5, 2026 at 10:57 PM
🥲
Reposted by Kat O’Brien
the number one risk this year is the us political revolution.
trump is systematically dismantling checks on his power and weaponizing government against his enemies. (as he and his supporters believe they have weaponized it against him)
trump is systematically dismantling checks on his power and weaponizing government against his enemies. (as he and his supporters believe they have weaponized it against him)
Risk #1: US political revolution | Ian Bremmer on 2026's Top Risks
YouTube video by GZERO Media
www.youtube.com
January 5, 2026 at 7:44 PM
the number one risk this year is the us political revolution.
trump is systematically dismantling checks on his power and weaponizing government against his enemies. (as he and his supporters believe they have weaponized it against him)
trump is systematically dismantling checks on his power and weaponizing government against his enemies. (as he and his supporters believe they have weaponized it against him)
🥺🥺🥺
"donut glaze" is similarly used to get around filters, and is being used widely.
January 5, 2026 at 10:34 PM
🥺🥺🥺
Reposted by Kat O’Brien
As I wrote the other day... bsky.app/profile/fili...
It would be pretty wild if the Chavista regime turned overnight into a US-allied dictatorship, after decades of so many in the Latin American left pretending this corrupt authoritarian regime was a socialist beacon in the fight against imperialism…
January 5, 2026 at 7:57 PM
As I wrote the other day... bsky.app/profile/fili...
It gives me literal actual chills on the daily that US government social media accounts are now posting like they were Nazis.
Holy hell we are in.
Holy hell we are in.
“for this is a war which we all wage, this time, not for our German people alone, it is a war for all of Europe and with it, in the long run, for all of mankind.” - Adolf Hitler, 1942
January 5, 2026 at 10:24 PM
It gives me literal actual chills on the daily that US government social media accounts are now posting like they were Nazis.
Holy hell we are in.
Holy hell we are in.
Joe Pompliano is almost stridently apolitical. Yet he’s criticizing the Trump admin’s efforts to take over DC public golf courses, noting it will likely price out most people and only improve the East Potomac course. open.substack.com/pub/huddleup...
Why The Trump Administration Is Taking Over Washington D.C.’s Public Golf Courses
The Trump administration offered to help D.C.'s public golf courses raise money and cut red tape. Instead, they are taking them over, likely raising prices to an unaffordable level.
open.substack.com
January 5, 2026 at 9:38 PM
Joe Pompliano is almost stridently apolitical. Yet he’s criticizing the Trump admin’s efforts to take over DC public golf courses, noting it will likely price out most people and only improve the East Potomac course. open.substack.com/pub/huddleup...
Mis tres deseos para los (tres) Reyes Magos:
1) democracia
2) que aprueben la modificación de mi visado
3) que mi negocio salga adelante y vuelve a ganarme la vida.
No pido mucho, he sido una ángel 😇
1) democracia
2) que aprueben la modificación de mi visado
3) que mi negocio salga adelante y vuelve a ganarme la vida.
No pido mucho, he sido una ángel 😇
January 5, 2026 at 9:20 PM
Mis tres deseos para los (tres) Reyes Magos:
1) democracia
2) que aprueben la modificación de mi visado
3) que mi negocio salga adelante y vuelve a ganarme la vida.
No pido mucho, he sido una ángel 😇
1) democracia
2) que aprueben la modificación de mi visado
3) que mi negocio salga adelante y vuelve a ganarme la vida.
No pido mucho, he sido una ángel 😇
Reposted by Kat O’Brien
One example of how Grok is being used to target women. Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch being sexualised, degraded, and humiliated step-by-step by Grok. All the images accurately reflect the prompts provided.
January 5, 2026 at 5:37 PM
One example of how Grok is being used to target women. Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch being sexualised, degraded, and humiliated step-by-step by Grok. All the images accurately reflect the prompts provided.
Reposted by Kat O’Brien
There is also no question that Petro is the legitimately elected leader of a sovereign democracy, a close regional ally with whom we have an extradition treaty. Giving him the Maduro treatment would be an exponential new degree of illegality, frankly insane to even consider
January 5, 2026 at 4:31 PM
There is also no question that Petro is the legitimately elected leader of a sovereign democracy, a close regional ally with whom we have an extradition treaty. Giving him the Maduro treatment would be an exponential new degree of illegality, frankly insane to even consider
¿Es delito en España que alguien suba contenido como lo que ha hecho Vilo Quiles? Aparentemente tentándole a Trump invadir España para capturarle a Pedro Sánchez. Porque me parece bastante fuerte que alguien con tantos seguidores esté subiendo algo así …
January 5, 2026 at 6:30 PM
¿Es delito en España que alguien suba contenido como lo que ha hecho Vilo Quiles? Aparentemente tentándole a Trump invadir España para capturarle a Pedro Sánchez. Porque me parece bastante fuerte que alguien con tantos seguidores esté subiendo algo así …
Reposted by Kat O’Brien
Anjali is an essential follow for UN analysis!
webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1k... if you’re interested in this morning’s emergency security council meeting on Venezuela, it’ll start here at 10am. It was called by Colombia, and can help us get a sense of the public lines coming from a diverse group of countries
Threats to international peace and security - Security Council, 10085th meeting
The situation in Venezuela.
webtv.un.org
January 5, 2026 at 4:03 PM
Anjali is an essential follow for UN analysis!
Reposted by Kat O’Brien
There are serious First Amendment and separation of powers questions here. It cannot be the case that the executive branch can punish a legislator for protected speech.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says Sen. Mark Kelly will face administrative action
January 5, 2026 at 3:49 PM
There are serious First Amendment and separation of powers questions here. It cannot be the case that the executive branch can punish a legislator for protected speech.
MF’ing wake up, Europe! Pedro Sánchez can not be the only leader in Europe that will stand up against Trump’s wannabe world dictatorship.
Meanwhile, far-right Spanish provocateur/influencer/facha Milo Quiles is posting this online begging for Trump to invade Spain and capture Sánchez. Not kidding.
Meanwhile, far-right Spanish provocateur/influencer/facha Milo Quiles is posting this online begging for Trump to invade Spain and capture Sánchez. Not kidding.
January 5, 2026 at 6:15 PM
MF’ing wake up, Europe! Pedro Sánchez can not be the only leader in Europe that will stand up against Trump’s wannabe world dictatorship.
Meanwhile, far-right Spanish provocateur/influencer/facha Milo Quiles is posting this online begging for Trump to invade Spain and capture Sánchez. Not kidding.
Meanwhile, far-right Spanish provocateur/influencer/facha Milo Quiles is posting this online begging for Trump to invade Spain and capture Sánchez. Not kidding.
Not wrong 😑
Grok makes CSAM and AI Fake Revenge Pr0n is a feature, not a bug, to many of its users
January 5, 2026 at 6:09 PM
Not wrong 😑
Reposted by Kat O’Brien
EXCLUSIVE: Newsom tells me he believes Trump may again deploy troops to U.S. cities.
“The next phase of this is the Insurrection Act… there's no question in my mind that he's going to assert some other cockamamie decision.”
More tonight 7PM ET on @ms.now.
“The next phase of this is the Insurrection Act… there's no question in my mind that he's going to assert some other cockamamie decision.”
More tonight 7PM ET on @ms.now.
January 5, 2026 at 2:51 PM
EXCLUSIVE: Newsom tells me he believes Trump may again deploy troops to U.S. cities.
“The next phase of this is the Insurrection Act… there's no question in my mind that he's going to assert some other cockamamie decision.”
More tonight 7PM ET on @ms.now.
“The next phase of this is the Insurrection Act… there's no question in my mind that he's going to assert some other cockamamie decision.”
More tonight 7PM ET on @ms.now.
Reposted by Kat O’Brien
So Trump successfully bullied a good man and his family. Because winning over Harris Walz wasn’t enough. Trump wanted to destroy him.
Walz is making the right decision for his family. But the success of Trump’s grotesque bullying campaign is yet another frightening step in our national descent.
Walz is making the right decision for his family. But the success of Trump’s grotesque bullying campaign is yet another frightening step in our national descent.
Breaking News: Gov. Tim Walz will abandon his re-election bid in Minnesota and Sen. Amy Klobuchar may run instead, people familiar with the matter said.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz Won’t Seek Third Term and Amy Klobuchar May Run Instead
Mr. Walz and Ms. Klobuchar met Sunday in Minnesota, where he informed her of his plans and she confirmed her interest in running to replace him.
nyti.ms
January 5, 2026 at 3:12 PM
So Trump successfully bullied a good man and his family. Because winning over Harris Walz wasn’t enough. Trump wanted to destroy him.
Walz is making the right decision for his family. But the success of Trump’s grotesque bullying campaign is yet another frightening step in our national descent.
Walz is making the right decision for his family. But the success of Trump’s grotesque bullying campaign is yet another frightening step in our national descent.
Reposted by Kat O’Brien
Reposted by Kat O’Brien
Una historia triste, la de Venezuela. Y una intervención preocupante, la de Trump. Hoy en Four Freedoms:
www.4freedoms.es/p/desventura...
www.4freedoms.es/p/desventura...
Desventuras venezolanas
Una política exterior inexplicable
www.4freedoms.es
January 5, 2026 at 12:17 PM
Una historia triste, la de Venezuela. Y una intervención preocupante, la de Trump. Hoy en Four Freedoms:
www.4freedoms.es/p/desventura...
www.4freedoms.es/p/desventura...
Let’s put the worst person in the world in charge of a country we just invaded, a person so racist he may not even consider brown and black people human, one so evil he watches for fun meme videos of people being jailed and separated from their families w/no legal process.
What could go wrong?
What could go wrong?
"The White House is weighing giving Stephen Miller, Trump’s deputy White House chief of staff and homeland security adviser, a more elevated role in overseeing post-Maduro operations in Venezuela..." Gift link:
wapo.st/4qD4Gf1
wapo.st/4qD4Gf1
U.S. plan to ‘run’ Venezuela clouded in confusion
In Washington and Caracas, the vision for administering Venezuela in the weeks and months ahead appears uncertain and stubbornly complex.
wapo.st
January 5, 2026 at 2:13 PM
Let’s put the worst person in the world in charge of a country we just invaded, a person so racist he may not even consider brown and black people human, one so evil he watches for fun meme videos of people being jailed and separated from their families w/no legal process.
What could go wrong?
What could go wrong?
Reposted by Kat O’Brien
I think some of the fear people have about saying fascism is here is about there being some point of no return? but this isn't a novel with a climax, and politics unfolds via complex contingent processes: there's always a moment to make different, better choices, even as the pathways get harder
August 12, 2025 at 12:16 AM
I think some of the fear people have about saying fascism is here is about there being some point of no return? but this isn't a novel with a climax, and politics unfolds via complex contingent processes: there's always a moment to make different, better choices, even as the pathways get harder
Some newspaper covers from around Europe
🇩🇪 FrankfurterRundschau Wake up, Europe! Whoever doesn't want to be a plaything must become a power factor.
🇫🇷 Le Fígaro Trump captured Maduro - global shockwave. Pax Trumpicana
🇪🇸 El País - political earthquake in VZ, Trump maintains chavismo
More in alt text.
🇩🇪 FrankfurterRundschau Wake up, Europe! Whoever doesn't want to be a plaything must become a power factor.
🇫🇷 Le Fígaro Trump captured Maduro - global shockwave. Pax Trumpicana
🇪🇸 El País - political earthquake in VZ, Trump maintains chavismo
More in alt text.
January 5, 2026 at 10:51 AM
Some newspaper covers from around Europe
🇩🇪 FrankfurterRundschau Wake up, Europe! Whoever doesn't want to be a plaything must become a power factor.
🇫🇷 Le Fígaro Trump captured Maduro - global shockwave. Pax Trumpicana
🇪🇸 El País - political earthquake in VZ, Trump maintains chavismo
More in alt text.
🇩🇪 FrankfurterRundschau Wake up, Europe! Whoever doesn't want to be a plaything must become a power factor.
🇫🇷 Le Fígaro Trump captured Maduro - global shockwave. Pax Trumpicana
🇪🇸 El País - political earthquake in VZ, Trump maintains chavismo
More in alt text.
Good observation.
I worked for one. Ultimately I knew he was doing a lot of illegal things and suspected more, & left so as not to be associated with that, even tho this challenged me on immigration front.
Seems many in this admin made a diff choice & decided to instead do more insane things.
I worked for one. Ultimately I knew he was doing a lot of illegal things and suspected more, & left so as not to be associated with that, even tho this challenged me on immigration front.
Seems many in this admin made a diff choice & decided to instead do more insane things.
Convinced the best prism for understanding this admin is if you've worked for a real narcissist boss where you have to chart a course between doing enough insane things to satisfy their ego and not doing too many insane things.
WH sources say Venezuela's opposition leader committed the "ultimate sin": She accepted the Nobel Peace prize.
“If she had turned it down and said, ‘I can’t accept it because it’s Donald Trump’s,’ she’d be the president of Venezuela today,” one said.
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
“If she had turned it down and said, ‘I can’t accept it because it’s Donald Trump’s,’ she’d be the president of Venezuela today,” one said.
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
January 5, 2026 at 10:28 AM
Good observation.
I worked for one. Ultimately I knew he was doing a lot of illegal things and suspected more, & left so as not to be associated with that, even tho this challenged me on immigration front.
Seems many in this admin made a diff choice & decided to instead do more insane things.
I worked for one. Ultimately I knew he was doing a lot of illegal things and suspected more, & left so as not to be associated with that, even tho this challenged me on immigration front.
Seems many in this admin made a diff choice & decided to instead do more insane things.
Reposted by Kat O’Brien
One things that helps me empathize with people is understanding that many Americans are ruled by fear. Most of us are an illness or accident away from bankruptcy and work jobs that are precarious with no guarantee of any career stability.
People react with fear. It’s what motivates MAGA or AI hate.
People react with fear. It’s what motivates MAGA or AI hate.
January 5, 2026 at 7:56 AM
One things that helps me empathize with people is understanding that many Americans are ruled by fear. Most of us are an illness or accident away from bankruptcy and work jobs that are precarious with no guarantee of any career stability.
People react with fear. It’s what motivates MAGA or AI hate.
People react with fear. It’s what motivates MAGA or AI hate.