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Jon

@diaz.ai

47K followers 1.3K following 52 posts

Policy analyst. Dad. American expat in Paris. Research interests: career education, school-to-work transitions, democracy, digital governance, data, artificial intelligence. Views are my own. Reskeets ≠ endorsements.

Posts Replies Media

Jon @diaz.ai · 29/06/2026

French football fans watching Paraguay force Germany into extra time

A TV screenshot shows Ousmane Dembélé smiling on the PSG bench in a dark jacket and white shirt after scoring twice against Barcelona in 2024. A hand rests on his shoulder, and a broadcast scoreboard is visible in the top-left corner.

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Jon @diaz.ai · 23/06/2026

As an overseas New York voter living in Paris, I received an email from the Board of Elections saying my ballot was available, with a link and access code to retrieve it. I followed the instructions, entered my info, and got: “No Active Elections.” First time this has ever happened to me. 1/

Screenshot of the New York State Board of Elections Accessible Ballot Marking System showing a warning message: “No Active Elections.” The message says there are either no active elections right now or the user is not eligible for a ballot in the active elections, and advises contacting the local election official if they received an email saying a ballot was available.

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Jon @diaz.ai · 02/11/2025

The relentless fearmongering and panic over the idea of a “socialist” mayor in NYC say a lot about the insular mindset and lack of perspectives of Americans. I live in Paris - we’ve had Socialist mayors for 24 years straight. Life’s good. Still no apocalypse. In fact, Paris has never been better.

Series of six maps showing average nitrogen dioxide concentration in Paris from 2007 to 2024. Colors range from red (high pollution) to green (low pollution). Over time, pollution decreases dramatically, with 2024 showing mostly green and yellow areas compared to dark red in 2007.

Side-by-side comparison of the Seine riverbank in Paris. The left image shows a car-filled road along the river. The right image shows the same spot transformed into a pedestrian area with sand, umbrellas, and people relaxing by the water.

Two photos of the Seine near the Conciergerie in Paris. The top, from the 2000s, shows cars driving along the riverside road. The bottom, labeled ‘Today,’ shows the same area converted into a pedestrian promenade lined with palm trees, red umbrellas, and people walking.

Photo with headline reading ‘How Does Paris Stay Paris? By Pouring Billions Into Public Housing.’ Below is an image of Paris seen from a balcony, showing rooftops, church spires, and the Eiffel Tower in the distance. The caption explains that one quarter of Parisians live in public housing.

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Jon @diaz.ai · 23/03/2025

Years ago, I lived near an elementary school in the suburbs of Paris. On its facade was a mosaic bearing a quote from the French Revolution: “Après le pain, l’éducation est le premier besoin du peuple.” — “After bread, education is the first need of the people.”

A brick elementary school building in the suburbs of Paris featuring a large vertical mosaic. The mosaic depicts a woman in a red dress guiding two children under a flowering tree. Below the scene is a quote from the French Revolution by Danton: “Après le pain, l’éducation est le premier besoin du peuple.” (“After bread, education is the first need of a people.”) The quote is accompanied by a coat of arms and the motto “J’étais fleur, je suis cité.”

A close-up of a mosaic from a school building in the Paris suburbs. It features a quote from Georges Danton, dated August 13, 1793: “Après le pain, l’éducation est le premier besoin du peuple.” (“After bread, education is the first need of a people.”) Below the quote is a decorative coat of arms surrounded by laurel leaves and a ribbon with the phrase “J’étais fleur, je suis cité.” The border is lined with purple floral tiles.

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Jon @diaz.ai · 19/03/2025

This is fascinating. The poll’s sample is WNYC subscribers—an informed, news-engaged cohort. Here, Brad Lander is the clear frontrunner, while Eric Adams gets almost no support. This contrasts with general public polls, where Adams ranks 2nd and Lander polls poorly, both largely due to name ID.

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Jon @diaz.ai · 07/03/2025

If you lived and worked in Paris and were looking to buy a country home in France—somewhere outside the city but still accessible by TGV—where would you choose? You can answer by region, department, or any way that makes sense!

Map of France highlighted by areas served by each one of Paris’s major train stations.

Map of France showing travel time to Paris via TGV trains

Map of France color coded to show average price per square meter.

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Jon @diaz.ai · 12/02/2025

While riding the 3 line on the Paris Metro, I noticed that the route map was peeled back—revealing an old 9 line map hidden underneath. Based on the station names, it must have been from somewhere between 1967 and 1989. A little glimpse into the past beneath the present!

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Jon @diaz.ai · 09/02/2025

Disinformation in the US is bad, but it’s even worse for Spanish-speaking Americans. It spreads unchecked & largely unnoticed. While on my parents’ YouTube account, I came across this Spanish-lang AI-generated video narrating a fictional story of Barron Trump helping a girl escape poverty. (1)

Screenshot of a thumbnail for a YouTube video which narrates a fictional story of Barron Trump helping to life a young girl out of poverty

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Jon @diaz.ai · 14/12/2024

Incredible show! During the encore, the band took song requests from the crowd. I held up my phone with “Born to Run”on the screen, Ezra spotted it, and they played it! Truly a memory of a lifetime.

The rock band, Vampire Weekend, performing at a concert in Adidas Arena in Paris, France.

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Jon @diaz.ai · 07/12/2024

Snapped this off-center shot through my cab window on a rainy ride home. Love how it turned out.

A rainy nighttime view of the Moulin Rouge, captured off-center through a cab window. The building’s iconic red windmill glows brightly against the dark, wet street.

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Jon @diaz.ai · 26/11/2024

Vacations are so common in France that whenever someone is away for a while, my French toddler naturally assumes it’s for “vacances.” Here, workers are entitled to 25 days of paid vacation per yr—a stark contrast to the US, where the lack of a federal vacation law makes time off feel like a luxury.

A bar chart showing the amount of minimum paid leave in selected countries. France offer 25 days of annual leave plus 11 public holidays. By contrast, the U.S. offers 0 days of annual leave plus 10 public holidays.

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Jon @diaz.ai · 24/11/2024

A Tribe Called Quest’s masterful final album, “We Got It From Here…”, brought me profound comfort in the days after the 2016 election (it dropped just three days later!). Lately, I’ve been returning to their discography, finding solace once again in their timeless, jazzy, socially conscious sound.

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Jon @diaz.ai · 22/11/2024

Fun fact: In France 🇫🇷, the HBO series The Wire is promoted with the tagline, “The series that Obama is a fan of.” Having served between two U.S. presidents deeply unpopular in France (Bush and Trump), Obama is especially admired and often regarded as the epitome of American cool.

A photo of a TV screen displaying titles and images of various HBO series on the French streaming platform OCS. Featured shows include The Wire, Lovecraft Country, Perry Mason, and I May Destroy You. The promotional image for The Wire includes a tagline in French that translates to, “The series that Obama is a fan of.”

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Jon @diaz.ai · 21/11/2024

Good morning from snowy Paris 🇫🇷! Snow is a relatively rare sight here, and it’s adding a magical touch to the morning. Hope everyone has a wonderful day wherever you are!

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