Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
@smothurston.bsky.social
professor of ethics, religion, & politics. focus on democratic practices, citizenship, public schools, abolition, & borders | standard disclaimers
stephaniemotathurston.com
stephaniemotathurston.com
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
The CDC changed the universal vaccine schedule & no longer recommends
Rotavirus
Hepatitis A & B
Meningitis
Influenza
RSV
I’ve cared for previously healthy kids who died from RSV, influenza and meningitis.
We all are going to be caring for a lot more now.
In our already overflowing hospitals
Rotavirus
Hepatitis A & B
Meningitis
Influenza
RSV
I’ve cared for previously healthy kids who died from RSV, influenza and meningitis.
We all are going to be caring for a lot more now.
In our already overflowing hospitals
January 6, 2026 at 12:02 AM
The CDC changed the universal vaccine schedule & no longer recommends
Rotavirus
Hepatitis A & B
Meningitis
Influenza
RSV
I’ve cared for previously healthy kids who died from RSV, influenza and meningitis.
We all are going to be caring for a lot more now.
In our already overflowing hospitals
Rotavirus
Hepatitis A & B
Meningitis
Influenza
RSV
I’ve cared for previously healthy kids who died from RSV, influenza and meningitis.
We all are going to be caring for a lot more now.
In our already overflowing hospitals
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
The U.S. has surpassed 2000 documented measles cases this year, the highest in more than 30 years.
This is driven by rampant disinformation about vaccines from Robert F. Kennedy Jr., including in his capacity as a government official.
We will lose our elimination status shortly.
This is driven by rampant disinformation about vaccines from Robert F. Kennedy Jr., including in his capacity as a government official.
We will lose our elimination status shortly.
US measles outbreak tops 2,000 known infections
www.cidrap.umn.edu
December 29, 2025 at 10:00 PM
The U.S. has surpassed 2000 documented measles cases this year, the highest in more than 30 years.
This is driven by rampant disinformation about vaccines from Robert F. Kennedy Jr., including in his capacity as a government official.
We will lose our elimination status shortly.
This is driven by rampant disinformation about vaccines from Robert F. Kennedy Jr., including in his capacity as a government official.
We will lose our elimination status shortly.
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
Have you checked your university’s contract with qualtrics? I noticed mine allowed qualtrics to use survey responses to train AI.
Neither the IRB nor the procurement dept that negotiated the contract (!) was aware of this
Neither the IRB nor the procurement dept that negotiated the contract (!) was aware of this
December 30, 2025 at 3:53 AM
Have you checked your university’s contract with qualtrics? I noticed mine allowed qualtrics to use survey responses to train AI.
Neither the IRB nor the procurement dept that negotiated the contract (!) was aware of this
Neither the IRB nor the procurement dept that negotiated the contract (!) was aware of this
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
Figuring out the insurance options for families often falls to women. Some say they're delaying marriage, taking side jobs, and putting their kids on Medicaid as premium prices shoot up in 2026.
As insurance prices rise, women puzzle through coverage options for their families
Figuring out the insurance options for families often falls to women. Some say they're delaying marriage, taking side jobs, and putting their kids on Medicaid as premium prices shoot up in 2026.
n.pr
December 29, 2025 at 10:04 PM
Figuring out the insurance options for families often falls to women. Some say they're delaying marriage, taking side jobs, and putting their kids on Medicaid as premium prices shoot up in 2026.
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
That makes 32 reported deaths in ICE custody since Trump took power again.
Authorities have reported the death of a Nicaraguan immigrant in ICE custody in a hospital in Natchez, Mississippi, the seventh reported death of an immigrant in ICE custody this month.
buff.ly/NntUdNz
buff.ly/NntUdNz
Nicaraguan Man in ICE Custody Dies in Mississippi Hospital
A Nicaraguan man has died in ICE custody at a hospital in Natchez, Mississippi, the seventh reported death of a person in custody this month.
www.mississippifreepress.org
December 26, 2025 at 8:35 PM
That makes 32 reported deaths in ICE custody since Trump took power again.
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
Chuck Schumer Helps Pull Democrats Back From Brink Of Courage
December 27, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Chuck Schumer Helps Pull Democrats Back From Brink Of Courage
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
When viewing the fake article in Google scholar on my university network, there is a link to access the article via my uni's library. That link sends me to a library page that makes fake article appear real... Turns out library page is made programmatically from info on Google scholar 🤦
December 21, 2025 at 1:48 AM
When viewing the fake article in Google scholar on my university network, there is a link to access the article via my uni's library. That link sends me to a library page that makes fake article appear real... Turns out library page is made programmatically from info on Google scholar 🤦
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
HUGE NEWS from the new Epstein files:
Records show that Maria Farmer, who worked for Epstein, filed a "child pornography" report to the FBI in 1996.
The FBI has never before acknowledged that complaint. The case went nowhere, and mass abuse followed.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/19/u...
Records show that Maria Farmer, who worked for Epstein, filed a "child pornography" report to the FBI in 1996.
The FBI has never before acknowledged that complaint. The case went nowhere, and mass abuse followed.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/19/u...
Epstein Files Include 1996 Child Porn Complaint That F.B.I. Ignored
www.nytimes.com
December 20, 2025 at 12:07 AM
HUGE NEWS from the new Epstein files:
Records show that Maria Farmer, who worked for Epstein, filed a "child pornography" report to the FBI in 1996.
The FBI has never before acknowledged that complaint. The case went nowhere, and mass abuse followed.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/19/u...
Records show that Maria Farmer, who worked for Epstein, filed a "child pornography" report to the FBI in 1996.
The FBI has never before acknowledged that complaint. The case went nowhere, and mass abuse followed.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/19/u...
UGH!!!
did you see this?
Academics and technologists are sounding the alarm about a growing crisis in scholarship as we know it: AI-generated citations of nonexistent papers that have infested real journals. Despite being fake, the sources are widely assumed to be authentic the more they appear in published literature.
December 19, 2025 at 8:02 PM
UGH!!!
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
(Also, icyi, here are the 42 papers citing our non-existent paper which includes a "meta-analysis" - often called the evidence "gold standard" - of "LLM effects" in education 🤮
scholar.google.com.vn/scholar?star...)
scholar.google.com.vn/scholar?star...)
scholar.google.com.vn
December 19, 2025 at 6:35 PM
(Also, icyi, here are the 42 papers citing our non-existent paper which includes a "meta-analysis" - often called the evidence "gold standard" - of "LLM effects" in education 🤮
scholar.google.com.vn/scholar?star...)
scholar.google.com.vn/scholar?star...)
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
What's the difference between states like Florida, where ICE arrests are sky-high, and states like Illinois with much lower rates of arrests? It's all about police & jails.
Arrest rates out of homes, workplaces, etc are similar – but reining in sheriffs makes all the difference.
Arrest rates out of homes, workplaces, etc are similar – but reining in sheriffs makes all the difference.
December 15, 2025 at 8:33 PM
What's the difference between states like Florida, where ICE arrests are sky-high, and states like Illinois with much lower rates of arrests? It's all about police & jails.
Arrest rates out of homes, workplaces, etc are similar – but reining in sheriffs makes all the difference.
Arrest rates out of homes, workplaces, etc are similar – but reining in sheriffs makes all the difference.
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
ICE's deportation agenda is not possible without state & local collaboration. Learn more from our latest briefing 👇
www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2025/12...
www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2025/12...
December 15, 2025 at 8:33 PM
ICE's deportation agenda is not possible without state & local collaboration. Learn more from our latest briefing 👇
www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2025/12...
www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2025/12...
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
My electrician is a green card holder who's been here since he was a kid. He got married to a citizen, applied for citizenship, went to court for the papers and when he got there ICE kidnapped him and he's been locked up for a month.
December 15, 2025 at 6:51 PM
My electrician is a green card holder who's been here since he was a kid. He got married to a citizen, applied for citizenship, went to court for the papers and when he got there ICE kidnapped him and he's been locked up for a month.
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
VAP Trinity University Department of Religion specializing in Islam. Deadline February 1, 2026.
Visiting Assistant Professor of Religion - Islam
Job Family Group: Faculty Time Type: Full time Department/Office: Religion Exemption Status: Exempt Job Description: Trinity University seeks applications for a one-year Visiting Assistant Professor (...
trinity.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com
December 15, 2025 at 5:04 PM
VAP Trinity University Department of Religion specializing in Islam. Deadline February 1, 2026.
I would like to see a coordinated deluge of baseless student complaints for every faculty member so they can see how administratively ridiculous this policy is. Just shut down instruction with paid faculty suspensions
From the Oklahoma U student paper: the school is now saying it will automatically suspend faculty (with pay) in response to student complaints
www.oudaily.com/news/ou-poli...
www.oudaily.com/news/ou-poli...
December 14, 2025 at 5:15 PM
I would like to see a coordinated deluge of baseless student complaints for every faculty member so they can see how administratively ridiculous this policy is. Just shut down instruction with paid faculty suspensions
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
This is nothing but a handout. Nobody cares what the curricular implementation looks like, because the sole purpose is lock-in contracts for EdTech companies (all AI companies are EdTech companies now).
It's hard to overstate how impossible this demand is from Purdue's administration to implement these AI requirements by next fall. We are nowhere close to understanding what AI proficiency means or what it looks like in education.
www.forbes.com/sites/michae...
www.forbes.com/sites/michae...
December 14, 2025 at 3:43 PM
This is nothing but a handout. Nobody cares what the curricular implementation looks like, because the sole purpose is lock-in contracts for EdTech companies (all AI companies are EdTech companies now).
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
Assigned to a prison job paying $0.13 per hour, Abron Arrington refused to work, figuring his time could be better spent learning physics.
The Colorado DOC punished him with bouts of solitary confinement.
The Colorado DOC punished him with bouts of solitary confinement.
Forced Labor Continues in Colorado, Years After Vote to End Prison Slavery
Coloradans voted in 2018 to amend their state constitution to ban forced labor in prison. Years later, incarcerated people are still being punished for refusing work assignments.
boltsmag.org
December 14, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Assigned to a prison job paying $0.13 per hour, Abron Arrington refused to work, figuring his time could be better spent learning physics.
The Colorado DOC punished him with bouts of solitary confinement.
The Colorado DOC punished him with bouts of solitary confinement.
just getting around to reading this and one of the things i really loved in this piece is the idea that requiring students to engage in close reading requires them to take themselves seriously and believe that they have the capacity to make a claim and build an argument....
I'm honored to share that just in the past two weeks since it came out, my essay "The Claims of Close Reading" became the fourth-most read piece of the year at
@bostonreview.bsky.social
Thank you for reading it. This is truly amazing company to find myself in.
@bostonreview.bsky.social
Thank you for reading it. This is truly amazing company to find myself in.
Our Most-Loved Pieces of 2025 - Boston Review
Revisit the writing from this year that readers turned to the most.
www.bostonreview.net
December 12, 2025 at 8:00 PM
just getting around to reading this and one of the things i really loved in this piece is the idea that requiring students to engage in close reading requires them to take themselves seriously and believe that they have the capacity to make a claim and build an argument....
I'm sorry, but in this picture with Bannon did they redact the face of a cat or dog?!!?
December 12, 2025 at 6:56 PM
I'm sorry, but in this picture with Bannon did they redact the face of a cat or dog?!!?
so trump traded a fake prize for this?
We now learn that Fifa had a very specific "ask" in exchange for its "Peace Award" to Trump, with loads of gold trinkets, and that was dismissal of a criminal corruption case against senior Fifa officials. And Trump granted it. Another corrupt bargain, barely noticed (and ignored by US media).
December 11, 2025 at 9:42 PM
so trump traded a fake prize for this?
NOBODY WANTS THIS!!!
"Iger said the deal also fulfills a longtime desire by Disney to put user-generated content on its Disney+ streaming platform. Disney initially plans to put select videos created on Sora onto Disney+ to increase engagement with users, especially younger ones." www.businessinsider.com/disney-bob-i...
Disney CEO Bob Iger explains why he just did a blockbuster OpenAI deal
Disney CEO Bob Iger said the company's licensing deal with OpenAI will let it capitalize on a fast-growing technology and engage younger audiences.
www.businessinsider.com
December 11, 2025 at 8:25 PM
NOBODY WANTS THIS!!!
my god!
🚨Judge Xinis finds that, incredibly, Mr. Abrego Garcia was never ordered deported in 2019. She notes that every since this saga began all the way back in March, the government has NEVER been able to produce any evidence that the immigration judge actually issued a removal order.
December 11, 2025 at 4:30 PM
my god!
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
A citizen journalist joined the Massey Commission to address what he saw as a pattern of disrespect from local police. “I signed up to be on the commission because my thought process is that we have to change things right now for the future generation.”
A Police Killing Drew National Protests. At Home, a Commission Struggles with How to Make a Difference.
More than a year after Sonya Massey was killed by police in Illinois, a namesake commission has wrestled over changes that would prevent future tragedies.
boltsmag.org
December 10, 2025 at 11:03 PM
A citizen journalist joined the Massey Commission to address what he saw as a pattern of disrespect from local police. “I signed up to be on the commission because my thought process is that we have to change things right now for the future generation.”
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
Help us send 2,000 books to readers who are incarcerated this winter through our Books Not Bars program
Books Not Bars For The Holidays
Haymarket Books is committed to making our books available for free to people who are incarcerated.
In an effort to support those inside who are dealing with the immense violence of the prison syste...
haymarketbooks.app.neoncrm.com
December 8, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Help us send 2,000 books to readers who are incarcerated this winter through our Books Not Bars program