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Dave Auburn

@daveauburn.bsky.social
521 followers 832 following 246 posts

WGAE/DGA/SDC/DG

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Reposted by Dave Auburn
Karl Bode @karlbode.com · 07/10/2026
even pseudo-growth obsessed Wall Street is like: this sucks
variety.com
Wall Street Skittish on Skydance as Stock Drops Further Post-Merger
Shares in the post-merger Skydance were down nearly 8% as of 10:40 ET on Wednesday, hovering at a share price of $8.84.
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Nicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
The techno-dystopia I actually fear is a future where most people think truth is whatever Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or Grok say, and the very small number of people who control those systems use that to manipulate for their own ends, making our current epistemic crisis seem small in comparison.
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Dave Auburn @daveauburn.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
I have no idea if "AI" will destroy humanity, or my job, or writing, or thinking, or anything at all really. I do know the people building and promoting this technology are, even compared to the robber barons of the past, uniquely venal, sociopathic, blinkered, and just plain freakish.
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Dave Auburn @daveauburn.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
I have no idea if "AI" will destroy humanity, or my job, or writing, or thinking, or anything at all really. I do know the people building and promoting this technology are, even compared to the robber barons of the past, uniquely venal, sociopathic, blinkered, and just plain freakish.
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Karl Bode @karlbode.com · 01/10/2026
This week's announcement of an "AI accord" was lazy extraction class performance art, designed to pretend corporate oversight still exists in a country increasingly too corrupt to function
techdirt.com
Trump’s ‘Morally Binding’ New AI Guardrails Are Meaningless Pudding
Corporations have long enjoyed creating toothless "self-regulatory" regimes that exist primarily to pre-empt real government oversight. While the quality of these orgs can vary somewhat, generally they're just a toothless pantomime designed to pretend that corporate power can effectively police itself for ethical and competitive breaches. U.S. history has a thing or two to say...
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Einav Rabinovitch-Fox @einavrfox.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
There‘s much to appreciate in Mamdani, but his insistence that culture isn’t a privilege of the rich is one of his strengths.It is reminiscent of how unions and the government treated it in the 1930s -art for the masses - paintings, music, opera, theater - democracy for all.
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Dave Auburn @daveauburn.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
"The incident fits a broader pattern in the discourse around ‘free speech’ and ‘cancel culture’: whatever comes from the top down is freedom; whatever comes from the bottom up is bullying and censorship."
lrb.co.uk
Lorna Finlayson | Public Positions
Given much of the coverage of the Ed Sheeran-Macklemore debacle, you could be forgiven for thinking that Sheeran had...
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David Simon @audacityofdespair.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
I swear to fucking god I would rather see the place renamed for John Wilkes Booth.
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
The crowd that showed up for the 'Hands Around The Kennedy Center' protest yesterday👇 Absolutely spectacular THIS is how it's done, kids .. And I suspect we'll be doing a lot more of this in the next 2 years Are you ready? (picture: WaPo)
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Terry Buckalew @terrybuckalew.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Arkansas people know this, but another good reason to oppose whatever trump is doing to the Kennedy Center is because the architect was from Fayetteville. share.google/OpihgXZiasYQ...
share.google
Edward Durell Stone - Wikipedia
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The Media and Democracy Project @mediaanddemocracy.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
The shaky finances of the Ellisons’ takeover attempt of WarnerBros: they need $10B from the Saudi PIF to finance the deal. What is the reliability of that investment? News today of East-West pipeline hit +Trump refused to aid Saudi Arabia as Houthis blockade Bab el-Mandeb Strait #BlockTheMerger
map of the Middle East showing hotspots and pressure points of oil, flow and transitThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's strongest condemnation of targetting the East-West Pipeline in the Riyadh and Madinah regions by several drones launched from Iraq, which resulted in injuries and some damage that is currently being recovered.
The Kingdom clarifies that, following a request from the Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq to allow the brotherly Iraqi government the opportunity to take the necessary measures to prevent attacks originating from Iraqi territories against the Kingdom and neighboring countries, the Kingdom has chosen not to respond at this stage and to support the efforts of the Iraqi government.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia affirms that it reserves its right to take all necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty and security, protect its facilities, and ensure the safety of its citizens and residents.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
I September 2026 / 29 Rabi' al-Awwal 1448
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HELL Kennedy @helenkennedy.com · 10/09/2026
The United States: where giving a frail voter waiting in the Georgia sun a glass of water is punishable by a year in prison, but the president can offer everyone $5k to vote for his party.
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Gillian Brockell @gillianbrockell.com · 01/09/2026
It isn’t nostalgia. This isn’t like when I wore a poodle skirt at the fifth grade sock hop. It is a political and philosophical rejection of being forced to “rent” art from billionaires and being told by an algorithm what art to rent. The kids today want physical media that they own.
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Brad Lander @bradlander.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
I want to address what happened over the weekend outside Madison Square Garden. A few loud numbskulls must not deter us from building multi-faith, multi-racial coalitions for justice.
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Scott Lemieux @lemieuxlgm.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Not a fan of Hasan Piker but he's a guy who streams monologues to a small audience. Elon spends hundreds of millions of dollars trying to get Republicans elected and was for weeks the second most powerful member of the federal government, but oddly Republicans are rarely grilled about his views
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George Pearkes @peark.es · 27/08/2026
More than half decade ago I registered the take that "woke" was just a term that signalled the person who was using it derogatively wanted to be a racist without any consequences, nothing more. Very little since then has dissuaded me from this opinion.
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Deva Woodly @devawo.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
I used to teach in U of C’s core and I’m proud of them for this decision. There’s a lot to say about coming through that grad program, not all of it good. But one thing I cannot fault is the training. This is not a sentimental lot& they don’t mess around about training the human brain-then or now.
forbes.com
University Of Chicago Bans AI, Other Technology, In More Courses
Following up on a similar policy enacted at its law school, the institution will prohibit the use of AI in core social science courses starting in the fall semester.
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Writers Guild of America East @wgaeast.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
"The 'take it or leave it' power of these studios is already enormous, and writers have borne the brunt of it. A combined Paramount-Warner Bros. will only make it worse." - Screenwriter Mike Schur for The Hollywood Reporter www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/bus...
hollywoodreporter.com
Mike Schur: The Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger Is Existential for Writers
“A market ceases to function when competition disappears. And it’s disappearing,” contends the comedy writer whose credits include 'Saturday Night Live,' 'The Office,' 'Parks and Recreation,'…
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Norm Eisen @normeisen.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
SMACKDOWN! AG Bonta brilliantly explains why the Paramount/Warners mega-merger violates anti-trust law & why he will not be swayed until that is addressed Paramount’s PR surge is backfiring
hollywoodreporter.com
California AG Rob Bonta Says David Ellison Is “Desperate” and “Grasping at Straws”
In an expansive interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Bonta laid out his strategy and took aim at the Paramount chief and emerging legal rival. “He cannot flee accountability.”
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Richard M. Nixon @dicknixon.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
He may in fact be a socialist. I don’t know. But he’s governing so far like LaGuardia and the New Deal. You have to know where you are, who the people are. Politics is adaptation.
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Peter Sagal @petersagal.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
A lovely dive into the history of “Coyote Vs Acme,” one of the funniest things ever written by one of my favorite authors. (Gift link) www.nytimes.com/2026/08/14/s...
nytimes.com
Ian Frazier Wrote ‘Coyote v. Acme’ in 1990. Now It’s a Movie. (Gift Article)
With “Coyote vs. Acme,” Ian Frazier, a soft-spoken reporter and humorist, has finally gone Hollywood.
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Peter Sagal @petersagal.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Also worth nothing that Mr Bouie is going absolutely scorched earth on somebody who until quite recently was his colleague at the NYTimes. Makes you wonder about social dynamics at past company picnics.
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Dave Auburn @daveauburn.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Loving this. bookshop.org/p/books/polo...
bookshop.org
Polostan: Volume One of Bomb Light
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Termination Shock and Cryptonomicon, the first installment in a monumental new series—an expansive historical epic of intrigue and international espion...
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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 05/08/2026
‘If we don’t fight back, we don’t have a future’: the journalist taking on the ‘tech fascists’ of Silicon Valley
theguardian.com
‘If we don’t fight back, we don’t have a future’: the journalist taking on the ‘tech fascists’ of Silicon Valley
As Elon Musk, Peter Thiel and their peers have grown richer and more influential, Gil Durán argues they have all but abandoned democracy – and found the perfect government to enable them
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Karl Bode @karlbode.com · 31/07/2026
sure would be something if Larry Ellison's last few years involved him losing his shirt on AI as the state antitrust lawsuit dismantles his nepobaby son's debt-riddled dreams of media domination
nytimes.com
Larry Ellison Bet It All on the A.I. Boom. Will He Be the Face of the A.I. Bubble?
Inside the 81-year-old billionaire’s risky, debt-fueled scramble to transform his data empire into an A.I. juggernaut.
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John Scalzi @scalzi.com · 31/07/2026
1. Newer writers, just don't fucking use "AI" for anything, ever 2. How odd that being an established writer with a firm "no 'AI'" stance and ample pre-"AI" IP will become a definite competitive advantage over "new, hot, and possibly copyright compromised" deadline.com/2026/07/ai-q...
deadline.com
AI Questions Spoil Book & Movie Heat On 'Call Me, I'll Hide The Body' Novel
That screeching sound you heard from international publishers and film rights buyers was an abrupt application of the brakes after a fevered pursuit of the unpublished debut novel.
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Mike Boylan-Kolchin @mbkplus.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Jamelle asks the question that, in retrospect, is the obvious and pressing one: why do we tolerate this? And it’s clearly not because we need his cars or even his rockets, which makes any plausible answer all the more disturbing.
Musk spends a large part of his free time fomenting violence and spreading the same hateful ideology that motivated some of the deadliest shootings and attacks ever to happen on American soil. It is that fact, and not the cars he builds or the rockets he launches, that ought to define his place in public life.
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Dave Auburn @daveauburn.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
A Setback for the MAGA Media Takeover www.nytimes.com/2026/07/27/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | A Setback for the MAGA Media Takeover
Trump is beatable if you take a page from his playbook and flood the zone with opposition.
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@NewsJennifer (Jennifer Schulze) @newsjennifer.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
"when you append “&udm=14” to a Google Search, it will hide AI results" Love to see this rejection to the tech bro dominance bubbling up from...libraries. I hope the Chicago Public Libraries will join in.
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More Perfect Union @moreperfectunion.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
BREAKING: The Writers Guild of America has filed a lawsuit to block the Warner Bros-Paramount merger. This comes shortly after 12 states filed to block this $81 billion merger as well.
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Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @mayor.nyc.gov · 13/07/2026
Proud that New York is one of 12 states suing to stop Paramount's acquisition of Warner Bros.

This is not a merger that serves the public. It would hand one company nearly a third of the movies and cable channels Americans watch, raise prices for streaming and cable, endanger the livelihoods of thousands of New York artists and entertainment workers, and threaten to shutter theaters across our city. 

New York's workers helped build this industry. They should not be sacrificed for the sake of further corporate consolidation.
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Nicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
The “vibe shift” proclaimed Nov. 2024 - Jan. 2025 was just some elites—in business, media, law, and some higher ed admins—who kinda liked the fascism and gave themselves permission to accommodate it. That’s all it ever was. A close presidential election is not somehow a binding cultural referendum.
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Ami Fields-Meyer @fieldsmeyer.com · 30/06/2026
It's launch day for ON COURAGE! Maddow: “INVALUABLE. A CLASSIC OF OUR TIME.” In the dark early days of Trump II, @juliaangwin.com and I were interviewing dissidents on 5 continents, learning what Americans could do to save our republic. Where books are sold: www.harpercollins.com/products/on-...
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Tomb Heintjes @hogansalley.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
In "Thimble Theatre" on June 26, 1931, Popeye revealed that his strength derives from eating spinach:
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Brad Lander @bradlander.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
We have an opportunity in this moment. A responsibility. To insist on everyone’s humanity, all the way through.
"One of the clearest lessons from this election is that Democratic voters want leaders who refuse to compromise on anyone's humanity. Throughout this campaign, we ran on building bridges and embracing a politics rooted in solidarity and shared safety, rather than fear and division. As I said last night: ‘I will aim to be one of the Jewish Congressmembers most willing to stand up for Palestinian freedom, human rights, and dignity. And I will stand just as firmly against bigotry aimed at Jews. Those are not two different jobs. They are the same job.’ Hillel taught that lesson two thousand years ago, and last night’s results highlight its importance for Jewish politics in New York City today."
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David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
Norway is banning generative AI for schoolchildren under 13 starting in September.
techradar.com
Norway says math, reading, and writing come first as it introduces AI restrictions for under-13s
Norway is taking steps to limit how generative AI can be used in schools from the start of the next school year.
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Bill Leibenguth @bill-leibenguth.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
The Barack Obama reflecting pool.
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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
This is BIG. After spending over $1 BILLION on the purchase of multiple commercial warehouses that ICE planned to convert into the largest jails/prisons in the nation, ICE is now largely abandoning the idea and will aim to sell off multiple warehouses at a loss.
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Dave Auburn @daveauburn.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Loving this excellent biography of Gram
bookshop.org
Twenty Thousand Roads: The Ballad of Gram Parsons and His Cosmic American Music
The Ballad of Gram Parsons and His Cosmic American Music
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Dave Auburn @daveauburn.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
The State of American Resistance Is Stronger Than You Think www.nytimes.com/2026/06/16/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | The State of American Resistance Is Stronger Than You Think
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AAUP @aaup.org · 15/06/2026
“We have shown that when the government tries to turn fear into policy, the AAUP will answer with law, with organizing, with solidarity, & with the oldest commitment we have: the defense of academic freedom for the common good.” 💥💥💥
Quote with picture of AAUP General Counsel Veena Dubal
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Sal Gentile @salgentile.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
The Jalen M. Brunson And The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts
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Mike O'Malley @mikeomalley.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
Trump put up a scaffold to hag a curtain and hide the sight of his name coming down.
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Carrie Golus @carriegolus.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
So many devastating lines in this piece. chicagomaroon.com/52978/viewpo... E.g. Using AI to prepare teaching materials, write emails to students, etc. is like “... rolling the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile into a Michelin-starred restaurant and charging the same price.“ 🌭 🌭 🌭
Using Claude to write your teaching materials, exams, and/or problem sets; to respond to student emails; for grading; or in basically any way that interfaces with students—as some faculty at the University are already doing without unfettered Claude Enterprise access—is the equivalent of rolling the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile into a Michelin-starred restaurant and charging the same price.
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Micah @rincewind.run · 12/06/2026
a little on the nose for capitalism that the world’s first trillionaire is a nazi conman
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The Atlantic @theatlantic.com · 08/06/2026
Lawyers for the Kennedy Center have ordered staff to remove all references to Trump from the institution’s signs, documents, and more, according to a memo obtained by @janaykingsberry.bsky.social.
bit.ly
Trump’s Name Is Disappearing From More Than Just the Kennedy Center
Lawyers are ordering staff to remove “Trump” from email signatures, letterhead, website, brochures, promotional materials, press releases, signs, and more.
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Urban Truth Collective @urbantruth.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
“Amsterdam is set to ban climate-damaging advertising [fossil fuel & meat adverts] in public spaces, following a trend spreading across Dutch cities. France has also enacted legislation outlawing adverts from non-renewable energy companies, & one Italian city has plans to do the same.” #UrbanTruth
euronews.com
This EU city just banned all public ads for meat and fossil fuels
Initially proposed in 2020, Amsterdam has officially banned on public advertisements promoting meat and fossil fuel products.
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Thomas Zimmer @thomaszimmer.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Here’s where we are: A president initially lifted into office by a minority, backed by a Senate elected by and representing a minority, created a hard-right majority on the Supreme Court that nullified the most important law ever passed in U.S. history against the will of a clear majority.
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