Alaina
@alaina-b.bsky.social
Fire sign, mom, wife, tech worker, and outdoors enthusiast who enjoys the finer things. ✨interested in accessibility, agentic AI, empathy, nature, education, kindness.
Reposted by Alaina
🇪🇺🇺🇸 A group of European countries is devising a strategy to poach researchers in the US in response to American government cuts in education and research, - Politico
❗️EU needs an "attractivity boom" to bring over talent from abroad "who might suffer from research interference."
❗️EU needs an "attractivity boom" to bring over talent from abroad "who might suffer from research interference."
March 20, 2025 at 11:05 AM
🇪🇺🇺🇸 A group of European countries is devising a strategy to poach researchers in the US in response to American government cuts in education and research, - Politico
❗️EU needs an "attractivity boom" to bring over talent from abroad "who might suffer from research interference."
❗️EU needs an "attractivity boom" to bring over talent from abroad "who might suffer from research interference."
Reposted by Alaina
We are not ok, but we're not giving up either.
March 20, 2025 at 1:48 AM
We are not ok, but we're not giving up either.
Reposted by Alaina
so, a trans teacher is getting death threats because she’s being bullied by a sitting member of congress on Xitter
and this has been happening for days
and not a single mainstream news outlet has even covered it
and this has been happening for days
and not a single mainstream news outlet has even covered it
A Trans Teacher Is Getting Death Threats After Rep. Nancy Mace Mocked Her on X
“I had such a glow-up on HRT that I am now an enemy of the state,” the teacher joked darkly in a TikTok video.
www.them.us
March 20, 2025 at 3:08 AM
so, a trans teacher is getting death threats because she’s being bullied by a sitting member of congress on Xitter
and this has been happening for days
and not a single mainstream news outlet has even covered it
and this has been happening for days
and not a single mainstream news outlet has even covered it
Reposted by Alaina
Cybertruck owners, now’s your chance to get your money back www.newsweek.com/tesla-recall...
Tesla recalls over 46,000 Cybertrucks
Elon Musk's electric vehicle maker said it had to recall the cybertruck vehicles over an issue with a panel that can detach while driving.
www.newsweek.com
March 20, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Cybertruck owners, now’s your chance to get your money back www.newsweek.com/tesla-recall...
Reposted by Alaina
NEW - Tim Walz to me, backstage to in Eau Claire on Tuesday:
“It’s going to get very dark,” he said, running through speculation that ranged from Trump soon ordering the arrest of a political opponent to trying to anoint a son as his successor.
www.cnn.com/2025/03/20/p...
“It’s going to get very dark,” he said, running through speculation that ranged from Trump soon ordering the arrest of a political opponent to trying to anoint a son as his successor.
www.cnn.com/2025/03/20/p...
Back on the road, Tim Walz tries to find his voice and fill ‘the void’ | CNN Politics
Backstage in a dressing room drinking a can of diet Mountain Dew as 900 people filled a theater in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, on Tuesday night, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said he wouldn’t be there if not for...
www.cnn.com
March 20, 2025 at 12:37 PM
NEW - Tim Walz to me, backstage to in Eau Claire on Tuesday:
“It’s going to get very dark,” he said, running through speculation that ranged from Trump soon ordering the arrest of a political opponent to trying to anoint a son as his successor.
www.cnn.com/2025/03/20/p...
“It’s going to get very dark,” he said, running through speculation that ranged from Trump soon ordering the arrest of a political opponent to trying to anoint a son as his successor.
www.cnn.com/2025/03/20/p...
Reposted by Alaina
Musk has now poured $8.3 million into buying the tie-breaking Wisconsin Supreme Court seat for Brad Schimel. That is vastly more than any other single donor—to eliminate a state-level check on his and Trump's power.
Help us fight back and elect Susan Crawford: PeopleVMusk.com
Help us fight back and elect Susan Crawford: PeopleVMusk.com
March 10, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Musk has now poured $8.3 million into buying the tie-breaking Wisconsin Supreme Court seat for Brad Schimel. That is vastly more than any other single donor—to eliminate a state-level check on his and Trump's power.
Help us fight back and elect Susan Crawford: PeopleVMusk.com
Help us fight back and elect Susan Crawford: PeopleVMusk.com
I agree, I’m ready for us to collectively evolve the conversation!
This was a fun one to get to do at work. I blogged about how hopefully deepseek popping the hype bubble means that people can maybe be more normal-brained about AI now? Please? www.fastly.com/blog/can-we-...
Can we be normal about AI now that DeepSeek happened? | Fastly
Explore the evolving landscape of AI in the wake of DeepSeek's impact, as businesses shift from hype-driven spending to rational adoption.
www.fastly.com
March 10, 2025 at 10:38 PM
I agree, I’m ready for us to collectively evolve the conversation!
Reposted by Alaina
I'm old enough to remember when unilateral presidential alteration of the terms of student loan programs was considered on the right to be the greatest threat to the constitutional order.
March 8, 2025 at 2:09 AM
I'm old enough to remember when unilateral presidential alteration of the terms of student loan programs was considered on the right to be the greatest threat to the constitutional order.
Well. This is awful. Who’s paying attention?! Where are the other “powerful” people who can help DO something?!
This is the most chilling article I've read, well, ever. Within 90 days, for example (or sooner) Social Security recipients will likely see delays receiving their monthly checks. It will affect over 70 million Americans, more than half of which need this to survive. That's just part of it:
"You'd think the past decade would have snapped us out of the fantasy that our institutions—or, even more fantastical, the U.S. electorate—will rescue us."
March 8, 2025 at 7:16 AM
Well. This is awful. Who’s paying attention?! Where are the other “powerful” people who can help DO something?!
Reposted by Alaina
I keep posting this because universities keep capitulating.
“In rushing to comply with Trump’s executive actions, universities support a segregationist agenda”
www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...
“In rushing to comply with Trump’s executive actions, universities support a segregationist agenda”
www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...
March 8, 2025 at 12:26 AM
I keep posting this because universities keep capitulating.
“In rushing to comply with Trump’s executive actions, universities support a segregationist agenda”
www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...
“In rushing to comply with Trump’s executive actions, universities support a segregationist agenda”
www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...
Reposted by Alaina
Even amongst the tech bro / manosphere types Elon is starting to code as incompetent and embarrassing. I think he’s done by next year because his acolytes need him to be cool and subversive and he just seems like a spoiled kid who’s angry when he doesn’t get his way.
February 25, 2025 at 12:41 AM
Even amongst the tech bro / manosphere types Elon is starting to code as incompetent and embarrassing. I think he’s done by next year because his acolytes need him to be cool and subversive and he just seems like a spoiled kid who’s angry when he doesn’t get his way.
Reposted by Alaina
My husband, as a disabled person, is a Medicaid recipient.
The number on the left is how much his upcoming surgery (which he needs to BREATHE NORMALLY) would cost w/o Medicaid. The number on the right is what it’s costing us.
The end of Medicaid would kill disabled folks.
The number on the left is how much his upcoming surgery (which he needs to BREATHE NORMALLY) would cost w/o Medicaid. The number on the right is what it’s costing us.
The end of Medicaid would kill disabled folks.
February 24, 2025 at 4:04 AM
My husband, as a disabled person, is a Medicaid recipient.
The number on the left is how much his upcoming surgery (which he needs to BREATHE NORMALLY) would cost w/o Medicaid. The number on the right is what it’s costing us.
The end of Medicaid would kill disabled folks.
The number on the left is how much his upcoming surgery (which he needs to BREATHE NORMALLY) would cost w/o Medicaid. The number on the right is what it’s costing us.
The end of Medicaid would kill disabled folks.
Reposted by Alaina
It may not be cool or hip in some circles, but we legitimately do need a massive amount of people to run for office.
Flood the school boards, councils, county seats, state legislatures, Congress, etc.
Big changes at the top happen when the ground shifts at the bottom. And that can start now.
Flood the school boards, councils, county seats, state legislatures, Congress, etc.
Big changes at the top happen when the ground shifts at the bottom. And that can start now.
February 22, 2025 at 8:07 PM
It may not be cool or hip in some circles, but we legitimately do need a massive amount of people to run for office.
Flood the school boards, councils, county seats, state legislatures, Congress, etc.
Big changes at the top happen when the ground shifts at the bottom. And that can start now.
Flood the school boards, councils, county seats, state legislatures, Congress, etc.
Big changes at the top happen when the ground shifts at the bottom. And that can start now.
Reposted by Alaina
🚨BREAKING: Federal Judge issues blistering order saying that Trump administration has violated his prior order re funding freeze. If admin. continues to disobey, next logical step would be contempt and a potential constitutional crisis.
Visit Democracy Docket for updates.
www.democracydocket.com
Visit Democracy Docket for updates.
www.democracydocket.com
February 10, 2025 at 6:01 PM
🚨BREAKING: Federal Judge issues blistering order saying that Trump administration has violated his prior order re funding freeze. If admin. continues to disobey, next logical step would be contempt and a potential constitutional crisis.
Visit Democracy Docket for updates.
www.democracydocket.com
Visit Democracy Docket for updates.
www.democracydocket.com
This. This. This. Such a helpful analysis for those of us trying to sleep at night.
From @ezrakleinbot.bsky.social. "If you’re always consumed by the next outrage, you can’t look closely at the last one. The impression of Trump’s power remains; the fact that he keeps stepping on rakes is missed. The projection of strength obscures the reality of weakness. Don’t believe him."
Don't Believe Him | The Ezra Klein Show
YouTube video by The Ezra Klein Show
www.youtube.com
February 6, 2025 at 4:46 AM
This. This. This. Such a helpful analysis for those of us trying to sleep at night.
Reposted by Alaina
Department Of Interior Bans Unlikely Animal Friendships
theonion.com/departm...
theonion.com/departm...
February 5, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Department Of Interior Bans Unlikely Animal Friendships
theonion.com/departm...
theonion.com/departm...
Reposted by Alaina
USAID source tells me, "This is so harmful, I can't even explain it." Says the human cost is "shocking", not to mention the "extraordinary" financial cost.
February 4, 2025 at 11:09 PM
USAID source tells me, "This is so harmful, I can't even explain it." Says the human cost is "shocking", not to mention the "extraordinary" financial cost.
I have a cousin who has devoted her whole career to USAID, and now she’s basically stranded abroad; there’s no off-boarding support to fly people home. To say that this move is disorienting, cruel, and illegal is putting it mildly.
USAID provides food, medical aid, and disaster relief in 65 countries—now Trump’s government is throwing its staff into limbo. Nearly all staff go on administrative leave Friday. Rubio cut funding, Musk brags about feeding it “into the wood chipper.” The cruelty isn’t a side effect—it’s the point.
February 5, 2025 at 7:25 AM
I have a cousin who has devoted her whole career to USAID, and now she’s basically stranded abroad; there’s no off-boarding support to fly people home. To say that this move is disorienting, cruel, and illegal is putting it mildly.
Reposted by Alaina
i don’t even know if crime is the right word for the illegal destruction of USAID. it is an autocratic power grab and a direct attack on the sovereignty of the american people
February 5, 2025 at 3:16 AM
i don’t even know if crime is the right word for the illegal destruction of USAID. it is an autocratic power grab and a direct attack on the sovereignty of the american people
Reposted by Alaina
February 2, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Reposted by Alaina
OpenAI’s deep research is very good. Unlike Google’s version, which is mostly a good summarizer of many sources, OpenAI is more like engaging an opinionated (often almost PhD-level!) researcher who follows lead.
Look at how it hunts down a concept in the literature (& works around problems)
Look at how it hunts down a concept in the literature (& works around problems)
February 3, 2025 at 12:12 AM
OpenAI’s deep research is very good. Unlike Google’s version, which is mostly a good summarizer of many sources, OpenAI is more like engaging an opinionated (often almost PhD-level!) researcher who follows lead.
Look at how it hunts down a concept in the literature (& works around problems)
Look at how it hunts down a concept in the literature (& works around problems)
Putting this on my reading list now.
January 31, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Putting this on my reading list now.
Reposted by Alaina
"A key finding is that 52% of all autocratization episodes become U-Turns, which increases to 73% when focusing on the last 30 years. The vast majority of U-Turns (90%) lead to restored or even improved levels of democracy"
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
When autocratization is reversed: episodes of U-Turns since 1900
The world is in a “wave of autocratization.” Yet, recent events in Brazil, the Maldives, and Zambia demonstrate that autocratization can be halted and reversed. This article introduces “U-Turn” as ...
www.tandfonline.com
January 31, 2025 at 1:37 PM
"A key finding is that 52% of all autocratization episodes become U-Turns, which increases to 73% when focusing on the last 30 years. The vast majority of U-Turns (90%) lead to restored or even improved levels of democracy"
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Apparently this is where I go to get my distilled news now. Sigh. Sorry for the depressing reposts, but shit’s important. 🫣
January 31, 2025 at 6:00 AM
Apparently this is where I go to get my distilled news now. Sigh. Sorry for the depressing reposts, but shit’s important. 🫣