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Dana Cairns Watson

@danacairnswatson.bsky.social
283 followers 341 following 626 posts

I love to read but not sit still. I grow vegetables, support native ecosystems, swim, gaze at birds, and walk with dogs. I teach writing at UCLA to scientists, engineers, and future professional writers. I care about community and doing the right thing.

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Reposted by Dana Cairns Watson
Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
I remember a decade-long panic about undergraduates, activists, or Tumblr pages declaring new language rules and denouncing people for violating them.
post from Trump on Truth Social declaring that anyone who uses the term "Artificial Intelligence" is THE ENEMY!
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Dana Cairns Watson @danacairnswatson.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
newsletters.democracydocket.com/i-told-you-i...
newsletters.democracydocket.com
I told you I was tired. Then I read about ICE.
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Simon Marks @simonmarksfsn.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
“This is the first time the United States has declined to invite in OSCE monitors since they began observing US elections. The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly president…said that the Trump administration’s decision ‘represents a significant departure from an established democratic practice.’”
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Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Unprecedented corruption
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Iris van Rooij 💭 @irisvanrooij.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Join me in signing ✍️
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Dana Cairns Watson @danacairnswatson.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
This is is why it’s so frustrating to hear an interview w/Nick Bostrom (author of SuperIntelligence, on a NYT podcast) who imagines futures where people have to invent goals (golf scores) b/c there will be nothing left for them to do but have a good time (if we haven’t all been killed or enslaved).
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Jane Rosenzweig @janerosenzweig.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
From this, published in the UChicago student newspaper, by @ryanmccarl.bsky.social chicagomaroon.com/53808/viewpo...


If universities chase trends rather than safeguard the book-centric activity of thinking, and if they swap their values for the monoculture of efficiency, many will justifiably wonder what the point of a university is. By embracing a technology that undermines their purpose, universities will help validate the cynical half-truths that higher education is all about signaling, credentialing, and entrenching networks of privilege.
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 07/10/2026
President Donald Trump wants to spend $1.5 trillion on defense next year. Adjusted for inflation, that would be more than the U.S. spent annually on defense during the height of World War II. (Published August)
propublica.org
The $1 Trillion Black Box
The U.S. military budget is vast and opaque. Projects touted as engineering marvels end up facing years of delays and ballooning costs. ProPublica has launched a series to report on the Pentagon’s spe...
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Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
This is pretty rich given that we withdrew from the World Health Organization, the same group we're demanding Russia tell about the incident.
wsj.com
Exclusive | U.S. Escalates Pressure on Russia Over Siberia Lab Death
The U.S. has warned Moscow that its failure to disclose details about the death violates international health obligations.
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Miaganga @miaganga.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
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Hoodlum 🇺🇸 @nothoodlum.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Through the end of August 2026, the House was in session for roughly 383 hours total. That’s an average of about 48 hours per month. Their average monthly floor time is well below the 80-hour monthly threshold the same Congress imposed on Medicaid recipients.
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Joe Walsh @walshfreedom.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
America is literally deporting people to countries they have no connection with, countries they’ve never been to. This is wildly unlawful. It’s cruel. It’s un-American. It’s evil.
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shauna @goldengateblond.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
thank you to @mgiraldi.bsky.social, who pointed me to the insta acct for the photographer (www.instagram.com/kevinlohmanp...). the story and the other two photos are 24k gold.
kevinlohmanphotography
Santa Cruz, California
Are You Kidding Me?
Can this Great Horned Owl's eyes get any bigger?
I'm excited that my photo "Are You Kidding Me?" was selected as one of just 43 finalists in the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, from more than 10,000 entries representing 112 countries!
The story behind it is just as crazy. I was photographing this seven-week-old owlet when a squirrel suddenly launched from a nearby branch and landed directly on its head, knocking both of them out of the tree.
And believe it or not, a squirrel knocked this same owlet out of the tree THREE TIMES that morning! Fortunately, the owlet was fine and eventually settled down next to its mother.

(photo depicts a squirrel in mid-flight from a tree branch, apparently about to attack an owl who has the most "are you fucking KIDDING me" look in history)second photo showing the squirrel in question making contact with the owl like the lil furry-tailed (if short-sighted) badass he isthird photo showing the squirrel in question making contact with the owl like the lil furry-tailed (if short-sighted) badass he is
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A.R. Moxon @juliusgoat.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Hey, I’m just asking questions. Ignorant questions, bigoted questions, questions that have been repeatedly answered for many years. Sorry, but I’m not listening to answers right now; I’m far too busy asking questions. It’s called being intellectually curious.
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Laurie Lipton @laurielipton.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Every woman you know has taken a longer route, has doubled back on herself, has held her keys in her hand, has made a fake phone call, has rounded a corner & run. Every woman you know has walked home scared. Every woman. ("Inner City 1995", pencil on paper, 27"x38.5", ©LaurieLipton) #iamjanedoe
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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Historians: What the fuck are you talking about, you insane clown?
thehill.com
GOP lawmaker: Nixon was ‘couped out of office,’ ‘framed’ during Watergate
Rep. Riley Moore (R-W.Va.) said Thursday that former President Nixon was “absolutely couped out of office” and added that he was “framed” during the infamous Watergate scandal. “We now know more ab…
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Ambassador Ken Fairfax (ret) @portlandken.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Under every Administration, there were policies I agreed with and those I did not. As a US professional, career diplomat, however, it was my duty to promote even those policies that I personally disagreed with. Trump is different. He is an extential threat to the USA, as are his enablers. 2/2
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Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · 04/10/2026
It's worth asking yourself why every day of the week the New York Times and pretty much every major legacy media outlet runs pieces espousing increasingly incoherent arguments for investing more in AI.
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Timothy Snyder @timothysnyder.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Post-human necropolitics by the numbers www.economist.com/graphic-deta...
economist.com
In MAGA-land people are dying faster than they are being born
Our analysis suggests Trump country is only growing because of migration
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Nicole Bedera @nbedera.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Earlier this week, I agreed to interviews with two USA Today journalists. They wrote fantastic articles about the Cornell case that I'm proud to have been a part of. What I did not know is that their employer considers interviews to proprietary and opens up recordings to be used by any journalist.
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ArnFinnArneson @arnfinnarnesson.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
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Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
This one is doing the rounds
A picture of Elon Musk, via the London Economic. The quote says “If a monkey hoarded more bananas than it could eat, while most of the other monkeys starved, scientists would study that monkey to figure out what the heck was wrong with it. When humans do it, we put them on the cover of Forbes.“ – Nathalie Robin Justice. 
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Will Stancil @whstancil.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Again, you can always detect some faint embarrassment from Democrats when they talk about the ballroom, but “the president demolished a big part of the White House to build himself a palace with bribes from enemy powers” is, by an order of magnitude, the worst corruption scandal in US history
esquire.com
A Wealthy Russian Businessman Is Helping Fund Trump’s Stupid Ballroom. Nothing Sketchy About That, Right?
Surely, our president will face consequences for this insanity.
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David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
I don’t think everyone realizes how bad things are for US science: For the fiscal year that just ended, the Trump regime withheld $1.4 billion from the National Science Foundation’s research budget, which is about 1/5 of its primary research budget.
nytimes.com
National Science Foundation Diverted $1.4 Billion in Science Funds Mandated by Congress (Gift Article)
The move, affecting about one-fifth of the National Science Foundation’s primary research budget, is the latest sign of how the White House is asserting more control over grants.
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Jess Piper @piperformissouri.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Omg…did you read the ProPublica reporting on private schools?
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Dana Cairns Watson @danacairnswatson.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Does anyone have a list of all the times the executive branch has violated the law, or has tried to, or is still trying to? How long is it?
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Gregory A. Wilson @gregoryawilson.com · 03/10/2026
If higher education wants to be seen as important by the public, it sure as hell better maintain connections with the public in every way it can. Come on, Drexel; do better.
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George Conway ⚖️🇺🇸 @gtconway.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Hard to disagree with this.
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Patrick Chovanec @prchovanec.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
American voter: I'm concerned about the price of groceries. Trump Admin: Shhh, we're focused on finding out if Nixon was the real victim of Watergate. www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
independent.co.uk
Trump team is looking to see if DOJ committed misconduct in investigating Watergate
A burglary at the Watergate complex in June 1972 would ultimately lead to a corruption scandal in Washington and the resignation of President Richard Nixon
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Andy Hoberek @thathoberekguy.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Well, now we know what it takes to get Trump to go from criticizing your university to calling it “a fine school.”
independent.co.uk
Trump calls Cornell ‘a fine school’ as he breaks silence on alleged gang rape case
The president was asked whether the Ivy League school had ‘done enough to investigate’ the alleged sexual abuse
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Trish Owen @trish0116.bsky.social · 07/03/2025
Ima keep posting this
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Emily M. Bender @emilymbender.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
New from @timnitgebru.blacksky.app and me: "It is high time for us to regulate usage of systems sold as “AI”, not because they are magical machines, but because they are error-prone products that shouldn’t be used in high stakes scenarios." www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Forget ‘superintelligence’: error-prone AI nearly sparked world war three this month | Timnit Gebru and Emily M Bender
The risks of AI aren’t what we think they are, as a recent security incident between China and the United States reveals
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Dana Cairns Watson @danacairnswatson.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
I always like this writer’w work, but I’ve only read her book reviews before. This is gentler. www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...
newyorker.com
The Humanism Driving the Anti-A.I. Movement
At the Pro-Human Assembly in Washington, D.C., attendees talked less about jobs and policy, and more about their philosophy of life.
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Kevin J. Kircher @kevinjkircher.com · 26/09/2026
"Hope third parties obtain evidence of polluters breaking laws and share it with the state" can't be how we enforce air pollution laws meant to protect nearby people from polluters who'll happily increase their risks of "asthma, heart attacks and even premature death" if it means more profit.
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Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
We’ve been in a constitutional crisis since Jan. 20, 2025 and a blue wave in November won’t fix it if Trump can just ignore legislation passed by Congress.
cbsnews.com
Trump cancels nearly $1 billion in spending approved by Congress, a move some lawmakers called illegal
President Trump moved to cancel almost $1 billion in spending that was approved by Congress, marking the second time his administration has employed a rarely used tactic that some lawmakers in both pa...
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taenia @taenia.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Goooooood morning, pika fans It's September, and you know what that means! That's right, we are Making Hay, we are Perching On Rocks, we are Squeaking
An American Pika carrying a branch across rocky terrain

This is a small brown mammal that looks like an extremely cute cross between a rabbit and a mouse. It has short, round ears, large dark eyes and long whiskers.Am American Pika crouched on a rock at a 3/4 view towards the camera

This is a small brown mammal that looks like an extremely cute cross between a rabbit and a mouse. It has short, round ears, large dark eyes and long whiskers.An American Pika with a mouth full of dried vegetation sitting on a rock

This is a small brown mammal that looks like an extremely cute cross between a rabbit and a mouse. It has short, round ears, large dark eyes and long whiskers.An American Pika perched on a rock and calling

This is a small brown mammal that looks like an extremely cute cross between a rabbit and a mouse. It has short, round ears, large dark eyes and long whiskers.
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UC-AFT Local 1474 @ucaft.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
UC-AFT lecturers and librarians are fighting for the UC we deserve!✊ Read on below to learn more and visit weteachuc.org for information on Unit 18’s current contract bargaining campaign.
UC-AFT members stand outside a concrete building with raised fists and signs reading “We Teach UC,” alongside text saying they are fighting for the UC they deserve.
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The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
CARTOON OF THE DAY…
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Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D. @sarahmackattack.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Um. The William Penn foundation offered bridge funding to keep the academy of natural sciences open for a year, and the people in charge said “no one is helping things by offering Band-Aids”. Jesus Christ. share.inquirer.com/KXxZTj
share.inquirer.com
William Penn Foundation offers funding to keep Academy of Natural Sciences museum open
A Drexel spokesperson did not say whether the school had declined the offer, but said, “No proposal has been presented that would provide a permanent, sustainable path forward" for the museum.
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Mar Hicks @histoftech.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
As of today, the CDC has changed (reverted) their Covid guidance to make the vaccine recommended for all people over 18. In addition to being a smart public health move, this recommendation also means insurance must cover it. Read more here: www.cdc.gov/covid/hcp/va... Listen to a breakdown here:
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Nick Anderson - political cartoonist @andertoon.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Press ban For @contrariannews.org Go behind the scenes of my creative process at nickanderson.substack.com.
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Seth Masket @smotus.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Interviewing the inventor of napalm about his hats
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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Incredible. First Secretary Mullin claimed that DHS had identified 15,903 noncitizens on Nevada’s voter roll. Then DHS officials told a skeptical Nevada, no no no, that’s just people we flagged. Here are the names of 185 people we KNOW aren’t citizens. All 185 were citizens. DHS got 100% wrong.
When the Department of Homeland Security sent Nevada a list of 185 names last month that it claimed identified noncitizens who had been improperly allowed to register to vote, state election officials got to work.
On Tuesday, the state sent a strongly worded rebuke to the federal government: Every single person on the list was a lawful citizen.
"As for the 185 individuals, our records indicate that they were citizens," Greg D. Ott, a deputy attorney general in Nevada, wrote, according to a copy of a letter sent to Department of Homeland Security officials obtained through open records requests.
"You have provided nothing of substance to suggest otherwise."Following the meeting, Ms. Vogt sent a clarifying email to Nevada officials. "I also wanted to be sure I clarified that we did not reduce the 15,903 to 185," she wrote. "We've manually reviewed some of the 15,903 and confirmed 185 are not U.S. Citizens."
Now, Nevada officials are saying even that 185 number is wrong. They also took issue with a letter D.H.S. sent them in early September, in which the agency reiterated its initial claims about nearly 16,000 noncitizens on the rolls and pressured state officials to review each case in a letter to Nevada officials in early September.
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Jon Cryer @mrjoncryer.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Donald Trump is a convicted criminal His administration is a criminal enterprise
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Elise Thomas @elisethomas.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
If an individual did this, we'd treat it as a crime. We should treat this as a crime too, and hold OpenAI liable for what its models, under its supervision, did. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
abc.net.au
OpenAI agent hacked Medicare portal, PM says
Anthony Albanese says he has spoken to the Open AI chief executive to express his concern about the incident and the length of time it took the tech company to inform the government of the breach.
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Joe Walsh @walshfreedom.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
The United States government killed another innocent person.👇
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Artologica aka Michele Banks @artologica.net · 15/09/2026
Tell the world how you feel about AI. Support a human artist. #WIN artologica.etsy.com
four watercolor brain paintings with anti-ai slogans
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Artologica aka Michele Banks @artologica.net · 20/09/2026
Guys, is it a good idea to create a major target right on a bridge into your capital city?
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Sean Connell @slcpgh.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Look, folks, the publishers keep trying to drive this wedge, because they remain pissed we loan things out for free, because some corporate idiot thinks each loan is a lost sale, and it does not work that way at all.
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