Rebecca M. Townsend
@rmtownsend.bsky.social
Deliberation, democracy & public engagement scholar #TeamRhetoric #Commsky politics in US & #CEE #transportation, public memory, Town Meeting. Lifter. Vlach/Aromanian #WMASS @TownModerator.bsky.social
Pinned
#BeyondTheColdWar Presidential Rhetoric in Central and Eastern Europe
#teamrhetoric #CEE #CentralEasternEurope
#teamrhetoric #CEE #CentralEasternEurope
Reposted by Rebecca M. Townsend
tomorrow if friday, named in honor of the goddess freya, who had a chariot drawn by cats.
November 21, 2025 at 2:35 AM
tomorrow if friday, named in honor of the goddess freya, who had a chariot drawn by cats.
Reposted by Rebecca M. Townsend
Ukraine is rejecting Trump’s plan right now at the UN Security Council.
⬇️
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November 20, 2025 at 11:56 PM
Ukraine is rejecting Trump’s plan right now at the UN Security Council.
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Reposted by Rebecca M. Townsend
AOC to @pabloreports.bsky.social : A swastika is one of the clearest symbols of hatred in all of humanity… to remove that designation… indicates a possible collaboration with those very elements, which I think is genuinely frightening to any American.
November 21, 2025 at 12:00 AM
AOC to @pabloreports.bsky.social : A swastika is one of the clearest symbols of hatred in all of humanity… to remove that designation… indicates a possible collaboration with those very elements, which I think is genuinely frightening to any American.
Reposted by Rebecca M. Townsend
Now that’s a lede.
Story by @taracopp.bsky.social and @michelleboorstein.bsky.social.
Read here: www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Story by @taracopp.bsky.social and @michelleboorstein.bsky.social.
Read here: www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
November 20, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Now that’s a lede.
Story by @taracopp.bsky.social and @michelleboorstein.bsky.social.
Read here: www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Story by @taracopp.bsky.social and @michelleboorstein.bsky.social.
Read here: www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Reposted by Rebecca M. Townsend
Before the midterms of 1866, President Andrew Johnson called his congressional opponents traitors and said they should be hanged.
Voters were so profoundly moved by his words... that they gave his opponents a supermajority in Congress, and the nation got the Fourteenth Amendment.
Voters were so profoundly moved by his words... that they gave his opponents a supermajority in Congress, and the nation got the Fourteenth Amendment.
November 20, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Before the midterms of 1866, President Andrew Johnson called his congressional opponents traitors and said they should be hanged.
Voters were so profoundly moved by his words... that they gave his opponents a supermajority in Congress, and the nation got the Fourteenth Amendment.
Voters were so profoundly moved by his words... that they gave his opponents a supermajority in Congress, and the nation got the Fourteenth Amendment.
Reposted by Rebecca M. Townsend
Town Meeting 101 - Richard Salter Storrs Library
Longmeadow #TownMeeting
12/3
6pm
share.google/RZmZlRL9bsrc...
Longmeadow #TownMeeting
12/3
6pm
share.google/RZmZlRL9bsrc...
Town Meeting 101
Longmeadow is a wonderful community due to the decisions citizens have arrived at together through deliberation and participation. Local, participatory democracy relies upon the...
share.google
November 20, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Town Meeting 101 - Richard Salter Storrs Library
Longmeadow #TownMeeting
12/3
6pm
share.google/RZmZlRL9bsrc...
Longmeadow #TownMeeting
12/3
6pm
share.google/RZmZlRL9bsrc...
Yes! I wrote this in 2023 but it still stands. What about rebuilding trust in politics? Trust in science will follow...https://makingsciencepublic.com/2023/11/10/science-and-trust-the-sequel/
November 20, 2025 at 11:12 AM
Reposted by Rebecca M. Townsend
I really hate it when scientists keep saying that “we need to rebuild trust in science,” because it implies that scientists are to blame for the mistrust rather than the millions of dollars of dark money that have funded political attacks on science in order to advance a far right agenda.
November 19, 2025 at 9:48 PM
I really hate it when scientists keep saying that “we need to rebuild trust in science,” because it implies that scientists are to blame for the mistrust rather than the millions of dollars of dark money that have funded political attacks on science in order to advance a far right agenda.
Reposted by Rebecca M. Townsend
Almost a third of all women experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime
Landmark new report on sexual violence by the WHO describes violence against women as a ‘global public health emergency’
@maevecullinan.bsky.social reports
www.telegraph.co.uk/global-healt...
Landmark new report on sexual violence by the WHO describes violence against women as a ‘global public health emergency’
@maevecullinan.bsky.social reports
www.telegraph.co.uk/global-healt...
Access Restricted
www.telegraph.co.uk
November 19, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Almost a third of all women experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime
Landmark new report on sexual violence by the WHO describes violence against women as a ‘global public health emergency’
@maevecullinan.bsky.social reports
www.telegraph.co.uk/global-healt...
Landmark new report on sexual violence by the WHO describes violence against women as a ‘global public health emergency’
@maevecullinan.bsky.social reports
www.telegraph.co.uk/global-healt...
Reposted by Rebecca M. Townsend
My grandmother taught us when someone says something u believably offensive, feign that you didn’t hear them and say “what did you say?”
They’ll either double down and say it again (and then you know who they are) or they’ll back down “oh nothing” and you’ll know they knew it was wrong.
Effective.
They’ll either double down and say it again (and then you know who they are) or they’ll back down “oh nothing” and you’ll know they knew it was wrong.
Effective.
November 19, 2025 at 2:32 PM
My grandmother taught us when someone says something u believably offensive, feign that you didn’t hear them and say “what did you say?”
They’ll either double down and say it again (and then you know who they are) or they’ll back down “oh nothing” and you’ll know they knew it was wrong.
Effective.
They’ll either double down and say it again (and then you know who they are) or they’ll back down “oh nothing” and you’ll know they knew it was wrong.
Effective.
Reposted by Rebecca M. Townsend
In the past few months, MassLive has published hundreds of articles that were computer generated. This was first noted by journalist Andrew Quemere last month. At the time of writing, there appear to have been about 200 such pieces published on MassLive.
Reported by Jonathan Gerhardson.
Reported by Jonathan Gerhardson.
See Something, Say Something #23: Reporter bots come to western Mass
For our media criticism column, Jonathan Gerhardson questions AI use at MassLive
theshoestring.org
November 19, 2025 at 2:12 PM
In the past few months, MassLive has published hundreds of articles that were computer generated. This was first noted by journalist Andrew Quemere last month. At the time of writing, there appear to have been about 200 such pieces published on MassLive.
Reported by Jonathan Gerhardson.
Reported by Jonathan Gerhardson.
Reposted by Rebecca M. Townsend
“How do you negotiate with a partner who’s willing to actually destroy what we do well?” — Wesleyan University President @msroth.bsky.social in conversation with the leaders of Dartmouth and the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the @nytimes.com about Trump’s attack on #HigherEd.
Opinion | ‘We Need to Be Worried’: Three University Leaders on the Fate of Higher Education in the Trump Era
www.nytimes.com
November 18, 2025 at 12:53 PM
“How do you negotiate with a partner who’s willing to actually destroy what we do well?” — Wesleyan University President @msroth.bsky.social in conversation with the leaders of Dartmouth and the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the @nytimes.com about Trump’s attack on #HigherEd.
Reposted by Rebecca M. Townsend
OTD, 1863: Lincoln Calls to Us. It's Our Time. open.substack.com/pub/jennifer...
Lincoln Calls to Us. It's Our Time.
The greatest Memorial Day speech is only 271 words long. And it wasn't delivered on Memorial Day.
open.substack.com
November 19, 2025 at 12:18 PM
OTD, 1863: Lincoln Calls to Us. It's Our Time. open.substack.com/pub/jennifer...
Reposted by Rebecca M. Townsend
It a metaphor for women’s realities and what we’re expected to take daily.
We either seize the moment to change this culture, or we pass it in to younger girls as others did to us.
We either seize the moment to change this culture, or we pass it in to younger girls as others did to us.
Same it is the absolute he gets away with it. The never ending shit women recv. I'm livid. Not ever getting over it. She's at fucking work ffs, doing her job.
I don't know why the "Piggy" thing is bothering me so much. It's one more unforgivable thing in a list of 20,000 unforgivable things, but I've been mad about it for like 12 straight hours.
November 19, 2025 at 1:25 PM
It a metaphor for women’s realities and what we’re expected to take daily.
We either seize the moment to change this culture, or we pass it in to younger girls as others did to us.
We either seize the moment to change this culture, or we pass it in to younger girls as others did to us.
Reposted by Rebecca M. Townsend
Same. Maybe because it’s so familiar to us? So “schoolyard bully?“ We’ve all known this guy/boy but in those cases there have been some -albeit modest- norms, systems, & structures that constrain and punish this behavior. But here: there are none because we’ve decided that for him there are none.
I don't know why the "Piggy" thing is bothering me so much. It's one more unforgivable thing in a list of 20,000 unforgivable things, but I've been mad about it for like 12 straight hours.
November 19, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Same. Maybe because it’s so familiar to us? So “schoolyard bully?“ We’ve all known this guy/boy but in those cases there have been some -albeit modest- norms, systems, & structures that constrain and punish this behavior. But here: there are none because we’ve decided that for him there are none.
Reposted by Rebecca M. Townsend
This may indicate that air operations against Venezuela have begun.
I am looking for more confirmation on this. If you have read/seen one, please tag me.
I am looking for more confirmation on this. If you have read/seen one, please tag me.
New NOTAM (A0010/25):
The United States has issued a security advisory warning of a potentially hazardous situation in the San Juan Flight Information Region (TJZS).
Operators are advised to exercise extreme caution due to a significant increase in state aircraft operations in the area.
The United States has issued a security advisory warning of a potentially hazardous situation in the San Juan Flight Information Region (TJZS).
Operators are advised to exercise extreme caution due to a significant increase in state aircraft operations in the area.
November 18, 2025 at 10:25 PM
This may indicate that air operations against Venezuela have begun.
I am looking for more confirmation on this. If you have read/seen one, please tag me.
I am looking for more confirmation on this. If you have read/seen one, please tag me.
Reposted by Rebecca M. Townsend
Breaking: per internal sources, there is an all-hands meeting at what's left of the Dept. of Ed. Expected to announce movement of remaining special education programming to the Dept. of Labor. (The move is illegal and most disability-related workers from DoL are also gone.) Meeting at 2pm.
November 18, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Breaking: per internal sources, there is an all-hands meeting at what's left of the Dept. of Ed. Expected to announce movement of remaining special education programming to the Dept. of Labor. (The move is illegal and most disability-related workers from DoL are also gone.) Meeting at 2pm.
Reposted by Rebecca M. Townsend
Hip hip hooray for Idan Weiss’s nomination for the European Film Awards for his title role in Kafka directed by A. Holland! A wonderful, brilliant, truly masterful performance that reminds me of young Leonardo DiCaprio as Arthur Rimbaud in Total Eclipse, also directed by Holland. Go go go FRANZ!
November 18, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Hip hip hooray for Idan Weiss’s nomination for the European Film Awards for his title role in Kafka directed by A. Holland! A wonderful, brilliant, truly masterful performance that reminds me of young Leonardo DiCaprio as Arthur Rimbaud in Total Eclipse, also directed by Holland. Go go go FRANZ!
Reposted by Rebecca M. Townsend
"But when the Trump Administration reframed its request as a demand to redistrict congressional seats based on their racial makeup, Texas lawmakers immediately jumped on board."
— Trump appointee Jeffrey V. Brown, writing for a 3-judge panel storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
— Trump appointee Jeffrey V. Brown, writing for a 3-judge panel storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
November 18, 2025 at 6:17 PM
"But when the Trump Administration reframed its request as a demand to redistrict congressional seats based on their racial makeup, Texas lawmakers immediately jumped on board."
— Trump appointee Jeffrey V. Brown, writing for a 3-judge panel storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
— Trump appointee Jeffrey V. Brown, writing for a 3-judge panel storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Reposted by Rebecca M. Townsend
BREAKING🚨🚨🚨: Judges strike down new Texas Congressional maps adopted at Trump's urging. Trump appointee Jeffrey Brown cites Chief Justice Roberts & finds process was driven by racial considerations urged by Trump DOJ. w/@kyledcheney @andrewjfhoward www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
In blow to Trump, federal judges block new Texas congressional map
The decision is a massive blow in the White House’s push to redistrict across the country.
www.politico.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:43 PM
BREAKING🚨🚨🚨: Judges strike down new Texas Congressional maps adopted at Trump's urging. Trump appointee Jeffrey Brown cites Chief Justice Roberts & finds process was driven by racial considerations urged by Trump DOJ. w/@kyledcheney @andrewjfhoward www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
Reposted by Rebecca M. Townsend
THIS IS BIG
For non-academics who might not understand why:
1. Sen. Warren is still a Harvard professor so this is a call coming from inside the house
2. As a tenured law prof, Warren knows it is a VERY big deal from a labor standpoint to call on Harvard to ignore tenure. The bar for this is HIGH.
For non-academics who might not understand why:
1. Sen. Warren is still a Harvard professor so this is a call coming from inside the house
2. As a tenured law prof, Warren knows it is a VERY big deal from a labor standpoint to call on Harvard to ignore tenure. The bar for this is HIGH.
Per CNN, Elizabeth Warren is calling on Harvard to cut ties with Larry Summers after Jeffrey Epstein's emails released last week by House Dems featured Summers making sexist comments + asking for Epstein’s romantic advice.
November 18, 2025 at 12:43 AM
THIS IS BIG
For non-academics who might not understand why:
1. Sen. Warren is still a Harvard professor so this is a call coming from inside the house
2. As a tenured law prof, Warren knows it is a VERY big deal from a labor standpoint to call on Harvard to ignore tenure. The bar for this is HIGH.
For non-academics who might not understand why:
1. Sen. Warren is still a Harvard professor so this is a call coming from inside the house
2. As a tenured law prof, Warren knows it is a VERY big deal from a labor standpoint to call on Harvard to ignore tenure. The bar for this is HIGH.
Reposted by Rebecca M. Townsend
Wow
Trump suggests Khashoggi had it coming: "You're mentioning someone that was extremely controversial. A lot of people didn't like that gentleman that you're talking about. Whether you like him or didn't like him, things happen. But he knew nothing about it. You don't have to embarrass our guest."
November 18, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Wow
Reposted by Rebecca M. Townsend
79-year-old Paul Bojerski was born to Polish parents in a WWII German refugee camp. His family legally emigrated to the U.S. when he was 5.
He’s been taken by ICE in Florida.
www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/16/s...
He’s been taken by ICE in Florida.
www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/16/s...
Sanford grandfather, born in refugee camp, nabbed by ICE after 70 years in U.S.
Paul Bojerski never gained official residency, but he checked in regularly with ICE for years. Then in July, at age 79, he was detained and sent to Alligator Alcatraz.
www.orlandosentinel.com
November 17, 2025 at 2:18 PM
79-year-old Paul Bojerski was born to Polish parents in a WWII German refugee camp. His family legally emigrated to the U.S. when he was 5.
He’s been taken by ICE in Florida.
www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/16/s...
He’s been taken by ICE in Florida.
www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/16/s...
NAICU - Frequently Asked Questions About the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
www.naicu.edu
November 17, 2025 at 1:18 AM