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Elham Shirin

@eshirin.bsky.social
430 followers 352 following 79 posts

Writer + reporter covering nature, culture, and climate change. 📝 in The New Republic, In These Times, Sierra Magazine + others. www.elhamshirin.com.

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Elham Shirin @eshirin.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
"If I can say anything in conclusion, then, it’s that the truth we seek, as anthropologists, emerges from within the productive dynamics of social interactions. Certainly, the truth mustn’t just stay there...but it cannot be fully isolated from that starting place." tif.ssrc.org/2025/10/12/a...
tif.ssrc.org
Anthropology’s peculiar ways of knowing
Erika Milam: One of the questions I have had about anthropology in recent years boils down to this: What do […]
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United Farm Workers @ufw.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
A 24 year old farm worker was killed by heat in Mississippi. No worker should be killed on the job, but we still have no enforceable federal heat protection rules. 1/
A screenshot of the Mississippi today headline: Farm worker, 24, dies of heat exposure in North Mississippi

Obed Azahel Hernandez Perez from Mexico died while harvesting sweet potatoes, according to the Chickasaw County coroner
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Elham Shirin @eshirin.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
"Among the students at the school was 6-year-old Fatemeh Yazdanpanah from the fishing village of Gurzang...Fatemeh’s father, Yaghoub Yazdanpanah, saw gifts for poetry in his daughter and he wanted to secure for her the best education he could find." www.dropsitenews.com/p/minab-scho...
dropsitenews.com
Massacre at Minab: The School That Became a Grave
The bombing of an Iranian school, killing 120 children, is one of the worst U.S. war crimes since Vietnam. Drop Site spoke to survivors, first responders, parents, and witnesses. This is their story.
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Elham Shirin @eshirin.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
"What are the politics hidden within our desire for artisanal sourdough bread and hand-thrown pottery?" aeon.co/essays/the-r...
aeon.co
The radical reasons why you dream of making things by hand | Aeon Essays
Is all the beekeeping, baking and leatherwork just escapist fantasy or the start of a radically human approach to work?
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Elham Shirin @eshirin.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
My favorite kind of journalism captures ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Or ordinary things--in extraordinary circumstances. Loved this profile of courageous Ramadan Yaqoub Ghaban, a 12-year old boy in Gaza. www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
theguardian.com
‘I’m afraid they’ll bomb the cafe where I work, or bomb me’: a day in the life of a 12-year-old boy in Gaza
Ramadan, 12, works in a cafe on the beach. He remembers enjoying school, playing and family barbecues before life became about survival
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 22/09/2026
Sen. Susan Collins helped steer millions in federal defense contracts to Navatek, whose CEO illegally funneled thousands of dollars to her campaign. The FBI sought to launch a probe and was eyeing Collins and other lawmakers. Then Trump gutted the unit in charge. THREAD 🧵
Martin Kao, CEO of defense contractor Navatek, poses next to Sen. Susan Collins for a photo. Collins is holding a model of a boat in her hands. Behind them is a large sign with the Navatek logo.
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Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 18/09/2026
“People would be pretty shocked that what they’re using for their homework or to summarize emails is also being used by intelligence officers.”
motherjones.com
Killer AI is already here—we’re using it in Iran
Despite AI fears, a new poll shows few Americans know about the Pentagon's AI-assisted massacres.
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The Baffler @thebaffler.com · 16/09/2026
The work of writer, intellectual, and historian Carlo Ginzburg—who died earlier this year—subverted the very idea of insignificance.
thebaffler.com
Carlo Ginzburg, 1939–2026 | Emma Claire Foley
Carlo Ginzburg’s work centered and subverted the very idea of insignificance.
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Colin Schultz @colinschultz.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
So, now, I'm looking for what's next. If you know of any open positions--especially those involving editing science, news, or science news--I'd love to hear about them. Please let me know at clnschltz@proton.me
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Elham Shirin @eshirin.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Colin -- this is devastating to hear. You gave me a shot at science journalism. Always grateful, and will keep an eye out for opportunities for you.
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Colin Schultz @colinschultz.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
I'm really not sure how to say this, so I'm just going to say it: My contract at @biographic.bsky.social is not being renewed. As management let me know not long ago, the latest funding crisis--really, the latest in a string of funding crises--was just too much to handle.
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Elham Shirin @eshirin.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
"They are saying many of the things they said before but louder, and with guns. The targets of their bile are schools and homes and places of worship; butcher shops and doctors; and sporting events." www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
motherjones.com
I’ve covered Islamophobia for years. Trump’s GOP has taken it to a new level.
The shocking vilification of Muslims is one of the most troubling storylines of the midterms.
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In These Times @inthesetimes.com · 12/09/2026
The 117 people who left Libya with Daniel did not share one fate. By the journey’s end, 79 had reached Italy, 35 had been returned to Libyan detention, and three had drowned. @cathyotten.bsky.social examines the hostile migration policies that shaped every outcome.
inthesetimes.com
Found, But Not Rescued
Could migrant deaths in the Mediterranean Sea be prosecuted as crimes against humanity?
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Todd Woody @toddwoody.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
New: Copperhead Resources was just another money-losing Canadian gold prospector last year when Trump ordered NOAA to issue deep-sea mining licenses to unleash “the next gold rush.” Now it's seabed miner, one of mostly foreign firms aiming to cash in. Free link. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
The Companies Trying to Cash In on Trump’s Deep-Sea Gold Rush
Entrepreneurs are racing to secure seabed mining permits. Then comes the hard part.
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19thnews @19thnews.org · 10/09/2026
Muslim women have spent 25 years navigating the effects of 9/11 — and a growing perception that their faith and visibility pose a cultural threat.
bit.ly
For many Muslim women, the racism and suspicion after 9/11 still hasn’t lifted
Muslim women have spent 25 years navigating the effects of 9/11 — and a growing perception that their faith and visibility pose a cultural threat.
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In These Times @inthesetimes.com · 10/09/2026
Twenty-five years after 9/11, the repression it was used to justify has only deepened. In 2016, Azadeh Shahshahani and Stephanie Guilloud documented how the government criminalized Muslims, immigrants and political dissenters.
inthesetimes.com
How the U.S. Government Has Used 9/11 to Criminalize People of Color
In the 15 years since the attacks, heightened surveillance and security have cracked down on Muslims and immigrants.
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Lex McMenamin (they/them) @lexmcmenamin.com · 01/09/2026
rest in peace to Wendell Berry
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Elham Shirin @eshirin.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
What a nightmare.
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Charley Locke @charleylocke.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
when lefty homeowners go up against market-rate senior housing towers, are they righteous middle-class activists fending off greedy developers or wealthy seniors prioritizing neighborhood character over ameliorating the housing crisis? are they David or Goliath? tinyurl.com/4xzkk8td
tinyurl.com
The Seniors Against Senior Housing
America’s elders need more places to live, but even in liberal enclaves that recognize the problem, developers are facing the fiercest foes of all: America’s elders.
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Fathel @fath0039.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
A thread of some of my review essays. fathel.substack.com/p/review-of-...
fathel.substack.com
Review of Genocide in Libya: Shar, A Hidden Colonial History by Ali Abdullatif Ahmida (Routledge)
In Genocide in Libya through decades of oral history and archival research, Ali Abdullaftif Ahmida traces the history of the Shar (evil in Arabic).
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Timothy Noah @timothynoah.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
My boss Mike Tomasky gets is exactly right today. Please read this superb piece. newrepublic.com/post/214367/...
newrepublic.com
Why Don’t Leftie Candidates Do Better Among Working-Class Voters?
It isn’t that non-college voters are more “moderate.” It’s something else entirely, and it will probably take about a decade to fix, if it’s fixable at all.
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bijan (spooky version) @bijan.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
every job i see these days is like: LEAD CONTENT ANALYST, Puppy Killing Factory (remote). $350,000 - $500,000. You will edit our internal newsletter (circulation 500). Associate Editor, Nonprofits, Global Good Magazine (in office, NYC). $27,000 - $28,000. Lead ALL of our fundraising efforts!
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Elham Shirin @eshirin.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Once in a while you read a story that you come back to—for its humanity, for grief, for hope. Beautiful, heart-wrenching piece by @charlesbethea.bsky.social
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The Wall Street Journal @wsj.com · 05/08/2026
New York City’s business elites are long accustomed to direct access to City Hall, where even Democratic mayors felt the need to court the city’s wealthiest and most influential corporate leaders. That access is getting shredded by Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
on.wsj.com
Mamdani Is Shunning New York Business Leaders Who Are Used to Calling the Shots
The mayor fired corporate leaders from a city fund’s advisory board in the latest sign that he is changing the way such power brokers access City Hall.
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Baltimore Banner @thebaltimorebanner.com · 01/08/2026
ICE releases Johns Hopkins researcher detained while boarding flight
buff.ly
Johns Hopkins researcher Fatima Ameaka released from ICE custody
A public health researcher at Johns Hopkins University who was arrested by immigration officials while boarding a domestic flight has been released after spending multiple days in federal custody across...
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Candice Norwood @candicenorwood.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Norma Bowe, a nurse in New Jersey, runs a mobile health clinic that stops outside Delaney Hall detention center, where she provides blood pressure checks, stroke assessments and other care. Yesterday, she told me about the day she says she was assaulted by an ICE agent. My latest via @19thnews.org
19thnews.org
This nurse brings health care to people outside a detention center. She says ICE agents assaulted her.
This week, the ACLU announced it has filed 54 claims on behalf of Norma Bowe and others who allege violence and additional harms from federal immigration officials.
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Elham Shirin @eshirin.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
My latest for @sierramagazine.bsky.social
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Megan Greenwell @greenwell.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
WIRED sent me to Mississippi to report a different kind of feature about reading. Why are third-graders there acing standardized tests but older students are still struggling with comprehension? What does measuring "literacy" even mean?
wired.com
Stop Saying Kids Can’t Read
Everyone is talking about the reading crisis. But inside the “Mississippi Miracle,” it’s all about comprehension.
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Elham Shirin @eshirin.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
"This sport, “the beautiful game,” is also an endless window into other realities and conversations far beyond the pitch...two of them have come sharply into focus: racism and the consequences of a sport seemingly ruled by algorithms and betting." pulitzercenter.org/blog/world-c...
pulitzercenter.org
World Cup Raises Tough Questions
Image Image courtesy of Gabriela Brenes. It’s not about Messi or Mbappé. It’s about looking inward. I was about 5 months old the first time my dad took me to a stadium for an amateur local football ga...
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Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @handle.invalid · 20/07/2026
i'm not crying you're crying
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Bloomberg News @bloomberg.com · 16/07/2026
The Trump administration is scrapping a policy that has allowed international students and exchange visitors to remain in the US for as long as their studies last, replacing it with a four-year limit. Read more: bloom.bg/4fib1sh 📷: Sophie Park/Bloomberg
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Elham Shirin @eshirin.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Undone by this haunting piece by @aprzhu.bsky.social. "The distances, the lenses, as well as the ghosts of loss, regret, guilt, and betrayal that haunt the anthropologist harmonize with the profound sense of displacement one feels in diaspora." offassignment.com/wids/april-zhu
offassignment.com
Bad Witness: What I Didn't Say About Reporting on Chinese Christians in Kenya — Off Assignment
“I was born into Christianity as I was born into America. In my childhood, there was the church and the diaspora, and I could not imagine one without the other.”
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Scott Waldman @scottpwaldman.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
The White House has reconstituted the U.S. Global Change Research Program, which tracks climate change and produces the National Climate Assessment. The Trump version will focus on "positive" climate effects and be used to protect fossil fuel companies from lawsuits. www.politico.com/news/2026/07...
politico.com
The administration has a new climate change office. It’s headed by a climate critic.
The office that produces the National Climate Assessment has been reconstituted, after the administration gutted it last year.
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Nina Lakhani @ninalakhani.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Urgent: Israeli soldiers are beating Dr Hussam Abu Safiya to death with a hammer. 'They brought me here to kill me,' he told his lawyer, who barely recognised the paediatrician because of the torture inflicted on him for refusing to abandon his patients.
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Nina Lakhani @ninalakhani.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Drilled is hiring an experienced print story editor for a 6-month contract. We're a small but mighty team comitted to climate justice. Job is remote, Spanish proficiency and climate beat experience a plus @drilledmedia.bsky.social @amywestervelt.bsky.social www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/44...
linkedin.com
Drilled Media hiring Series Editor in United States | LinkedIn
Posted 9:45:26 PM. Drilled is seeking a series editor for a 6-month contract, beginning in July. The editor would be…See this and similar jobs on LinkedIn.
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Elham Shirin @eshirin.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Forever a Knicks fan after catching all the collective feels! <3
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Eric Columbus @ericcolumbus.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Folks even Joyce Carol Oates is writing about the Knicks
Joyce Carol Oates # @JoyceCarolO….-3h as one inexperienced with watching basketball on TV & knowing only a little of legendary Knicks--(from living adjacent to NYC)--what impressed me most about the two games which I'd watched was, beyond even the brilliant teamwork & outstanding athletes on both teams, the indefatigable will, stamina, determination of the ostensibly losing team to just forge forward & concentrate on winning when probably virtually everyone in the arena was assuming that they'd lost. there is a moral here: "never say never."
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Elham Shirin @eshirin.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
there's just something so infectious about pure unadulterated joy watching your favor...LFG! KNICKS IN FIVE!
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Elham Shirin @eshirin.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Catching this Knicks/World Cup/soon to come U.S. Open summer fever!! #lfgk
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Tariq Panja @tariqpanja.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
In his first interview since being kicked out of the US, FIFA referee Omar Artan tells’s the NYT’s Matt Bigg that the biggest dream of his professional life has been shattered. The World Cup ref was questioned for 11 hours, held in a cell and then dumped on a plane. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/09/w...
nytimes.com
Somali Referee Says His World Cup Dream Is Dashed After U.S. Denies Entry
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Bloomberg News @bloomberg.com · 09/06/2026
Community health workers fill the gaps in places without enough doctors and nurses. Trump’s budget cuts are costing them their jobs, putting untold clients at risk.
bloom.bg
The Broken Backbone of America’s Healthcare System
Community health workers fill the gaps in places without enough doctors and nurses. Trump’s budget cuts are costing them their jobs, putting untold clients at risk.
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Todd Woody @toddwoody.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Breaking: A comprehensive United Nations assessment of ocean health has a dire prognosis: the world faces a “deepening crisis” as climate change, pollution, overfishing and biodiversity loss threaten marine ecosystems crucial to human survival. Free link www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Climate Change, Pollution Push Oceans to Tipping Point, UN Report Says
Dying coral reefs and depleted fish stocks are signs of the “grave risk” to marine health, according to the third World Ocean Assessment.
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In These Times @inthesetimes.com · 31/05/2026
“I will never regret going on strike.” After the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette strike, @maximillianalvarez.bsky.social reports former staffers are building PAPER, the Pittsburgh Alliance for People-Empowered Reporting, to preserve local journalism in the city.
inthesetimes.com
New owners gut Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
In the wake of retaliatory firings, ex-Gazette-Post seek to keep Pittsburgh journalism alive.
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Columbia Journalism Review @columjournreview.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
How Documented is reinventing immigration coverage. Ethar El-Katatney joins @greenwell.bsky.social on The Kicker. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...
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Jonathan Bernstein @jonbern.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
this is not true, and this guy doesn't speak for me! nymag.com/intelligence...
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Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
As family homelessness hits record highs, school districts are offering parking lots as safe sites for students and their families to sleep at night
hechingerreport.org
A lifeline or ‘dystopian’?: Schools open parking lots for homeless students and families
As family homelessness hits record highs, a few school districts are beginning to offer parking lots as safe sites for students and their families to sleep at night. Some families prefer the option ov...
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Colin Schultz @colinschultz.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
I really, really hate to sharing this, but last week, we @biographic.bsky.social learned that the California Academy of Sciences will no longer be providing the magazine with financial support, including money we were expecting to receive this year. We're in a real bind.
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Ian Rose @ianrosewrites.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
The NYT bureau chief who was caught using a fake AI quote makes about as much money annually as bioGraphic is losing. Funding does not follow quality. What a world we could live in if it did. Support independent, human journalism and publishing.
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Elham Shirin @eshirin.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
"To work on rescuing something that almost survived, amidst the execution of culture and the burning of libraries, gives you hope in the middle of suffocating pain," she says. www.newarab.com/features/ins...
newarab.com
Inside Gaza’s race to save ancient manuscripts from Israel’s war
In Gaza City’s Old Quarter, volunteers are recovering manuscripts from the damaged Al-Omari Mosque library following repeated Israeli aggression since 2023
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Canada's National Observer @nationalobserver.com · 05/05/2026
The Canadian Mining Journal retracted a lengthy article that quoted made-up people and cited made-up facts about deep-sea mining. Observers aren't surprised.
nationalobserver.com
How a false deep-sea mining claim fooled a prominent magazine
"I was puzzled when first reading through it — how could a journal have published a complete article around an academic study that does not seem to exist?" said Greenpeace deep-sea mining campaigner S...
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