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A.A. Dowd

@aadowd.bsky.social
7.5K followers 349 following 1.2K posts

Writer/editor. Past lives: The A.V. Club, Chron, Time Out Chicago. He/him/his. letterboxd.com/AADowd authory.com/AADowd

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Ashton Pittman @ashtonpittman.bsky.social · 4h
The full quote from the audio: "And all these guys know I'm a huge fan of president Trump, but do you feel like he's a little bit of a drag?" NYT: "It is not clear from the audio whom the questioner is referring to."
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Sen. Lemon Gogurt @ugarles.bsky.social · 5h
this is so boring but it is incredibly frustrating to see the supreme court be so malevolently silly about third-country removal. there is no balancing of equities that could possibly favor the government, which already HAS THE DETAINEE IN JAIL. are they ordering too much room service?
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NY Times Pitchbot @nytpitchbot.bsky.social · 5h
Breaking character: I hate to use this account for political strategizing but the ball needs to get rolling on this....when Dems take the House they've got to focus on impeaching Hegseth. He can be be blamed for the Iran war plus he's a drunk and a criminal.
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Mere Smith @evilgalprods.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
FATALITY
A tweet from Joyce Carol Oates: overall takeaway from the Curtis Yarvin profile is that there must be millions of smart-aleck show-offy kids who annoy their teachers and go on to annoy other adults through their lives with their “contrarian” pose that hardens to a carapace over their faces; until, as adults, they still harbor a delusion that, if there is a king, or a fuhrer, he’d be impressed with the guys motor mouth and appoint him to his cabinet rather than deleting him with a negligent swipe of his wrist as Stalin did routinely.
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Leslie Ehrlich @leslieehrlich.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
This is the thing about the social media influence cycle. “Influencers” keep trying out different wacky things to maintain audience. Some claims resonate and they go big. Some claims don’t and get dropped. Little mini-Trumps trying things out at rallies, every day.
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Matthew Perpetua @fluxblog.bsky.social · 23h
love to see soulless creeps with zero interest in art gloat about how their technology will create better art - like, why would anyone trust you to know what's good or not? you were just aimlessly looking for something to "disrupt" and you landed on human creativity
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 29/09/2026
Klobuchar has Schmitt dead to rights: "The game in fact was in Maryland. For a senator to have false information & imply, based on confusion about name of a team, that you were in another city & somehow involved that day in what was happening in Georgia & call you a 'dirtbag' deserves an apology"
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Sahil Kapur @sahilkapur.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
A phenomenal moment in the Senate. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., claims he has evidence Jack Smith went to a HAWKS game in Atlanta. Smith denies it. Schmitt declares he has busted Jack Smith for perjury. Smith, vexed, says he went to HAWKEYES game in Maryland. WATCH IN FULL, UNINTERRUPTED
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A.A. Dowd @aadowd.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Bold of Iñárritu to make a movie that sucks on purpose.
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Aparna Nair @disabilitystor1.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Mass shootings, multiple suicides, families torn apart by AI ‘psychosis’ and now his tech is hacking governments around the world.
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Headquarters @headquartersnews.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Ken Paxton: The criticism has been that I let a child predator out after one day. Well guess what? They served 60 days.
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Abdul El-Sayed @abdulelsayed.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Mike Rogers is a corporate sellout who moves back to Michigan every few years to run for office to take another swing at the revolving door of corporate politics.
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David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
This serves as advertisement for Alex Gibney’s documentary, Musk, opening October 9. Pass it on.
hollywoodreporter.com
The Major Social Media Platforms Are All Rejecting Paid Ads for Alex Gibney’s ‘Musk’ (Exclusive)
YouTube, TikTok and Meta have all turned down the trailer for the Oct. 9 doc, citing “political” content. X won't even take Bleecker Street's calls. The distributor is appealing.
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Jared Yates Sexton @jysexton.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Just helping with editing here. These bots aren’t sentient. They’re doing what they’re programmed to do. OpenAI, a private company supposedly bound by laws, committed federal crimes.
Screenshot of BBC article: OpenAI bots (struck through) meddled with multiple US government agency sites
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A.A. Dowd @aadowd.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Whereas Chris Nolan out here all "Not only will I not warn you, but *several* dogs die, including an adorable puppy casually tossed to its death in the opening few minutes, DEAL WITH IT."
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CrimethInc. Ex-Workers' Collective @crimethinc.com · 25/09/2026
ICE arrests have soared to record highs over the few months, as ICE agents work with cops and courts to disappear people while avoiding public visibility. We urgently need new points of intervention to make this tragedy visible and take action. Here are some starting points: crimethinc.com/MeltICE
Unlike earlier high-profile raids that drew thousands of protesters into the streets of Chicago, Los Angeles and Minneapolis, the surge in arrests in June, July and August was captured mostly by grainy security camera footage, through cracked blinds and from behind closed doors.

Arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement this summer soared to record highs since the start of this Trump administration — with 43,000 in June, more than 49,000 in July and nearly 51,000 in August — as officials cut or narrowed the pathways to legal residency in the United States and expanded the pool of people eligible for deportation.
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A.A. Dowd @aadowd.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
A few thoughts on PRIMETIME: letterboxd.com/aadowd/film/...
letterboxd.com
A review of Primetime (2026)
Impossible not to compare to last year's Predators, a more thoughtful anatomy of the same queasy infotainment sensation. (And seeing, in that film, how the show's most infamous moment of consequence a...
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dr. rich traditions, JD @helldude.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
we have control mechanisms for this. it's called The Law. these guys should be held personally liable for these harms. the suicides, the thefts, the intrusions into computer systems. they should be sued and prosecuted as appropriate. problem immediately solved
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Marc Elias @marcelias.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
🚨BREAKING: Democrats filed a lawsuit late Wednesday asking a federal court to prevent the Trump administration from deploying armed federal agents to voting sites during the midterm elections. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
democracydocket.com
Democrats sue Trump admin to keep armed agents from polls during midterms
Democrats filed a lawsuit late Wednesday asking a federal court to prevent the Trump administration from deploying armed federal agents to voting sites during the midterm elections.
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Miles Taylor @milestaylor.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Fun fact: the U.S. House can sue a sitting president with a simple majority vote. If the Democrats retake the chamber, they should do more than just "investigate" Trump's corruption. They should sue him in federal court for the illegal ballroom, Qatari jet, and more.
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Marc Elias @marcelias.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
CNN is about to travel the same dark path of WaPo and CBS News. They will say it's not true. They will ask you to ignore what you see and disbelieve what you hear. Instead, I suggest you support independent media. You can start with Democracy Docket but there are many others. demdock.com/4w6emld
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ceej @ceej.online · 24/09/2026
impeach them all. fuck em. why should they get to fly around on our dime and hurt people? “they’ll never actually removed from office” who gives a shit? I want them miserable every day for the rest of the term. I hope they have nightmares. air their dirty laundry. make em sweat
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Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 23/09/2026
Jim Crow was on the ash heap of history. Then came the Roberts Court. Our September + October cover story: www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
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Brad Lander @bradlander.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
In news that will surprise no one, Stephen Miller is the driving force behind unprecedented mass detentions & deportations of immigrant children. This administration operates without any regard for the rule of law or the humanity of these kids.
theguardian.com
Trump ally Stephen Miller leads sweeping push to accelerate removal of migrant children
Exclusive: key White House loyalist orchestrating multi-agency effort condemned by critics as cruel and racist
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Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 23/09/2026
Newsom has vetoed a bill that would have prohibited future governors from handing over abortion providers, helpers, and patients to red states for criminal prosecution. The bill also barred extraditions involving transgender care.
motherjones.com
Newsom vetoes bill that would ban extraditions for abortion and gender-affirming care
California’s pro-repro rights governor rejects a key protection that 18 blue states have enshrined into law.
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Faine Greenwood @faineg.com · 23/09/2026
Big names in AI and Silicon Valley tech announced yesterday that they're launching a boarding academy for 16 to 22 year olds. (Would you trust the people in this scene with keeping an eye on minors?) theacademysf.com
Thrilled to announce our latest incubation: Horowitz Andreessen Academy.

Horowitz Andreessen Academy will be a two-year residential program in San Francisco for 16 to 22 year olds.

My biggest regret from my college experience is how divorced it was from the real world (both practically but also intellectually)

HAA is the opposite. Students will learn from real-world practitioners and intellectuals; including founders (Sam Altman, Brian Armstrong, Jensen Huang), investors (Elad Gil, Daniel Gross), and professors (Agnes Callard, Tyler Cowen), among hundreds of others. The Academy is the educational experience I wish I had.

In 1984, the educational psychologist Benjamin Bloom published a paper about how the average student who received one-on-one tutoring focused on mastery techniques performed better than 98% of the control group. For generations, this was viewed as unrealistic to implement even if it produced the best outcomes.
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A.A. Dowd @aadowd.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
On setlist alone, tonight's Weezer show was easily the best of the half-dozen times I've seen them. MALADROIT deep cuts. Half of PINKERTON. "Long Time Sunshine." An acoustic version of "In the Garage" (their greatest song). Nothing from The Teal Album.
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Frances Larina @franceslarina.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
"Gov Gavin Newsom over the weekend vetoed legislation aimed at protecting providers of gender-affirming care from being extradited to face charges for doing so by another state." He was "worried about constraints on the governor's power to approve extraditions". www.ebar.com/story/170505...
ebar.com
Newsom vetoes bill aimed at protecting providers of transgender care
Governor Gavin Newsom used his veto pen over the weekend to ax legislation aimed at protecting providers of gender-affirming care from being extradited to face charges for doing so by another state.
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A.A. Dowd @aadowd.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
It's very silly to complain about someone else's entirely subjective best-of list, with the exception of when I complain that there are definitely not 96 shows this century better than CONMUNITY.
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Bill Grueskin @bgrueskin.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
I was deputy M.E. at the WSJ when Murdoch took over, with a similar “editorial independence board.” Within 4 months, our top editor was gone, replaced by a loyal Murdoch deputy. That board raised a quivering objection, but the deed was done. If the Ellisons own CNN, they’ll do whatever they want.
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Nick Field @nickfield.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
The State AGs were on pace to kill the Paramount/Warner Bros by litigation and delay until Gavin Newsom stepped in and turned the tide. Now the Trump loyalist Ellisons will control CNN and HBO. Don't ever, ever forget that Newsom stabbed us in the back www.wsj.com/business/med...
wsj.com
Exclusive | Newsom Expresses Concerns About State Antitrust Suit Against Paramount
The California governor has told people involved in the suit that blocking the $81 billion deal could harm Hollywood jobs.
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David Dayen @ddayen.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
The worst part of Bonta caving on the Paramount merger is that it's a big flashing signal to every other company that there is no antitrust enforcement in America and you can bully your way into getting whatever you want. It's a monumentally bad decision.
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Dan Froomkin/Press Watch/Heads Up News @froomkin.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Sad excuse for journalism: Big profile of DOGE lord doesn’t say a word about all the damage he did. And it was not an “ill fated cost-cutting effort.” It was a malignant, catastrophic attack on the government and its workers by arrogant and ignorant assholes. www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
washingtonpost.com
He spent 11 months inside DOGE. Now he wants to set the record straight.
In his first major interview about his tell-all memoir, Tyler Hassen describes the culture clash surrounding DOGE’s mission and the backlash that followed.
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A.A. Dowd @aadowd.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Solidarity!
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gamera obscura @ohrobin.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
incredibly well-done resident evil teaser from a movie theater
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Elizabeth Warren @warren.senate.gov · 19/09/2026
As Trump tries to ban CNN from the White House, it would be a massive mistake to cave on the Paramount merger. The last thing we need is another Trump-controlled media conglomerate abusing its power to stomp out competition. This is a dangerous merger. variety.com/2026/film/ne...
variety.com
Paramount and California AG Bonta Reportedly in ‘Advanced Talks’ to Settle Antitrust Suit
Paramount Skydance is in "advanced talks" with California Attorney General Rob Bonta to settle the 12-state antitrust suit that's holding up its takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, the WSJ reported.
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A.A. Dowd @aadowd.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
I was grinning ear to ear from basically the first cut of the first scene of THE RIVALS OF AMZIAH KING. Reminded me of a lot of stuff (WINTER'S BONE, DGG, Altman), but somehow also wholly singular in sensibility. Amazing soundtrack, too.
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Kevin Collins @kwcollins.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Who will show more commitment to, and solidarity in support of, First Amendment values: members of the White House Correspondents Association, or opening acts for Ed Sheeran?
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Thor Benson @thorbenson.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Democratic strategists: Ahhh! What's the right message!!?? Where do we moderate!?!? Jon Ossoff: This administration is horrible. I hate these people. We should put them in jail. I'm pissed Voters: This guy is cool Strategists: I can't figure it out!!!!!
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Dimitri Drekonja, MD, MS @dimitridrekonja.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
To do this during the worst measles outbreak in 35 years just after 4 Americans have died is pure psychopathy and tells you exactly where he stands on vaccines 🤬🤬🤬
arstechnica.com
RFK Jr. headlines sold-out anti-vaccine conference alongside Andrew Wakefield
The event is hosted by Kennedy's anti-vaccine group Children's Health Defense.
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hammancheez @hammancheez.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
If we are serious about a vengeance tour, every person who appeared in court, making this happen should lose their law license for good
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Timothy Burke @bubbaprog.xyz · 16/09/2026
ok, there it is, run the ad
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A.A. Dowd @aadowd.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Ben Stiller tells Gene Hackman "I've had a rough year, Dad" in The Royal Tenenbaums
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A.A. Dowd @aadowd.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Longer: letterboxd.com/aadowd/film/...
letterboxd.com
A ★★★ review of Resident Evil (2026)
As a dyed-in-the-wool fan of the games (spent my 14th birthday wishing it was three weeks later, when RE2 came out in the States), I really appreciate how much this plays like, well, playing Resident ...
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A.A. Dowd @aadowd.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Dug how Cregger's RESIDENT EVIL captures the spirit of playing one of the games: not enough ammo, absurd environmental obstacles, every encounter could be fatal. But even at a brisk 90ish minutes, its comic alchemy wore a little thin for me. Not a lot to it.
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Blue sky nice ghost @rajandelman.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
"60 Minutes. More like 60 viewers!"
Statler and waldorf
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Sarah Kendzior @sarahkendzior.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Hallucinating AI robots wrote an article in one of the largest English papers in the world saying I quit writing to become a gardener. I did not! Instead, I wrote about them. Read on: sarahkendzior.substack.com/p/i-wandered...
A fake AI generated article about me in the July 2026 Times of India. No i did not quit writing to become a gardener, as they claim!
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David_j_roth @davidjroth.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Triumphantly returning from Medbed Hypersleep to cast a vote on the Rural Hospital Abolition Act. That's beautiful.
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Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Don Jr. is compromised by the Russian government—something you could have guessed, but is now fully confirmed by this ProPublica investigation about an oligarch who helped pay for his wedding.
propublica.org
Donald Trump Jr.’s Wedding Bankrolled by Putin-Linked Russian Oligarch
The oligarch, Umar Kremlev, spent hundreds of thousands on expenses like renting out a private island. He appears to have met Trump Jr. only recently, but he attended the intimate wedding with a large...
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Democracy Docket @democracydocket.com · 14/09/2026
The threats to free and fair elections are real and growing more serious by the day, Marc Elias writes. What once seemed like an abstract threat has now become concrete. The risk of a rigged election is no longer unthinkable. The need for action can no longer be denied: demdock.com/4cHT3im
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