Ed Forgotson
@thecrowtoldme.bsky.social
News/Doc biz - CBS Sunday Morning, music (all things Dead), architecture/design, bike/hike/kayak, DC/MD & ME
Reposted by Ed Forgotson
EXCLUSIVE: US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff advised Russia on how to pitch Ukraine plans to Trump, in audio files reviewed by Bloomberg
Witkoff Advised Russia on How to Pitch Ukraine Plan to Trump
US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff, fresh from the triumph of the Gaza peace deal, held a phone call last month with a senior Kremlin official to suggest they work together on a similar plan for Ukraine — and that Vladimir Putin should raise it with Donald Trump.
bloom.bg
November 25, 2025 at 7:52 PM
EXCLUSIVE: US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff advised Russia on how to pitch Ukraine plans to Trump, in audio files reviewed by Bloomberg
Reposted by Ed Forgotson
ICE lifted a $180 million cap on a proposed immigrant-tracking program while guaranteeing multimillion-dollar payouts for private surveillance firms, according to new contracting records reviewed by WIRED.
ICE Offers Up to $280 Million to Immigrant-Tracking ‘Bounty Hunter’ Firms
Immigration and Customs Enforcement lifted a $180 million cap on a proposed immigrant-tracking program while guaranteeing multimillion-dollar payouts for private surveillance firms.
wired.com
November 25, 2025 at 8:47 PM
ICE lifted a $180 million cap on a proposed immigrant-tracking program while guaranteeing multimillion-dollar payouts for private surveillance firms, according to new contracting records reviewed by WIRED.
Reposted by Ed Forgotson
November 24, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Reposted by Ed Forgotson
Hey umm... is it good or bad when people find themselves unable to sell their homes to willing buyers?
www.cnbc.com/2025/11/25/h...
www.cnbc.com/2025/11/25/h...
Sellers are taking their homes off the market at the fastest pace in nearly a decade
Home sellers are taking their homes off the market at a fast clip, because they are sitting for more than 60 days and prices are weakening.
www.cnbc.com
November 25, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Hey umm... is it good or bad when people find themselves unable to sell their homes to willing buyers?
www.cnbc.com/2025/11/25/h...
www.cnbc.com/2025/11/25/h...
Reposted by Ed Forgotson
As Russia's war in Ukraine approaches another year, legal experts and investigators say the Kremlin's conduct increasingly appears to defy the most fundamental laws of armed conflict. cbsn.ws/4oxbFot
Russia's assault on Ukrainian civilians raises war crimes concerns
One attack this past spring illustrates what investigators describe as Russia's strategy: On Palm Sunday, Russian missile strikes killed 35 civilians.
cbsn.ws
November 25, 2025 at 6:00 PM
As Russia's war in Ukraine approaches another year, legal experts and investigators say the Kremlin's conduct increasingly appears to defy the most fundamental laws of armed conflict. cbsn.ws/4oxbFot
Reposted by Ed Forgotson
Enrollment by international students from China dropped by 3 percent, from India by 4 percent, and enrollment from students from Mexico has flatlined. Here are the likely consequences for Texas' education and economy:
The High Cost of Targeting International Students in Texas
The Trump administration’s bans and airport detentions are derailing the academic dreams of students who carry out important research—and sometimes pay hefty tuition—to attend Texas institutions.
www.texasobserver.org
November 23, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Enrollment by international students from China dropped by 3 percent, from India by 4 percent, and enrollment from students from Mexico has flatlined. Here are the likely consequences for Texas' education and economy:
Reposted by Ed Forgotson
Consumer confidence falls to lowest in seven months as concerns grow about high prices and a weakening job market https://cnn.it/4ririCu
November 25, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Consumer confidence falls to lowest in seven months as concerns grow about high prices and a weakening job market https://cnn.it/4ririCu
Reposted by Ed Forgotson
We are in a bizarre moment of diplomatic history. The purported "peace plan" that appeared a few days ago beings in Russian unreality and American weakness. Demanding everything of Ukraine and nothing of Russia, its purpose is imperialism and profiteering.
snyder.substack.com/p/russian-un...
snyder.substack.com/p/russian-un...
Russian Unreality and American Weakness
Notes from a bizarre moment of diplomatic history
snyder.substack.com
November 24, 2025 at 3:13 PM
We are in a bizarre moment of diplomatic history. The purported "peace plan" that appeared a few days ago beings in Russian unreality and American weakness. Demanding everything of Ukraine and nothing of Russia, its purpose is imperialism and profiteering.
snyder.substack.com/p/russian-un...
snyder.substack.com/p/russian-un...
Reposted by Ed Forgotson
Amazing story, state legislator and Turning Points USA leader who crusaded against bogus voter fraud claims pleads guilty to attempted election fraud. azmirror.com/briefs/turni...
Turning Point leader, former GOP Rep pleads guilty to attempted election fraud | Arizona Mirror
Austin Smith election fraud guilty plea: Former GOP Rep admits forging 100+ signatures on ballot petitions in Arizona
azmirror.com
November 23, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Amazing story, state legislator and Turning Points USA leader who crusaded against bogus voter fraud claims pleads guilty to attempted election fraud. azmirror.com/briefs/turni...
Reposted by Ed Forgotson
On the other hand, it is a win for white nationalists when @nytimes.com cravenly launders white nationalist tropes and injects them into the broader discourse in easily digestible form
What a strange framing and characterization. How does one describe his blatantly dishonest, racist question about taxes as “press[ing] the Mayor-elect on his policy proposals”? In what way does this lying troll emerge as a “winner“?
November 24, 2025 at 12:57 PM
On the other hand, it is a win for white nationalists when @nytimes.com cravenly launders white nationalist tropes and injects them into the broader discourse in easily digestible form
Reposted by Ed Forgotson
pretty obvious shift from following nonpartisan (scientific, medical) authority to following partisan authority. Public health advocates and researchers need to view that as the challenge, rather than rummaging around for the explanation for vaccine hesitancy in this or that community.
Republicans increasingly oppose requiring healthy kids to get MMR vaccines to attend public schools
2016 19%
2019 20%
2023 42%
2025 47%
www.pewresearch.org/science/2025... 🧪
2016 19%
2019 20%
2023 42%
2025 47%
www.pewresearch.org/science/2025... 🧪
November 24, 2025 at 1:46 AM
pretty obvious shift from following nonpartisan (scientific, medical) authority to following partisan authority. Public health advocates and researchers need to view that as the challenge, rather than rummaging around for the explanation for vaccine hesitancy in this or that community.
Reposted by Ed Forgotson
Republicans increasingly oppose requiring healthy kids to get MMR vaccines to attend public schools
2016 19%
2019 20%
2023 42%
2025 47%
www.pewresearch.org/science/2025... 🧪
2016 19%
2019 20%
2023 42%
2025 47%
www.pewresearch.org/science/2025... 🧪
November 23, 2025 at 10:30 PM
Republicans increasingly oppose requiring healthy kids to get MMR vaccines to attend public schools
2016 19%
2019 20%
2023 42%
2025 47%
www.pewresearch.org/science/2025... 🧪
2016 19%
2019 20%
2023 42%
2025 47%
www.pewresearch.org/science/2025... 🧪
Reposted by Ed Forgotson
Still think it’s pretty silly that the company involved here won’t say what their Miracle Particle is. Zero environmental impact? Cool!
My take on the general idea of having for-profit companies involved in the field:
Letting Silicon Valley Geoengineer the Atmosphere Will End Badly
We already have plenty of evidence of what happens when things better left to governments — which in this case might decide to never flip the switch at all — are ceded to private industry.
www.gravityisgone.com
November 24, 2025 at 1:16 AM
Still think it’s pretty silly that the company involved here won’t say what their Miracle Particle is. Zero environmental impact? Cool!
Reposted by Ed Forgotson
I don't understand how anyone can watch how blatantly Grok is manipulated to answer the way ownership desires it to and then act like the other LLM chatbots couldn't possibly be similarly but less obviously compromised to produce responses in whatever way corporate interests and priorities dictate.
November 23, 2025 at 7:13 PM
I don't understand how anyone can watch how blatantly Grok is manipulated to answer the way ownership desires it to and then act like the other LLM chatbots couldn't possibly be similarly but less obviously compromised to produce responses in whatever way corporate interests and priorities dictate.
Reposted by Ed Forgotson
If I’m understanding this correctly, X is owned by a white nationalist who pays poor people of color in developing countries to pretend to be working class white Americans to scare other white Americans into being afraid poor people of color from developing countries are going to ruin America?
November 23, 2025 at 7:30 PM
If I’m understanding this correctly, X is owned by a white nationalist who pays poor people of color in developing countries to pretend to be working class white Americans to scare other white Americans into being afraid poor people of color from developing countries are going to ruin America?
Reposted by Ed Forgotson
Heather Cox Richardson wrote about this yesterday. Screenshots below about the Mariupol Plan. See link to full article in next comment.
November 23, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Heather Cox Richardson wrote about this yesterday. Screenshots below about the Mariupol Plan. See link to full article in next comment.
Reposted by Ed Forgotson
The National Academies statement says: “…based on our body of work on this topic and the overwhelming scientific consensus, we support the statement that vaccines do not cause autism.” 2/2
November 23, 2025 at 10:24 PM
The National Academies statement says: “…based on our body of work on this topic and the overwhelming scientific consensus, we support the statement that vaccines do not cause autism.” 2/2
Reposted by Ed Forgotson
NEW: The National Academies release statement saying the revised language on @CDCgov web page on links between vaccines and autism, which cited some of the academies work, did not provide the full context. 1/2
www.nationalacademies.org/news/stateme...
www.nationalacademies.org/news/stateme...
National Academies - Statement on CDC’s Updated Vaccine Guidance
National Academies respond to CDC’s updated vaccine guidance, offering scientific context and clarity on vaccine safety.
www.nationalacademies.org
November 23, 2025 at 10:24 PM
NEW: The National Academies release statement saying the revised language on @CDCgov web page on links between vaccines and autism, which cited some of the academies work, did not provide the full context. 1/2
www.nationalacademies.org/news/stateme...
www.nationalacademies.org/news/stateme...
Reposted by Ed Forgotson
Reposted by Ed Forgotson
As we all wait for Callais to come down, our piece showing that Shelby County increased the racial turnout gap in most of the covered parts of the country has cleared the replication check and is incoming at JOP.
Gutting the VRA was bad, actually.
Gutting the VRA was bad, actually.
November 24, 2025 at 12:47 AM
As we all wait for Callais to come down, our piece showing that Shelby County increased the racial turnout gap in most of the covered parts of the country has cleared the replication check and is incoming at JOP.
Gutting the VRA was bad, actually.
Gutting the VRA was bad, actually.
Reposted by Ed Forgotson
Kavanaugh stop. Smashed the kid’s car windows and arrested him. He told them he was a U.S. citizen. The officer replied “I don’t care.”
www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...
www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...
High school senior, a U.S. citizen, detained by ICE in Oregon
The 17-year-old was held more than five hours Friday in an ICE facility, his brother said.
www.oregonlive.com
November 23, 2025 at 12:34 AM
Kavanaugh stop. Smashed the kid’s car windows and arrested him. He told them he was a U.S. citizen. The officer replied “I don’t care.”
www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...
www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...
Reposted by Ed Forgotson
Underappreciated lesson from 2016: most fake news was run for profit (not ideology) & right-wing fake news thrived because it sold better than left-wing fake news. X takes that to next level with a social media platform designed for right-wing users, intentionally incentivizing right-wing fake news.
Twitter pays people based on engagement (views, retweets, comments, etc). It appears that many MAGA accounts are based abroad and they use AI technology to generate low-effort rage bait.
My guess is that this will get worse as AI tech improves. For instance, fake videos of minorities doing crime.
My guess is that this will get worse as AI tech improves. For instance, fake videos of minorities doing crime.
November 23, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Underappreciated lesson from 2016: most fake news was run for profit (not ideology) & right-wing fake news thrived because it sold better than left-wing fake news. X takes that to next level with a social media platform designed for right-wing users, intentionally incentivizing right-wing fake news.
Reposted by Ed Forgotson
Guess “Gina” didn’t like it…
November 23, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Guess “Gina” didn’t like it…
Reposted by Ed Forgotson
the last 24 hours on X, summed up:
November 23, 2025 at 2:26 PM
the last 24 hours on X, summed up:
Reposted by Ed Forgotson
Anti-vaccine sentiment is now a load-bearing plank in the Republican platform.
Democrats haven’t budged on the need for school vaccine requirements since 2019. Republicans have consumed so much disinformation that their support has declined by 27% since then.
Democrats haven’t budged on the need for school vaccine requirements since 2019. Republicans have consumed so much disinformation that their support has declined by 27% since then.
November 23, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Anti-vaccine sentiment is now a load-bearing plank in the Republican platform.
Democrats haven’t budged on the need for school vaccine requirements since 2019. Republicans have consumed so much disinformation that their support has declined by 27% since then.
Democrats haven’t budged on the need for school vaccine requirements since 2019. Republicans have consumed so much disinformation that their support has declined by 27% since then.