Michael Grass
@mgrass.bsky.social
WA via DC, NYC and MI | Assistant director for communications at @cip.uw.edu | Former journalist | Car-free living | 🚎 🚇 🏊♂️ ✍️ 🌲🗺
Reposted by Michael Grass
I turned my thread here from yesterday about how the layers of quote posts on X that start with a mundane story increasingly get passed along with ever more unhinged conspiracy theories until Elon Musk shares it with his over 200 million followers.
Elon Musk Plays Disinfo Telephone: How Oregon’s Mundane Voter Roll Cleanup Is Turned Into False Claim Of ‘Fake Voters’
I made the mistake of opening up X yesterday to look something up, and the very first post that appeared in my feed was a perfect, almost pedagogical example of how the game of…
I made the mistake of opening up X yesterday to look something up, and the very first post that appeared in my feed was a perfect, almost pedagogical example of how the game of…
Elon Musk Plays Disinfo Telephone: How Oregon’s Mundane Voter Roll Cleanup Is Turned Into False Claim Of ‘Fake Voters’
I made the mistake of opening up X yesterday to look something up, and the very first post that appeared in my feed was a perfect, almost pedagogical example of how the game of “disinformation telephone” gets played. Let's walk through it, because understanding how this works is important. The game works like this: Someone takes a factual but largely unremarkable story, gives it a slight spin, and passes it along.
www.techdirt.com
January 13, 2026 at 9:28 PM
I turned my thread here from yesterday about how the layers of quote posts on X that start with a mundane story increasingly get passed along with ever more unhinged conspiracy theories until Elon Musk shares it with his over 200 million followers.
Reposted by Michael Grass
Emmett’s thread offers a very succinct summary of our team’s recent “frameworks” paper, which describes our motivation and methodological approach for supporting collective sensemaking thru rapid research in a university setting. We’re planning another full deployment for the 2026 U.S. election.
Last week I wrote about how these rumor disasters happen and a little comms advice on how to prep and respond. But the @cip.uw.edu recently wrote a approach that could be expanded to inoculate communities by covering in real time how rumors spread. 🧵
/1
/1
1/ Ever wonder how a rumor in MN becomes a physical confrontation in WA in 72 hours? It’s a new model: Participatory Disinformation. WA's digital ecosystem is perfectly primed for these outbreaks. 🧵
January 13, 2026 at 2:04 AM
Emmett’s thread offers a very succinct summary of our team’s recent “frameworks” paper, which describes our motivation and methodological approach for supporting collective sensemaking thru rapid research in a university setting. We’re planning another full deployment for the 2026 U.S. election.
Today in stratovolcanoes, Wy'east (Mt Hood), on the way north from LAX to SEA.
January 13, 2026 at 12:31 AM
Today in stratovolcanoes, Wy'east (Mt Hood), on the way north from LAX to SEA.
Thanks for highlighting our recent report, @emmettoconnell.bsky.social!
(Cc: @danielletomson.bsky.social @katestarbird.bsky.social)
(Cc: @danielletomson.bsky.social @katestarbird.bsky.social)
Last week I wrote about how these rumor disasters happen and a little comms advice on how to prep and respond. But the @cip.uw.edu recently wrote a approach that could be expanded to inoculate communities by covering in real time how rumors spread. 🧵
/1
/1
1/ Ever wonder how a rumor in MN becomes a physical confrontation in WA in 72 hours? It’s a new model: Participatory Disinformation. WA's digital ecosystem is perfectly primed for these outbreaks. 🧵
January 12, 2026 at 8:56 PM
Thanks for highlighting our recent report, @emmettoconnell.bsky.social!
(Cc: @danielletomson.bsky.social @katestarbird.bsky.social)
(Cc: @danielletomson.bsky.social @katestarbird.bsky.social)
Reposted by Michael Grass
There's A LOT going on right now in struggle b/w democracy & authoritarianism, so it's hard to keep up. But it's going to be REALLY important that we pay attention to (and keep pushing back against) how election lies (from 2020) are being mobilized in ways that threaten election integrity in 2026.
Judge blocks Trump’s elections order in lawsuit by vote-by-mail states Oregon and Washington
A Trump executive order included new requirements to prove citizenship and a demand that all mail ballots be received by Election Day.
www.seattletimes.com
January 10, 2026 at 7:12 PM
There's A LOT going on right now in struggle b/w democracy & authoritarianism, so it's hard to keep up. But it's going to be REALLY important that we pay attention to (and keep pushing back against) how election lies (from 2020) are being mobilized in ways that threaten election integrity in 2026.
I was nearly killed a few years back by a speeding motorist while I was crossing the incredibly wide (non-arterial) 1st Street in the Bluff Heights area of #LongBeach, California.
It looks like dead palm fronds have been added as a lane divider here at 1st St & Coronado Ave.
It looks like dead palm fronds have been added as a lane divider here at 1st St & Coronado Ave.
January 9, 2026 at 9:04 PM
I was nearly killed a few years back by a speeding motorist while I was crossing the incredibly wide (non-arterial) 1st Street in the Bluff Heights area of #LongBeach, California.
It looks like dead palm fronds have been added as a lane divider here at 1st St & Coronado Ave.
It looks like dead palm fronds have been added as a lane divider here at 1st St & Coronado Ave.
Reposted by Michael Grass
Status scoop: Bari Weiss is subjecting another "60 Minutes" piece to scrutiny that has yet to air: one in the works for months by Anderson Cooper examining Trump's decision to accept white South African refugees. Details in @status.news www.status.news/p/60-minutes...
The Shadow Over ‘60’
As Sharyn Alfonsi's “60 Minutes” report remains shelved, Status has learned that an Anderson Cooper piece is also caught in a prolonged editorial review process, frustrating the veteran producer attac...
www.status.news
January 9, 2026 at 2:04 AM
Status scoop: Bari Weiss is subjecting another "60 Minutes" piece to scrutiny that has yet to air: one in the works for months by Anderson Cooper examining Trump's decision to accept white South African refugees. Details in @status.news www.status.news/p/60-minutes...
Reposted by Michael Grass
not saying it can't get worse but this week really feels like a straightforward depiction of what worst-case 'post truth' information apocalypse ppl were warning of in the late 2010s
January 7, 2026 at 10:43 PM
not saying it can't get worse but this week really feels like a straightforward depiction of what worst-case 'post truth' information apocalypse ppl were warning of in the late 2010s
Reposted by Michael Grass
NEW: Publishers of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette announce they are shutting down the newspaper on May 3, 2026.
Hours ago, the Supreme Court of the US declined to extend a stay on a court order for the paper to pay its journalists following the end of a 3-year strike.
Hours ago, the Supreme Court of the US declined to extend a stay on a court order for the paper to pay its journalists following the end of a 3-year strike.
January 7, 2026 at 6:31 PM
NEW: Publishers of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette announce they are shutting down the newspaper on May 3, 2026.
Hours ago, the Supreme Court of the US declined to extend a stay on a court order for the paper to pay its journalists following the end of a 3-year strike.
Hours ago, the Supreme Court of the US declined to extend a stay on a court order for the paper to pay its journalists following the end of a 3-year strike.
Reposted by Michael Grass
a huge victory for universities, worth billions of dollars: Trump can’t cap indirect-cost rates on NIH grants, appeals court rules
www.chronicle.com/blogs/the-tr... via @andyandy.bsky.social
www.chronicle.com/blogs/the-tr... via @andyandy.bsky.social
Trump Can’t Cap Overhead Rate on NIH Grants to Research Universities, Appeals Court Rules
The ruling is a victory for higher-education associations who challenged the proposed 15-percent cap, calling it illegal and claiming it would devastate the research enterprise.
www.chronicle.com
January 6, 2026 at 6:29 PM
a huge victory for universities, worth billions of dollars: Trump can’t cap indirect-cost rates on NIH grants, appeals court rules
www.chronicle.com/blogs/the-tr... via @andyandy.bsky.social
www.chronicle.com/blogs/the-tr... via @andyandy.bsky.social
Reposted by Michael Grass
What could go wrong for flood-struck communities when the federal agency tasked with managing emergencies loses nearly 20% of its workforce in less than a year?
Regional FEMA offices slashed by DOGE face further cuts; disaster response may suffer | Cascadia Daily News
Federal aid already hampered by Trump administration cuts before NW WA flooding
www.cascadiadaily.com
January 5, 2026 at 8:04 PM
What could go wrong for flood-struck communities when the federal agency tasked with managing emergencies loses nearly 20% of its workforce in less than a year?
Reposted by Michael Grass
In what Reuters called a "mass digital undressing spree,” Elon Musk is provoking outrage after his Grok chatbot responded to user prompts to remove clothing from images of women and to create "sexualized images of children" and post them on X. I spoke to Stanford HAI's Riana Pfefferkorn about it:
The Policy Implications of Grok's 'Mass Digital Undressing Spree' | TechPolicy.Press
A conversation with Riana Pfefferkorn, a policy fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI.
www.techpolicy.press
January 4, 2026 at 3:08 PM
In what Reuters called a "mass digital undressing spree,” Elon Musk is provoking outrage after his Grok chatbot responded to user prompts to remove clothing from images of women and to create "sexualized images of children" and post them on X. I spoke to Stanford HAI's Riana Pfefferkorn about it:
Reposted by Michael Grass
Places that were habitable in previous generations are no longer habitable in today’s climate as rising seas threaten low-lying coastal communities.
www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/f...
www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/f...
‘Worst I’ve ever seen it’: Bay Area flooding strands motorists, threatens homes
Flooding caused by powerful tides inundated coastal communities and disrupted traffic Saturday as residents struggled to protect their homes from rising water.
www.sfchronicle.com
January 3, 2026 at 9:06 PM
Places that were habitable in previous generations are no longer habitable in today’s climate as rising seas threaten low-lying coastal communities.
www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/f...
www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/f...
Reposted by Michael Grass
One thing I wrote about here is how technology has made buses *way* more convenient while techno-futurists were obsessed with flying taxis and self-driving cars.
January 2, 2026 at 2:17 PM
One thing I wrote about here is how technology has made buses *way* more convenient while techno-futurists were obsessed with flying taxis and self-driving cars.
Reposted by Michael Grass
Birmingham revellers turn out for non-existent fireworks – for second new year in a row
Birmingham revellers turn out for non-existent fireworks – for second new year in a row
Hundreds of people gather in Centenary Square to see in 2026 after false claims online promise ‘dazzling’ display
The new year got off to an anticlimactic start for hundreds of people in Birmingham who were tricked into attending a New Year’s Eve fireworks display that didn’t exist.
Crowds of revellers gathered in the city’s Centenary Square, hoping to catch a glimpse of a pyrotechnics display to welcome in 2026. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
January 1, 2026 at 5:37 PM
Birmingham revellers turn out for non-existent fireworks – for second new year in a row
Reposted by Michael Grass
1/ Ever wonder how a rumor in MN becomes a physical confrontation in WA in 72 hours? It’s a new model: Participatory Disinformation. WA's digital ecosystem is perfectly primed for these outbreaks. 🧵
January 1, 2026 at 4:02 PM
1/ Ever wonder how a rumor in MN becomes a physical confrontation in WA in 72 hours? It’s a new model: Participatory Disinformation. WA's digital ecosystem is perfectly primed for these outbreaks. 🧵
Reposted by Michael Grass
I recently checked out Tacoma's new transit-accessible cheesecake window as part of my latest newsletter edition.
Also in this edition ... 🧵
transiterranean.beehiiv.com/p/basque-che...
#Tacoma #TacomaWA #PublicTransit #PacificNorthwest
Also in this edition ... 🧵
transiterranean.beehiiv.com/p/basque-che...
#Tacoma #TacomaWA #PublicTransit #PacificNorthwest
Tacoma’s new transit accessible cheesecake window; analyzing an often obstructed 6th Ave. bus stop
Also: Bridge of Glass closed; free NYE transit; S Line service held up well during South King County flooding.
transiterranean.beehiiv.com
December 31, 2025 at 11:35 PM
I recently checked out Tacoma's new transit-accessible cheesecake window as part of my latest newsletter edition.
Also in this edition ... 🧵
transiterranean.beehiiv.com/p/basque-che...
#Tacoma #TacomaWA #PublicTransit #PacificNorthwest
Also in this edition ... 🧵
transiterranean.beehiiv.com/p/basque-che...
#Tacoma #TacomaWA #PublicTransit #PacificNorthwest
Reposted by Michael Grass
The rumors about daycare centers are extremely "fit" for virality: having both novelty & familiarity (drawing on anti-immigrant tropes of criminality & exploitation); making emotional/identity appeals; are *participatory* in that ppl can create their own “evidence” by investigating local centers.
What makes an election rumor go viral? Look at these 10 factors
A guide for journalists and news organizations assessing voting- and election-related rumors in the weeks leading up to the 2022 midterms.
www.niemanlab.org
December 31, 2025 at 4:46 PM
The rumors about daycare centers are extremely "fit" for virality: having both novelty & familiarity (drawing on anti-immigrant tropes of criminality & exploitation); making emotional/identity appeals; are *participatory* in that ppl can create their own “evidence” by investigating local centers.
🙃 “Frankly, no one I know has ever ridden farther than the Carroll Street Station in Brooklyn. We’re not really sure what’s out there, but we figured we’d better put something on the map."
MTA Admits To Fabricating Large Parts Of Subway Map https://theonion.com/mta-admits-to-fabricating-large-parts-of-subway-map/
December 30, 2025 at 12:26 AM
🙃 “Frankly, no one I know has ever ridden farther than the Carroll Street Station in Brooklyn. We’re not really sure what’s out there, but we figured we’d better put something on the map."
Reposted by Michael Grass
Anyway, Brandolini’s law continues to hold: Bullshit is asymmetrical.
Editorial failures like this put the burden on me to track how even purportedly scholarly works (mis)use what I’ve said and written, and expend time and effort to set the record straight. It’s untenable in the long run.
Editorial failures like this put the burden on me to track how even purportedly scholarly works (mis)use what I’ve said and written, and expend time and effort to set the record straight. It’s untenable in the long run.
December 29, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Anyway, Brandolini’s law continues to hold: Bullshit is asymmetrical.
Editorial failures like this put the burden on me to track how even purportedly scholarly works (mis)use what I’ve said and written, and expend time and effort to set the record straight. It’s untenable in the long run.
Editorial failures like this put the burden on me to track how even purportedly scholarly works (mis)use what I’ve said and written, and expend time and effort to set the record straight. It’s untenable in the long run.
With this high level visibility on the former City Hall Station, hopefully content creators will finally retire the "Did you know there's a secret subway station at New York City Hall?" type of video.
Since at least the mid 2000s, that old station has been rediscovered every few weeks online.
Since at least the mid 2000s, that old station has been rediscovered every few weeks online.
EXCLUSIVE: @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social will be sworn in as mayor on midnight on January 1 inside the old abandoned City Hall subway station, saying that he sees the venue as a symbol for the aims of his upcoming administration.
EXCLUSIVE: Mamdani Will Be Sworn In At Abandoned Original City Hall Subway Station
The mayor-elect will kick off a new era by throwing things back to an older one.
buff.ly
December 29, 2025 at 4:03 PM
With this high level visibility on the former City Hall Station, hopefully content creators will finally retire the "Did you know there's a secret subway station at New York City Hall?" type of video.
Since at least the mid 2000s, that old station has been rediscovered every few weeks online.
Since at least the mid 2000s, that old station has been rediscovered every few weeks online.
Reposted by Michael Grass
The Trump administration is rolling out the red carpet for once-besieged prediction apps like Polymarket and Kalshi, with millions pouring into bets on the midterms. The companies wave away concerns about foreign influence and partisan meddling www.npr.org/2025/12/23/n...
Election betting on prediction markets apps is set to boom ahead of midterms
Online prediction markets, like Polymarket and Kalshi, were under intense scrutiny in the Biden administration. But Trump officials are embracing the controversial apps, raising new fears about electi...
www.npr.org
December 27, 2025 at 8:48 PM
The Trump administration is rolling out the red carpet for once-besieged prediction apps like Polymarket and Kalshi, with millions pouring into bets on the midterms. The companies wave away concerns about foreign influence and partisan meddling www.npr.org/2025/12/23/n...
A new subscription to @theonion.com print edition has brought some needed joy to the holiday season. The special wrapping paper page inserts will also come in handy for belated Christmas presents!
December 25, 2025 at 1:57 AM
A new subscription to @theonion.com print edition has brought some needed joy to the holiday season. The special wrapping paper page inserts will also come in handy for belated Christmas presents!
Reposted by Michael Grass
Former head of trust and safety at Twitter, Yoel Roth, demonstrating the intellectual dishonesty of “In Covid’s Wake” by showing how they distorted his own words to make them say the opposite of what he was arguing.
A small (personal) example of this book’s intellectual dishonesty:
My father-in-law is reading In Covid’s Wake, and excitedly told me he found a passage where I’m quoted. The quote in question is me saying the FBI worked to censor speech on social media.
Huh? When did I say that?!
My father-in-law is reading In Covid’s Wake, and excitedly told me he found a passage where I’m quoted. The quote in question is me saying the FBI worked to censor speech on social media.
Huh? When did I say that?!
December 24, 2025 at 9:31 PM
Former head of trust and safety at Twitter, Yoel Roth, demonstrating the intellectual dishonesty of “In Covid’s Wake” by showing how they distorted his own words to make them say the opposite of what he was arguing.
Reposted by Michael Grass
“I’m 84 years old. Threats against my life expectancy are kind of hollow. I don’t have much time anyway. I’m more concerned that our democracy is at risk because of the trends against the rule of law.” www.nbcnews.com/politics/pol...
Judges who ruled against Trump say harassment and threats have changed their lives
More than 100 pizzas were delivered to the homes of judges and their families this year, some with signs of foreign involvement. Judges say the message is clear: We know where you live.
www.nbcnews.com
December 24, 2025 at 2:46 PM
“I’m 84 years old. Threats against my life expectancy are kind of hollow. I don’t have much time anyway. I’m more concerned that our democracy is at risk because of the trends against the rule of law.” www.nbcnews.com/politics/pol...