Katie Skeen, PhD
@skeen.bsky.social
Cold-eyed warm-hearted editor researcher mother radical optimist.
🩷NYChicagoDublinPhiladelphia🩷
I was on Jeopardy! the week that Alex Trebek shaved off his mustache.
🩷NYChicagoDublinPhiladelphia🩷
I was on Jeopardy! the week that Alex Trebek shaved off his mustache.
Pinned
Katie Skeen, PhD
@skeen.bsky.social
· Jan 2
“To vex the world rather than divert it”—in other words, Swift seeks to challenge the world with this work, not merely to entertain it.
open.substack.com/pub/karenswa...
open.substack.com/pub/karenswa...
Gulliver's Travels: Week 1
Part 1, Chapters 1-2: They shot arrows in Lilliput as we do bombs in Europe.
open.substack.com
What was the most significant work published in English exactly 300 years ago?
This:
This:
Reposted by Katie Skeen, PhD
heads up to the american news media: I do not care what racists thought of the super bowl halftime show
February 9, 2026 at 1:34 AM
heads up to the american news media: I do not care what racists thought of the super bowl halftime show
Reposted by Katie Skeen, PhD
Just a few weeks ago, the administration cancelled all remaining department of energy grid resilience projects in Puerto Rico. All of them. www.latitudemedia.com/news/the-end...
The end of DOE’s grid work in Puerto Rico
The Trump administration has canceled all eight of the remaining awards devoted to distributed energy on the island.
www.latitudemedia.com
February 9, 2026 at 2:00 AM
Just a few weeks ago, the administration cancelled all remaining department of energy grid resilience projects in Puerto Rico. All of them. www.latitudemedia.com/news/the-end...
Reposted by Katie Skeen, PhD
It was transforming the biggest NFL stage in the world into a sugar cane plantation that did it for me.
Like, the multiple layers of turning an American icon into a plantation and highlighting the history of exploitation of Black and Brown bodies by the NFL and American colonialism simultaneously?
Like, the multiple layers of turning an American icon into a plantation and highlighting the history of exploitation of Black and Brown bodies by the NFL and American colonialism simultaneously?
February 9, 2026 at 1:54 AM
It was transforming the biggest NFL stage in the world into a sugar cane plantation that did it for me.
Like, the multiple layers of turning an American icon into a plantation and highlighting the history of exploitation of Black and Brown bodies by the NFL and American colonialism simultaneously?
Like, the multiple layers of turning an American icon into a plantation and highlighting the history of exploitation of Black and Brown bodies by the NFL and American colonialism simultaneously?
Reposted by Katie Skeen, PhD
Remember that under the first Trump administration, Puerto Rico had to suffer through the longest power blackout in U.S. history bsky.app/profile/cost...
During his Administration, Hurricane Maria knocked out power to 1.5 million people in Puerto Rico and it didn’t get restored for ABOUT A YEAR! It was the largest blackout in U.S. history. This should be line one of any hurricane recovery political coverage. www.vox.com/identities/2...
February 9, 2026 at 1:38 AM
Remember that under the first Trump administration, Puerto Rico had to suffer through the longest power blackout in U.S. history bsky.app/profile/cost...
The last time I saw Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin on the same stage was the Harris/Walz rally in Philadelphia, Nov. 4, 2024. 🇺🇸 😭 I was there.
Lady Gaga! Ricky Martin! That was awesome!
February 9, 2026 at 2:08 AM
The last time I saw Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin on the same stage was the Harris/Walz rally in Philadelphia, Nov. 4, 2024. 🇺🇸 😭 I was there.
Reposted by Katie Skeen, PhD
Europe gets it!
The UK raids the home of a close Epstein pal. Poland probes ties to Russian intel. France raids the office of Musk's X. But the U.S. elites who palled around with the world's worst sex creep get away with it
The crisis of elite impunity. My column www.inquirer.com/opinion/jeff...
The UK raids the home of a close Epstein pal. Poland probes ties to Russian intel. France raids the office of Musk's X. But the U.S. elites who palled around with the world's worst sex creep get away with it
The crisis of elite impunity. My column www.inquirer.com/opinion/jeff...
Europe is holding its Epstein creeps accountable. Why can’t we? | Will Bunch
Europeans are pushing to hold Jeffrey Epstein's creepy pals, including billionaires like Elon Musk, accountable. The U.S.? Not so much.
www.inquirer.com
February 8, 2026 at 6:06 PM
Europe gets it!
The UK raids the home of a close Epstein pal. Poland probes ties to Russian intel. France raids the office of Musk's X. But the U.S. elites who palled around with the world's worst sex creep get away with it
The crisis of elite impunity. My column www.inquirer.com/opinion/jeff...
The UK raids the home of a close Epstein pal. Poland probes ties to Russian intel. France raids the office of Musk's X. But the U.S. elites who palled around with the world's worst sex creep get away with it
The crisis of elite impunity. My column www.inquirer.com/opinion/jeff...
Reposted by Katie Skeen, PhD
You know how I keep saying that every damn skill and capacity is needed in this moment???
What do you know how to do that can serve in this critical time??
What do you know how to do that can serve in this critical time??
One man tracking people being deported & deportation flights at the Minneapolis airport.
One person creating a record for future inquiries & potential prosecutions.
Trevor Paglen's deep surveillance documentation now being done by everyday people.
www.npr.org/2026/02/06/n...
One person creating a record for future inquiries & potential prosecutions.
Trevor Paglen's deep surveillance documentation now being done by everyday people.
www.npr.org/2026/02/06/n...
Minneapolis now has daily deportation flights. One man has been documenting them
A professional airplane enthusiast has been tracking the federally chartered deportation flights out of the Minneapolis airport as DHS sends immigration detainees to other states and, eventually, othe...
www.npr.org
February 7, 2026 at 10:56 PM
You know how I keep saying that every damn skill and capacity is needed in this moment???
What do you know how to do that can serve in this critical time??
What do you know how to do that can serve in this critical time??
Reposted by Katie Skeen, PhD
i need an emotional support perogi
February 7, 2026 at 7:55 PM
i need an emotional support perogi
Reposted by Katie Skeen, PhD
This story should be retitled. The US is actually funding pro-Putin think tanks, ones that want to end European democracy.
Lets be honest about this.
Lets be honest about this.
US government to fund Maga-aligned think-tanks and charities in Europe ft.trib.al/rg4IDIC
US government to fund Maga-aligned think-tanks and charities in Europe
State department grants to spread ‘American values’ are part of Washington’s 250th anniversary celebrations
ft.trib.al
February 7, 2026 at 12:42 PM
This story should be retitled. The US is actually funding pro-Putin think tanks, ones that want to end European democracy.
Lets be honest about this.
Lets be honest about this.
Reposted by Katie Skeen, PhD
We put on an all-Yiddish community production of fiddler on the roof in Philadelphia and cast member and local artist Sofie Rose Seymour created the most amazing show poster that ever was
February 6, 2026 at 5:10 AM
We put on an all-Yiddish community production of fiddler on the roof in Philadelphia and cast member and local artist Sofie Rose Seymour created the most amazing show poster that ever was
Pennsylvania, we have a job to do this election year.
Pennsylvania GOP state rep. Joanne Stehr on the concentration camps being built in her area: “I’m saying ICE has a job to do, and it’s going to get done. We are taking out the trash.”
From Big Lots to warehousing humans: ICE plan sparks fear in Schuylkill County | Will Bunch
A massive warehouse in Tremont, Pa., that once moved cheap goods will now detain migrants in a $119 million ICE deal.
www.inquirer.com
February 6, 2026 at 11:55 PM
Pennsylvania, we have a job to do this election year.
Reposted by Katie Skeen, PhD
RACIST. RAPIST. RACIST. RAPIST. RACIST. RAPIST. RACIST. RAPIST. RACIST. RAPIST. RACIST. RAPIST. RACIST. RAPIST. RACIST. RAPIST. RACIST. RAPIST. RACIST. RAPIST.
The worst of the worst with a Gestapo killing the best of the best.
Have you called your reps today?
202-224-3121 #RemoveTrump
The worst of the worst with a Gestapo killing the best of the best.
Have you called your reps today?
202-224-3121 #RemoveTrump
February 6, 2026 at 9:36 PM
RACIST. RAPIST. RACIST. RAPIST. RACIST. RAPIST. RACIST. RAPIST. RACIST. RAPIST. RACIST. RAPIST. RACIST. RAPIST. RACIST. RAPIST. RACIST. RAPIST. RACIST. RAPIST.
The worst of the worst with a Gestapo killing the best of the best.
Have you called your reps today?
202-224-3121 #RemoveTrump
The worst of the worst with a Gestapo killing the best of the best.
Have you called your reps today?
202-224-3121 #RemoveTrump
Reposted by Katie Skeen, PhD
Every member of this administration should be booed wherever they go for the rest of their miserable lives. They should never have a moment of peace.
February 6, 2026 at 9:32 PM
Every member of this administration should be booed wherever they go for the rest of their miserable lives. They should never have a moment of peace.
Reposted by Katie Skeen, PhD
BREAKING: Over 680 members of the National Academy of Sciences, Medicine, and Engineering have endorsed articles of impeachment against RFK Jr.
(1/2 🧵)
(1/2 🧵)
February 5, 2026 at 9:08 PM
BREAKING: Over 680 members of the National Academy of Sciences, Medicine, and Engineering have endorsed articles of impeachment against RFK Jr.
(1/2 🧵)
(1/2 🧵)
Reposted by Katie Skeen, PhD
Q: Why will football be featured during the Bad Bunny concert?*
A: The Bad Bunny concert is fantastic exposure for the NFL and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to put the game of American football in front of fans of the biggest musical artist in the world.
A: The Bad Bunny concert is fantastic exposure for the NFL and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to put the game of American football in front of fans of the biggest musical artist in the world.
FAQs for This Weekend’s Bad Bunny Concert Featuring Football
What time is kickoff? The Bad Bunny concert kicks off around 8:00 or 8:30 p.m., but there will be pre-concert entertainment starting at 6:30 p.m. f...
buff.ly
February 5, 2026 at 7:27 PM
Q: Why will football be featured during the Bad Bunny concert?*
A: The Bad Bunny concert is fantastic exposure for the NFL and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to put the game of American football in front of fans of the biggest musical artist in the world.
A: The Bad Bunny concert is fantastic exposure for the NFL and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to put the game of American football in front of fans of the biggest musical artist in the world.
Subscribe to the Inquirer.
The banality of evil is shocking. An ex-Big Lots warehouse for cheap consumer junk is bought by ICE to ship as many as 7,500 handcuffed human beings, as the Trump regime builds a U.S. gulag archipelago
The unthinkable comes to Pa. coal country. My special report www.inquirer.com/opinion/ice-...
The unthinkable comes to Pa. coal country. My special report www.inquirer.com/opinion/ice-...
From Big Lots to warehousing humans: ICE plan sparks fear in Schuylkill County | Will Bunch
A massive warehouse in Tremont. Pa. that once moved cheap goods will now detain migrants in an $119 million ICE deal.
www.inquirer.com
February 5, 2026 at 7:35 PM
Subscribe to the Inquirer.
Reposted by Katie Skeen, PhD
I usually avoid sharing what feels like "inside baseball" political analysis here, but this merits an exception because of the stakes + scale involved.
Zohran isn't "wrong" to endorse Hochul; he has no choice. But for primary voters to back Hochul would definitely be unwise. Let me explain why. 🧵
Zohran isn't "wrong" to endorse Hochul; he has no choice. But for primary voters to back Hochul would definitely be unwise. Let me explain why. 🧵
NEW: Mayor Mamdani is set to endorse Gov. Hochul’s reelection run this week, providing her a critical inroad with progressive voters, per four sources.
It deals a near fatal blow to Antonio Delgado's campaign.
www.politico.com/news/2026/02...
It deals a near fatal blow to Antonio Delgado's campaign.
www.politico.com/news/2026/02...
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to endorse Gov. Kathy Hochul
The endorsement, expected this week, gives Hochul a critical inroad with left-leaning voters.
www.politico.com
February 4, 2026 at 10:09 PM
I usually avoid sharing what feels like "inside baseball" political analysis here, but this merits an exception because of the stakes + scale involved.
Zohran isn't "wrong" to endorse Hochul; he has no choice. But for primary voters to back Hochul would definitely be unwise. Let me explain why. 🧵
Zohran isn't "wrong" to endorse Hochul; he has no choice. But for primary voters to back Hochul would definitely be unwise. Let me explain why. 🧵
Reposted by Katie Skeen, PhD
Update: In the past week we've learned ICE has secured property to build human warehouses in Merrimack, NH and Williamsport, MD *as well as* Surprise, AZ; Upper Bern, PA; and Tremont, PA.
Facts that bear repeating.
Facts that bear repeating.
In the past week we've learned ICE has secured property to build human warehouses in Merrimack, NH and Williamsport, MD. Just some facts I think bear repeating.
February 4, 2026 at 5:35 PM
Update: In the past week we've learned ICE has secured property to build human warehouses in Merrimack, NH and Williamsport, MD *as well as* Surprise, AZ; Upper Bern, PA; and Tremont, PA.
Facts that bear repeating.
Facts that bear repeating.
Reposted by Katie Skeen, PhD
The Washington Post, owned by Jeff Bezos, who also owns, you know, **Amazon**, just got rid of its books section
💙 📚
www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...
💙 📚
www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...
WashPo Shutters Books Section Amid Widespread Layoffs
After weeks of rumors about layoffs, the Washington Post told employees Wednesday morning that the paper, owned by Jeff Bezos, is eliminating its books section, Book World, which was relaunched in 202...
www.publishersweekly.com
February 4, 2026 at 6:24 PM
The Washington Post, owned by Jeff Bezos, who also owns, you know, **Amazon**, just got rid of its books section
💙 📚
www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...
💙 📚
www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...
Reposted by Katie Skeen, PhD
I'm ready to vote for any Democrat who promises to destroy everything Trump builds, fire everyone he hired, and subject everyone who works for him (who wasn't a career civil servant already in place) to criminal investigation.
Historian here literally and symbolically Trump is hell bent on destroying the American republic, its constitution, and founding principles on its 250th. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Trump wants to build a 250-foot-tall arch, dwarfing the Lincoln Memorial
The president is eyeing a plot of land near Memorial Bridge. The art critic who proposed the idea called for a smaller arch or for Trump to pick a new site.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 1, 2026 at 11:34 PM
I'm ready to vote for any Democrat who promises to destroy everything Trump builds, fire everyone he hired, and subject everyone who works for him (who wasn't a career civil servant already in place) to criminal investigation.
Reposted by Katie Skeen, PhD
My story on Elon Musk cutting safeguards at xAI is on the front page of today's @washingtonpost.com. I’m also among 100’s of reporters laid off. I absolutely loved my job my brilliant coworkers & the thrill of reporting @ the center of forces upending the world: AI & Silicon Valley’s political power
February 4, 2026 at 7:40 PM
My story on Elon Musk cutting safeguards at xAI is on the front page of today's @washingtonpost.com. I’m also among 100’s of reporters laid off. I absolutely loved my job my brilliant coworkers & the thrill of reporting @ the center of forces upending the world: AI & Silicon Valley’s political power
Reposted by Katie Skeen, PhD
No. Commonsense reform is to burn ICE to the waterline and scatter the rubble so that all of us who value a constitutional republic with a Bill of Rights can prevent such a monstrosity from ever being constructed again.
And nothing above is hyperbole.
God, but you are not a leader for this time.
And nothing above is hyperbole.
God, but you are not a leader for this time.
Democrats want commonsense reform for ICE:
End the roving patrols and racial profiling.
Take accountability and abide by the same rules as local police.
Masks need to come off, body cameras need to stay on—no secret police in the United States of America.
End the roving patrols and racial profiling.
Take accountability and abide by the same rules as local police.
Masks need to come off, body cameras need to stay on—no secret police in the United States of America.
February 3, 2026 at 11:00 PM
No. Commonsense reform is to burn ICE to the waterline and scatter the rubble so that all of us who value a constitutional republic with a Bill of Rights can prevent such a monstrosity from ever being constructed again.
And nothing above is hyperbole.
God, but you are not a leader for this time.
And nothing above is hyperbole.
God, but you are not a leader for this time.
Reposted by Katie Skeen, PhD
The Nation’s homepage today is dedicated entirely to Gaza and its people. Despite a so-called ceasefire, bombings continue, hunger persists, aid trickles, and hundreds of thousands live in threadbare tents.
Today, as Gaza continues to be stuck in a bloody limbo, we are turning our website over to Gaza and its people in an initiative we are calling “A Day for Gaza.” There will be no pieces published on our website today that do not come directly from Gaza.
A Day for Gaza
Today, The Nation is turning over its website exclusively to stories from Gaza and its people. This is why.
www.thenation.com
February 3, 2026 at 5:08 PM
The Nation’s homepage today is dedicated entirely to Gaza and its people. Despite a so-called ceasefire, bombings continue, hunger persists, aid trickles, and hundreds of thousands live in threadbare tents.
Reposted by Katie Skeen, PhD
this rat was so excited to get home! probably had just won the rat lottery or heard their kid got into the best rat college.
I wish I had a camera in the front to capture the bounding rat that made these tracks. #ChicagoRat
February 3, 2026 at 3:05 PM
this rat was so excited to get home! probably had just won the rat lottery or heard their kid got into the best rat college.