Laura Spitalniak
@lauraspitalniak.bsky.social
Covering education at Higher Ed Dive 🏵 Co-creator of "Is It Normal Yet?" at WTOP 🏵 Priors include WAMU’s Kojo Show, ABC and CBS 🏵 DFTBA 🏵 Mad, bad and a pleasure to have in class
Pinned
Reposted by Laura Spitalniak
if there's a silver lining to the bari weiss stuff it's that being put in charge of cbs news in 2025 is kind of like being named the commander of a french horseback cavalry division in 1917
October 6, 2025 at 1:27 PM
if there's a silver lining to the bari weiss stuff it's that being put in charge of cbs news in 2025 is kind of like being named the commander of a french horseback cavalry division in 1917
Reposted by Laura Spitalniak
Food banks had scheduled 94mil(!) pounds of food deliveries through a government program that buys meat, dairy, eggs and produce from American farmers and sends them to help people in need.
Trump’s USDA abruptly canceled those deliveries.
projects.propublica.org/trump-food-c...
Trump’s USDA abruptly canceled those deliveries.
projects.propublica.org/trump-food-c...
Trump Canceled 94 Million Pounds of Food Aid. Here’s What Never Arrived.
ProPublica obtained records from the Department of Agriculture that detail the millions of pounds of food, down to the number of eggs, that never reached food banks because of the administration’s cut...
projects.propublica.org
October 3, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Food banks had scheduled 94mil(!) pounds of food deliveries through a government program that buys meat, dairy, eggs and produce from American farmers and sends them to help people in need.
Trump’s USDA abruptly canceled those deliveries.
projects.propublica.org/trump-food-c...
Trump’s USDA abruptly canceled those deliveries.
projects.propublica.org/trump-food-c...
Reposted by Laura Spitalniak
generals gathered in their masses
October 3, 2025 at 2:14 PM
generals gathered in their masses
Reposted by Laura Spitalniak
I FOIA'd the FTC for consumer complaints about crypto scammers who pretend to be Elon Musk.
People are cashing out their retirement accounts and losing ridiculous sums of money.
People are cashing out their retirement accounts and losing ridiculous sums of money.
Elon Musk Fans Are Still Losing Ridiculous Amounts of Money to Crypto Scams
gizmodo.com
October 3, 2025 at 2:53 PM
I FOIA'd the FTC for consumer complaints about crypto scammers who pretend to be Elon Musk.
People are cashing out their retirement accounts and losing ridiculous sums of money.
People are cashing out their retirement accounts and losing ridiculous sums of money.
Reposted by Laura Spitalniak
Almost half of New York's newspapers have closed in the last 20 years. New York Focus launched in 2020 to fill those gaps.
5 years later, we’ve grown into a statewide newsroom making real impact:
✨ Nearly 1 million annual readers
✨ 15 full-time staff
✨ Investigations that sparked real change
5 years later, we’ve grown into a statewide newsroom making real impact:
✨ Nearly 1 million annual readers
✨ 15 full-time staff
✨ Investigations that sparked real change
October 2, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Almost half of New York's newspapers have closed in the last 20 years. New York Focus launched in 2020 to fill those gaps.
5 years later, we’ve grown into a statewide newsroom making real impact:
✨ Nearly 1 million annual readers
✨ 15 full-time staff
✨ Investigations that sparked real change
5 years later, we’ve grown into a statewide newsroom making real impact:
✨ Nearly 1 million annual readers
✨ 15 full-time staff
✨ Investigations that sparked real change
Reposted by Laura Spitalniak
Trump says he will fire U.S. military leaders if he doesn't like them reut.rs/46sJuB8
Trump says he will fire U.S. military leaders if he doesn't like them
President Donald Trump said he would meet with top U.S. military leaders on Tuesday and that he would fire any of them on the spot if he didn't like them.
reut.rs
September 30, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Trump says he will fire U.S. military leaders if he doesn't like them reut.rs/46sJuB8
Reposted by Laura Spitalniak
The participation of big name funnymen, including Dave Chappelle, Aziz Ansari and Kevin Hart, provoked criticism from fellow comedians and human rights groups.
Marc Maron, Human Rights Watch and others slam Saudi comedy festival
The participation of big name funnymen, including Dave Chappelle, Aziz Ansari and Kevin Hart, provoked criticism from fellow comedians and human rights groups.
n.pr
September 29, 2025 at 1:08 PM
The participation of big name funnymen, including Dave Chappelle, Aziz Ansari and Kevin Hart, provoked criticism from fellow comedians and human rights groups.
Reposted by Laura Spitalniak
This is the most excellent local headline writing.
"DID YOU GIVE WATER TO A BAT NEAR THE ARBORETUM? IT HAD RABIES."
(this is explicitly for @andreagrimes.com )
"DID YOU GIVE WATER TO A BAT NEAR THE ARBORETUM? IT HAD RABIES."
(this is explicitly for @andreagrimes.com )
Did you give water to a bat near the Arboretum? It had rabies
A rabid bat was found in Seattle near the Washington Park Arboretum. Here's what to know, and what to do if you think you might have been exposed.
www.seattletimes.com
September 27, 2025 at 3:52 PM
This is the most excellent local headline writing.
"DID YOU GIVE WATER TO A BAT NEAR THE ARBORETUM? IT HAD RABIES."
(this is explicitly for @andreagrimes.com )
"DID YOU GIVE WATER TO A BAT NEAR THE ARBORETUM? IT HAD RABIES."
(this is explicitly for @andreagrimes.com )
Reposted by Laura Spitalniak
Slipped into a 10:40pm email last night:
USDA is “repurposing” $285 million to start a farmer assistance program 1 year earlier than Congress authorized.
They don’t say where they are taking the money from — aka the program Congress actually wanted the $280 million to fund
USDA is “repurposing” $285 million to start a farmer assistance program 1 year earlier than Congress authorized.
They don’t say where they are taking the money from — aka the program Congress actually wanted the $280 million to fund
September 26, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Slipped into a 10:40pm email last night:
USDA is “repurposing” $285 million to start a farmer assistance program 1 year earlier than Congress authorized.
They don’t say where they are taking the money from — aka the program Congress actually wanted the $280 million to fund
USDA is “repurposing” $285 million to start a farmer assistance program 1 year earlier than Congress authorized.
They don’t say where they are taking the money from — aka the program Congress actually wanted the $280 million to fund
Reposted by Laura Spitalniak
The success of the far right is not only measured in votes and seats but in its impact on rhetoric, policy and ideology. The fact that a (nominally) social democratic head of government with a huge majority choses to say and do this is maybe the biggest success of the far right in Europe yet.
September 26, 2025 at 7:29 AM
The success of the far right is not only measured in votes and seats but in its impact on rhetoric, policy and ideology. The fact that a (nominally) social democratic head of government with a huge majority choses to say and do this is maybe the biggest success of the far right in Europe yet.
Reposted by Laura Spitalniak
It’s not that it should surprise you. We know prisons, surplus population, wage theft go hand in hand.
It’s just an elegant little case — as employers terrorize workers with AI replacement threats, and compel them back to the office imprisoned people are “WFH”
www.mainepublic.org/2025-08-29/i...
It’s just an elegant little case — as employers terrorize workers with AI replacement threats, and compel them back to the office imprisoned people are “WFH”
www.mainepublic.org/2025-08-29/i...
In Maine, prisoners are thriving in remote jobs and other states are taking notice
Forty-five Maine prisoners are currently working remote jobs for outside companies. A few are working full-time, earning more than corrections officers. One is making well into the six figures. Here's...
www.mainepublic.org
September 26, 2025 at 2:08 PM
It’s not that it should surprise you. We know prisons, surplus population, wage theft go hand in hand.
It’s just an elegant little case — as employers terrorize workers with AI replacement threats, and compel them back to the office imprisoned people are “WFH”
www.mainepublic.org/2025-08-29/i...
It’s just an elegant little case — as employers terrorize workers with AI replacement threats, and compel them back to the office imprisoned people are “WFH”
www.mainepublic.org/2025-08-29/i...
Reposted by Laura Spitalniak
Microsoft will no longer allow Israel to use its cloud services to enable its mass surveillance of occupied Palestinians – "the first known case of a US technology company withdrawing services provided to the Israeli military since the beginning of its war on Gaza"
Microsoft blocks Israel’s use of its technology in mass surveillance of Palestinians
Exclusive: Tech firm ends military unit’s access to AI and data services after Guardian reveals secret spy project
www.theguardian.com
September 25, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Microsoft will no longer allow Israel to use its cloud services to enable its mass surveillance of occupied Palestinians – "the first known case of a US technology company withdrawing services provided to the Israeli military since the beginning of its war on Gaza"
Reposted by Laura Spitalniak
Scoop: Business Insider informed its staff this week that they are allowed to use ChatGPT to generate first drafts of their stories, while also indicating the newsroom will not disclose such A.I. use to readers.
Details in @status.news: www.status.news/p/business-i...
Details in @status.news: www.status.news/p/business-i...
Business Insider and the Bots
The Axel Springer-owned newsroom is buzzing over new ChatGPT writing guidelines—part of an aggressive A.I. strategy pushed by its German parentco and detailed in a memo obtained by Status.
www.status.news
September 17, 2025 at 1:05 AM
Scoop: Business Insider informed its staff this week that they are allowed to use ChatGPT to generate first drafts of their stories, while also indicating the newsroom will not disclose such A.I. use to readers.
Details in @status.news: www.status.news/p/business-i...
Details in @status.news: www.status.news/p/business-i...
Reposted by Laura Spitalniak
[me, on the verge of becoming unhinged due to “staying informed”] I’m good. You?
September 9, 2025 at 7:42 PM
[me, on the verge of becoming unhinged due to “staying informed”] I’m good. You?
Reposted by Laura Spitalniak
<the president has declared war on the city I live in and our society is being torn apart for scrap metal> it's my fault I'm so anxious. I should do yoga
September 7, 2025 at 5:59 PM
<the president has declared war on the city I live in and our society is being torn apart for scrap metal> it's my fault I'm so anxious. I should do yoga
Reposted by Laura Spitalniak
Just saw a Pixel 10 ad that was like "does your new phone actually do anything new" and then the "new" thing the Pixel 10 does is... Gemini.
Which my 4yo Pixel 6 also does. Because they've shoved it into everything.
It's just such a weird ad. It's like bragging about the phone having a camera.
Which my 4yo Pixel 6 also does. Because they've shoved it into everything.
It's just such a weird ad. It's like bragging about the phone having a camera.
September 10, 2025 at 4:42 AM
Just saw a Pixel 10 ad that was like "does your new phone actually do anything new" and then the "new" thing the Pixel 10 does is... Gemini.
Which my 4yo Pixel 6 also does. Because they've shoved it into everything.
It's just such a weird ad. It's like bragging about the phone having a camera.
Which my 4yo Pixel 6 also does. Because they've shoved it into everything.
It's just such a weird ad. It's like bragging about the phone having a camera.
Reposted by Laura Spitalniak
BREAKING: By an apparent 6–3 vote, the Supreme Court halts an injunction that had prevented immigration agents from racially profiling Latinos in central California.
Sotomayor, dissenting, says the decision is "unconscionably irreconcilable with our nation's constitutional guarantees."
Sotomayor, dissenting, says the decision is "unconscionably irreconcilable with our nation's constitutional guarantees."
September 8, 2025 at 3:38 PM
BREAKING: By an apparent 6–3 vote, the Supreme Court halts an injunction that had prevented immigration agents from racially profiling Latinos in central California.
Sotomayor, dissenting, says the decision is "unconscionably irreconcilable with our nation's constitutional guarantees."
Sotomayor, dissenting, says the decision is "unconscionably irreconcilable with our nation's constitutional guarantees."
Reposted by Laura Spitalniak
Tylenol maker Kenvue denies the connection allegedly made in the report, which is expected to be published by the Department of Health and Human Services this month.
RFK Jr. Report Will Link Autism To Tylenol Use During Pregnancy, Report Says
Tylenol maker Kenvue denies the connection allegedly made in the report, which is expected to be published by the Department of Health and Human Services this month.
www.forbes.com
September 5, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Tylenol maker Kenvue denies the connection allegedly made in the report, which is expected to be published by the Department of Health and Human Services this month.
Reposted by Laura Spitalniak
Vaccines are battle training for your immune system. If you could give it intel on the enemy, why would you withhold that? Give me ALL the vaccines! I want to be prepared for everything!
As a guy who got a cancer that was probably caused by a virus, I think we should have /more/ vaccines.
September 8, 2025 at 3:03 AM
Vaccines are battle training for your immune system. If you could give it intel on the enemy, why would you withhold that? Give me ALL the vaccines! I want to be prepared for everything!
Reposted by Laura Spitalniak
Signs bearing President Trump’s name have gone up at major construction projects. They were financed by the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law which he passionately opposed ahead of its passage.
Trump Tried to Kill the Infrastructure Law. Now He’s Getting Credit for Its Projects.
Signs bearing President Trump’s name have gone up at major construction projects financed by the 2021 law, which he strenuously opposed ahead of its passage.
nyti.ms
September 7, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Signs bearing President Trump’s name have gone up at major construction projects. They were financed by the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law which he passionately opposed ahead of its passage.