Mari Elken
@marielken.bsky.social
Associate prof in higher education at University of Oslo @unioslo-uv.bsky.social. Side gig at NIFU @nifu.bsky.social.
#Highered stuff on org, policy and governance, but mostly distracted..
#Highered stuff on org, policy and governance, but mostly distracted..
Curious how this will eventually end up.
The Trump administration is no longer trying to get cash from Harvard as it seeks a settlement. At this point, the White House seems happy to get a signature on anything they can call a compact.
Trump Drops Demand for Cash From Harvard After Stiff Resistance
www.nytimes.com
February 3, 2026 at 8:42 AM
Curious how this will eventually end up.
Reposted by Mari Elken
Grunnen til at Epstein kunne holde på så lenge er at det er veldig mange som synes det er helt greit å holde på sånn. Av samme grunn som bygdefolk aksepterer voksne menn med 14 år gamle "kjærester". Unge jenter, særlig den "sårbare" typen, er absolutt nederst på folks beskyttelsesliste
February 1, 2026 at 1:39 PM
Grunnen til at Epstein kunne holde på så lenge er at det er veldig mange som synes det er helt greit å holde på sånn. Av samme grunn som bygdefolk aksepterer voksne menn med 14 år gamle "kjærester". Unge jenter, særlig den "sårbare" typen, er absolutt nederst på folks beskyttelsesliste
Ok. How is it possible for 41% of people with college degrees to vote Republican with the current administration?
January 30, 2026 at 4:26 PM
Ok. How is it possible for 41% of people with college degrees to vote Republican with the current administration?
Reposted by Mari Elken
I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis. It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.
Stay free
Stay free
Bruce Springsteen - Streets Of Minneapolis (Official Audio)
YouTube video by Bruce Springsteen
youtu.be
January 28, 2026 at 5:02 PM
I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis. It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.
Stay free
Stay free
Reposted by Mari Elken
Interesting moment in the post-Trump succession struggle. 1/
January 27, 2026 at 6:32 PM
Interesting moment in the post-Trump succession struggle. 1/
As there are no penguins on Greenland this must be the Penguin from DC universe. This somehow makes more sense...
January 24, 2026 at 8:43 AM
As there are no penguins on Greenland this must be the Penguin from DC universe. This somehow makes more sense...
Thought provoking while this also leaves me with a sense of dread, as it is difficult to see a path out.
🧵 @jburnmurdoch.ft.com is spot on about the conditions in his FT piece. Liberal democracy held it together thanks to growth, good demographics, and the promise of a better future. Those days are gone, and that’s the "why" behind the erosion. However...
Democratic politicians have, though, pursued growth in GDP at the expense of other values. One response to @jburnmurdoch.ft.com pessimistic scenario is refocus on those values, combined with egalitarianism, sufficiency and quality of life. Not "it's the economy, stupid" but "it's the the society"
January 23, 2026 at 3:04 PM
Thought provoking while this also leaves me with a sense of dread, as it is difficult to see a path out.
yikes.
I guess it was just a question of time until someone created a grant writing bot. Unsure how I feel about this.
January 22, 2026 at 11:40 AM
yikes.
Wait, I thought they closed the Education Department. Its so hard for us outsiders to keep up with all the preparations for war and all.. <_<
Re the February Dear Colleagues letter that threatened funding for schools & universities over DEI-related efforts:
‘[Ed Dept]…moved to dismiss its appeal. It leaves in place a federal judge’s August decision finding that the anti-DEI effort violated the First Amendment & federal procedural rules.’
‘[Ed Dept]…moved to dismiss its appeal. It leaves in place a federal judge’s August decision finding that the anti-DEI effort violated the First Amendment & federal procedural rules.’
Trump administration drops legal appeal over anti-DEI funding threat to schools and colleges
The Trump administration is dropping its appeal of a federal court ruling that blocked a campaign against diversity, equity, and inclusion threatening federal funding to the nation’s schools and colle...
apnews.com
January 22, 2026 at 7:31 AM
Wait, I thought they closed the Education Department. Its so hard for us outsiders to keep up with all the preparations for war and all.. <_<
Reposted by Mari Elken
"I’m talking about overthinking so intense that it could power a good-sized factory building. Throw in a giant hamster wheel and a steady source of caffeine, and your electricity bills are a thing of the past."
I Will Be Your Chief Executive Worrier
In these uncertain times, you need a steady hand at the wheel. An unblinking beacon of sure-footed decisiveness. A fearless, damn-the-torpedoes lea...
buff.ly
January 21, 2026 at 1:30 PM
"I’m talking about overthinking so intense that it could power a good-sized factory building. Throw in a giant hamster wheel and a steady source of caffeine, and your electricity bills are a thing of the past."
Reposted by Mari Elken
"We have checked our inventory thoroughly, and we no longer have any shits left to give. We only had a small amount of shits left at the end of last year, and now we’ve found that the most recent news cycles have completely emptied us out."
www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/faq...
www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/faq...
FAQ: The Status of the Shits Women Have Left to Give
Q: I was wondering: how much of a shit do women give about what conservative old white dudes say about them? A: Thanks for contacting us. We have c...
www.mcsweeneys.net
January 16, 2026 at 2:20 AM
"We have checked our inventory thoroughly, and we no longer have any shits left to give. We only had a small amount of shits left at the end of last year, and now we’ve found that the most recent news cycles have completely emptied us out."
www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/faq...
www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/faq...
Reposted by Mari Elken
Multi-layered “look what you made me do” lie.
Because Norway didn’t give a him prize (it doesn’t decide winners) for ending wars (he didn’t end) the US won’t be peaceful anymore (bombing multiple countries) and will take Greenland (part of Denmark, not Norway) to stop Russia (it’d help Russia).
Because Norway didn’t give a him prize (it doesn’t decide winners) for ending wars (he didn’t end) the US won’t be peaceful anymore (bombing multiple countries) and will take Greenland (part of Denmark, not Norway) to stop Russia (it’d help Russia).
![NEW: @potus letter to @jonasgahrstore links @NobelPrize to Greenland, reiterates threats, and is forwarded by the NSC staff to multiple European ambassadors in Washington. I obtained the text from multiple officials:
Dear Ambassador:
President Trump has asked that the following message, shared with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, be forwarded to your [named head of government/state]
“Dear Jonas: Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America. Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a “right of ownership” anyway? There are no written documents, it’s only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also. I have done more for NATO than any other person since its founding, and now, NATO should do something for the United States. The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland. Thank you! President DJT”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:hbpefio3f5csc44msmbgioxz/bafkreie7itpptx3xbxhpsnlaqmwk752h7pcrion5ija2apksljtax2adx4@jpeg)
January 19, 2026 at 5:36 AM
Multi-layered “look what you made me do” lie.
Because Norway didn’t give a him prize (it doesn’t decide winners) for ending wars (he didn’t end) the US won’t be peaceful anymore (bombing multiple countries) and will take Greenland (part of Denmark, not Norway) to stop Russia (it’d help Russia).
Because Norway didn’t give a him prize (it doesn’t decide winners) for ending wars (he didn’t end) the US won’t be peaceful anymore (bombing multiple countries) and will take Greenland (part of Denmark, not Norway) to stop Russia (it’d help Russia).
Dang, the first time in ages the Norwegians make it to the World Cup and now there are very good arguments for dropping it.
It might sound silly, but I mean it: The easiest and most potent way for Europe to hurt Trump this year is to once again use its cultural soft power and to threaten a boycott of the World Cup. It would become a completely meaningless event and would hurt him where he is most vulnerable - his vanity.
January 19, 2026 at 12:28 PM
Dang, the first time in ages the Norwegians make it to the World Cup and now there are very good arguments for dropping it.
Reposted by Mari Elken
Dear Trump. Here’s a deal. Back off from Greenland and Norway will not destroy your economy by unloading the 180bn usd of your debt owned by the Oil Fund
January 18, 2026 at 10:40 AM
Dear Trump. Here’s a deal. Back off from Greenland and Norway will not destroy your economy by unloading the 180bn usd of your debt owned by the Oil Fund
Reposted by Mari Elken
Deutsche Bank here with the good stuff.
Game on.
Game on.
January 18, 2026 at 6:59 PM
Deutsche Bank here with the good stuff.
Game on.
Game on.
EU readies €93bn tariffs in retaliation for Trump’s Greenland threat ft.trib.al/5Qfqifp
EU readies €93bn tariffs in retaliation for Trump’s Greenland threat
Europe could also threaten to restrict US companies’ market access in run-up to crunch talks at Davos
ft.trib.al
January 18, 2026 at 9:55 PM
Starting to think ita time to get prepared I suppose.
European Alternatives
We help you find European alternatives for digital service and products, like cloud services and SaaS products.
european-alternatives.eu
January 16, 2026 at 10:55 PM
Starting to think ita time to get prepared I suppose.
Reposted by Mari Elken
WTF?! 🫣 Is this a joke?
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A religious quote, "primitive languages", and nonsense everywhere. Is Nature Humanities and Social Sciences Communications a scam journal?
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A religious quote, "primitive languages", and nonsense everywhere. Is Nature Humanities and Social Sciences Communications a scam journal?
A cross-linguistic investigation of /h/ symbolism: the case of H2O - Humanities and Social Sciences Communications
Humanities and Social Sciences Communications - A cross-linguistic investigation of /h/ symbolism: the case of H2O
www.nature.com
January 8, 2026 at 8:59 AM
WTF?! 🫣 Is this a joke?
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A religious quote, "primitive languages", and nonsense everywhere. Is Nature Humanities and Social Sciences Communications a scam journal?
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A religious quote, "primitive languages", and nonsense everywhere. Is Nature Humanities and Social Sciences Communications a scam journal?
January 15, 2026 at 11:15 AM
This should not be difficult.
The muted response to the undressing of women and children by Elon Musk’s Grok is the latest symptom of a culture of impunity—and a chance to address that culture head-on, @cwarzel.bsky.social and @matteowong.bsky.social argue.
Elon Musk Cannot Get Away With This
If there is no red line around AI-generated sex abuse, then no line exists.
bit.ly
January 15, 2026 at 8:08 AM
This should not be difficult.
Reposted by Mari Elken
👀From 2024... "If you’re an academic who is still using X, I would gently suggest to you that it is time to let go. The platform will either fold ~ or complete its evolution into the central engine of a politics, that compromises your professional credibility through association."
#X #AcademicSky
#X #AcademicSky
Twitter/X has ceased to be a neutral platform it’s time academics let go - Impact of Social Sciences
Mark Carrigan, argues Twitter/X no longer holds value for academics looking to share and communicate their work to wider publics.
blogs.lse.ac.uk
January 12, 2026 at 4:58 PM
👀From 2024... "If you’re an academic who is still using X, I would gently suggest to you that it is time to let go. The platform will either fold ~ or complete its evolution into the central engine of a politics, that compromises your professional credibility through association."
#X #AcademicSky
#X #AcademicSky
Reposted by Mari Elken
What can history teach us about what happens when a populist strongman with an idiosyncratic taste for low interest rates undermines central bank independence?
January 12, 2026 at 1:44 AM
What can history teach us about what happens when a populist strongman with an idiosyncratic taste for low interest rates undermines central bank independence?
Those still active on X, how many more red lines does one need?
Some Grok users, mostly men, began to demand to see bruising on the bodies of the women, and for blood to be added to the images. Requests to show women tied up and gagged were instantly granted.
‘Add blood, forced smile’:
www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...
‘Add blood, forced smile’:
www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...
‘Add blood, forced smile’: how Grok’s nudification tool went viral
The ‘put her in a bikini’ trend rapidly evolved into hundreds of thousands of requests to strip clothes from photos of women, horrifying those targeted
www.theguardian.com
January 11, 2026 at 7:07 PM
Those still active on X, how many more red lines does one need?