iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Civic Engagement Beyond Voting @azcebvus.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

"And when push comes to shove, seems the people down below have power over those they place above, but only if they vote!" www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayWi...

youtube.com

2026: Time for the Midterms

YouTube video by Hamilton

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Annalee Newitz @annaleen.bsky.social · 23h

Wow I did not expect this rave review for A WALL IS ALSO A ROAD from Screenrant. Amaze! screenrant.com/wall-is-also...

screenrant.com

The Spiritual Successor To Project Hail Mary Released This Month

Project Hail Mary fans will love this story.

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paulpro @mariopro.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

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Ruha Benjamin @ruha9.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

I’m in DC scheduled to give this talk today. But the organizers flagged slides in my deck that mention racism, structural gaslighting, New Jim Code and other themes that are off limits in the Land of the Free.

APA Women’s Leadership Institute event flyer with “keynote speaker” crossed out with a red X

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Ivy @askylitocean.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

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Dave Troy @davetroy.com · 08/10/2026

🟡 ELEVATED RISK: Our new Election 2026 tracker assesses risks to the midterms as 'elevated' — real actions have been taken to interfere, but guardrails are holding. Bookmark the tracker and follow updates in real-time. Updated continuously. election2026.america2.news

election2026.america2.news

The Election 2026 Risk Report: a live, sourced risk tracker

A sourced, sober read on real risks to the 2026 U.S. midterms, from casting ballots through counting, certification and the seating of Congress on Jan. 3, 2027.

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rax ‘levon honkers’ king @raxkingisdead.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

a little louder for the cheap seats in the back

One of the biggest myths is that men rape by mistake. Like, "Oh, they need consent training." But research is very clear: Sexual violence is not a mistake. It is an intentionally made decision by people who know they don't have consent. They just don't prioritize consent over things like status, power, domination, and sexual gratification.
For my research, I got a certificate of confidentiality from the National Institutes of Health, so my notes couldn't be subpoenaed. One of the reasons I call them perpetrators in my work is because every single person I interviewed confessed in that context. The first question I would ask them was, "When you received that email from Title IX that you were under investigation, did you know what it was about?" Every perpetrator I interviewed said "yes." If sexual assault were a miscommunication, you would be wondering, What have I possibly done wrong? That is not the way that any of them reacted because they knew.

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John Scalzi @scalzi.com · 05/10/2026

This is your occasional reminder that generative "AI" in particular could have been developed on public domain materials and/or licensed and compensated works but the major players intentionally, methodically and systemically chose to steal labor from working creative folks instead

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The Mouthy Renegade Writer @mouthyrenegade.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Imagine Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson walking by and a freestyle rapper just comes up with this on the spot. I love it. And they did, too!

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Ken Jennings @kenjennings.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

I said this in a NY Times story last week about the WA millionaire tax, but let’s bring back shame. Even if billionaires don’t know it’s wrong to do shit like this, they should know it’s embarrassing.

fortune.com

Google co-founder Sergey Brin has now spent $100 million to fight California’s proposed billionaire tax—he could owe $13 billion if he loses | Fortune

The state’s ultrawealthy, including Larry Page and Peter Thiel, have similarly donated to efforts opposing the wealth tax.

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Erin J. Wamsley 🧠📈😴 @wamsleylab.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

The fiscal year is over. The dying Social, Behavioral, and Economic division of NSF ended up awarding 90 total grants this year, as opposed to ~700-800 in recent past years. Source: grantwitness.org/nsf/analyses...

The graph shows the cumulative number of awards made by month across this fiscal year, as compared to the last 6 fiscal years. The line for this year is total flat until June, but then finally gets up to 91 by October. In prior years the increase starts building earlier and ends on average in the 700-800 range (with variability, last year was only between 400-500).

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Annalee Newitz @annaleen.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

So excited to unbox my new novel that all I can do is babble "this is great!" And "this is awesome!" LOL

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Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Colorado Republican gubernatorial nominee Victor Marx has talked frequently about getting away with murdering a man when he was young (and he declines to say whether this is his only homicide), but a review of his public comments reveals much more gleeful talk about acts of extreme

thedailybeast.com

‘Christian Warrior’ Candidate’s Dark Past Revealed

Fresh videos and posts unearthed by the Daily Beast have placed the Republican under growing scrutiny as the midterms loom.

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Michael Lobel @mlobelart.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Did I just get back from a viewing at Bonhams auction house in NYC of cat-themed art? Why yes- yes I did. Did I take pictures, including of these Chinese ceramic cats from the Qing Dynasty? Also yes! Will I make a thread of some of them? Indeed I will, which will include...

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Timnit Gebru @timnitgebru.blacksky.app · 30/09/2026

Friends, while they're trying to talk about fictional machine gods, don't lose sight into what they're all actually powering in real life. You can browse the the entities on the website and use the API, and learn more about it on the DAIR project site: dair-institute.org/projects/sur....

dair-institute.org

Surveillance Watch

This interactive map reveals the intricate connections between surveillance companies, their funding sources and affiliations.

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Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin @ecmclaughlin.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

You have to wait until the sixth paragraph of this piece before you learn, in the New York Times reporting on the murder of THEIR OWN EMPLOYEE, that the victim was a trans man who had been abused for being trans by the in-laws who murdered him. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/28/u...

nytimes.com

Couple Accused of Killing Their Son-in-Law in Bay Area Park (Gift Article)

Jonathan McKinsey, an engineer who worked in the games department for The New York Times, was fatally shot Saturday in a San Francisco suburb. The police have accused his parents-in-law, both 76.

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🎃Darin S Pumpkins🎃 @darinself.com · 28/09/2026

The mayor of Ithaca (my friend and former fellow PhD candidate in Government at Cornell) announces a moratorium on permitting Greek Life activities until Cornell produces new standards of addressing sexual assault.

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Kat Abughazaleh @katmabu.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

A man replied to this saying in earnest that women need to get organized and fight for our rights and men will follow. We did that. We do that. We mobilized the largest single day protest in global history on every continent and yet I have fewer rights than my mom did at my age.

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Michael Warburton @michaelwarburton.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

“I don’t think being good at things is the point of doing them.” How an Archeologist changed KURT VONNEGUT’s life.

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Shooti @bambooshooti.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

#ResistanceRoots bell hooks was born on this day in 1952 in Hopkinsville, Ky. She was an author, educator, feminist and social critic whose work transformed contemporary discussions on gender, race and class. She pioneered the concept that these systems intersect to sustain social oppression. /1

bell hooks. hooks changed how the world understands power, education and human connection. Rather than confining her revolutionary ideas to the walls of academia, she dedicated her life to building a public philosophy that made radical critique accessible. She laid the foundation for theories of intersectionality, transforming modern understanding of race, gender and class. She argued that racism, sexism and class exploitation operate together, and highlighted the overlooked struggles of Black women. Her system of “engaged pedagogy” treated education as a practice of freedom and empowerment, while her politics of affection framed love as a transformative, public practice necessary to dismantle systemic oppression and encourage the healthy emotional growth of men. She wrote without academic jargon so her ideas could reach everyday people, serving as a voice for liberation, love and community. Photo credit: UC Santa Cruz.

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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

The biggest divide is not between “right” and “left." It’s between democracy and oligarchy. The billionaires who control our economy and democracy seek to divide us. They want us to turn on each other so we don't look up and see that they have all the wealth and power. Remember this.

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Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Matt Wuerker, Politico

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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

I'm excited to announce the relaunch of my UC Berkeley class “Wealth and Poverty.” Starting today (and every Monday), you’ll be able to take a new lesson in the course. Join me and Heather Kinlaw Lofthouse for a live “watch-along” of the first class! open.substack.com/live-stream/...

open.substack.com

LIVE NOW: LIVE “Wealth and Poverty” first class watch-a-long!

Robert Reich on Substack

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AgonyFlips @agonyflips.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

When you're ticked off and a friend sends you something to make you feel better. 🐑🔊

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Urban Truth Collective @urbantruth.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

The WAR ON WALKING has taken many forms around the world. It’s often as simple as how we signal who space is and isn’t for. Once our eyes are opened to all the ways we’ve prioritized cars over people, we can’t unsee it. Frustrating photo contributed by @stadsplanering.bsky.social. #WarOnWalking

Background photo from North Macedonia, where “sidewalks are mostly used to park cars” as explained by photo contributor Carl-Henrik Barnekow. Text says “Don’t buy the lie that there’s a war on cars. They’ve been waging a war on walking for a century.” Via the Urban Truth Collective. #WarOnCars #UrbanTruth

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Carolirene @carolirene75.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

This is a good one.

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Joshua Foust 🪖🎮 @joshuafoust.com · 19/09/2026

It should be illegal to buy a company with debt and then sell it off to a foreign owner, but that fight was lost long ago. Anyway, now the Saudis own a truly distressing portion of American entertainment, from Hollywood to Video Games to Sports. This is not neutral behavior. Anyway.

arstechnica.com

FCC lets Paramount sell 49.5% equity stake to Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Qatar

FCC rejects concerns about repressive governments buying influence over CBS owner.

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Jon Cooper @joncooper-us.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

👇👇👇👇

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Gil Durán @gilduran.com · 17/09/2026

Oakland! TONIGHT at 6 p.m. is the launch party for the new edition of "Cyberselfish." Paulina Borsook is the OG tech critic who warned about the dangerous broligarchy three decades ago. She was ignored & erased. But now she's back. Buy her book! Spread the word! See you there? luma.com/05tl0orh

luma.com

An evening with Paulina Borsook about her classic book, Cyberselfish · Luma

Paulina Borsook's Cyberselfish, first published in the year 2000, was a groundbreaking exploration of the culture of Silicon Valley. The book saw the warning…

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Admirable Women @admirablewomen.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

#Music teacher, conductor & composer Nadia Boulanger is regarded as the most influential music pedagogue of the 20th century. Shattered glass ceilings by becoming the first woman to conduct the Boston Symphony Orchestra, NY Philharmonic & the Royal Philharmonic Society in London. #MusicSky🧵

A dramatic black-and-white photograph of Nadia Boulanger (September 16, 1887 – October 22, 1979) conducting the orchestra of the Royal Philharmonic Society during a rehearsal at Queen’s Hall in London. The legendary French composer, conductor, and teacher is captured in a powerful, commanding pose from a lower angle. She stands behind a conductor's music stand holding open scores, with both arms raised high against a stark, solid black background. Her face is illuminated by a sharp overhead spotlight, emphasizing her stern, intensely focused expression and clear, round eyeglasses. She wears a simple, long-sleeved dark silk or satin dress with a V-neckline, adorned with a delicate starburst pendant necklace. Her hands are expressive and deliberate: her left index finger points dramatically upward toward the ceiling, while her right hand is held slightly lower, fingers curled mid-gesture. The stark, high-contrast composition isolates her figure, creating a deeply intense, artistic, and reverent mood. This photograph captures an immense moment of historical significance, illustrating the fierce focus of one of the most influential music educators and female conductors of the 20th century.

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Admirable Women @admirablewomen.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Physicist Dr. Ursula Franklin helped invent archaeometry--the application of materials science to analyze archaeological artifacts. She used modern physics tools to date/determine the compositions of ancient metals & ceramics to uncover how ancient peoples lived/worked. Born #OTD 1921. #WomenInSTEM

A charming photograph of Dr. Ursula Franklin (1921–2016), the pioneering Canadian experimental physicist, metallurgist, and humanitarian activist. She is positioned slightly off-center against a minimalist, solid slate-blue backdrop. Captured from the chest up, she looks off-camera to the right with a bright, genuine smile that showcases her warmth and sharp intellect. Her short, styled silver-grey hair frames her face, and she wears thin-framed, amber-toned glasses. She is dressed in a crisp, purple-and-white vertically striped button-down shirt. Around her neck hangs a delicate silver chain supporting a striking teardrop-shaped pendant featuring a vibrant orange-red stone or amber setting. The lighting is soft and even, accentuating the fine lines of a long, accomplished life. The clean, professional composition evokes a mood of joyful wisdom, deep dignity, and enduring historical significance, celebrating a legendary woman in STEM.

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Karl Bode @karlbode.com · 16/09/2026

I'm fascinated by U.S. tech and business journalism because it doesn't adhere to literally any rules of actual journalism. There's no effort to actually explain objective truth; they can't even so much as hint at the fact there's funny math here and the company isn't worth anything close to this

nytimes.com

OpenAI Considers New Financing at a $1.5 Trillion Valuation (Gift Article)

The funding round would double the value of the start-up behind ChatGPT and establish it as the world’s most valuable private company.

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Gary Buckley @garybuckley.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

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Edwin Eisendrath @eisendrath.net · 15/09/2026

WATCH: Imagine a world in which democracy doesn't exist. Instead, the United States is broken up into a number states overseen by only a handful of technocrats calling the shots. It sounds like something out of a wild science fiction movie but @gilduran.com says its what tech bros want.

open.substack.com

‘The Nerd Reich’ Author Gil Duran Joins It's The Democracy, Stupid with Edwin Eisendrath

Inside tech oligarchs’ plan to eat democracy and spit it out.

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Rebecca Gelernter @nearbirdstudios.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

The Saddlebacks must be having a good year, because between us, the women in my family have found four recently, and none of us had ever seen one before! 🌿

Big Saddleback Caterpillar on a tupperware lid. It's about an inch long and brown with what I can't stop thinking of as a saddle blanket marking with a white hem covering its middle section. On its back is the little brown "saddle" marking. It has two big spikes on each end and lots of little ones, including along the bottom edge on the side, all covered with thick, black-tipped stinging hairs. It's weird and cute.

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michaelapotter.bsky.social @michaelapotter.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

“Driftwood” Artist Jeff Dillon (Canadian, b.1986) Acrylic on canvas : 30” x 30″ Passion for Art

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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Sure seems like we should revisit that whole "lying president tried to have his goons put an Olympic athlete in prison for his own incompetence" thing

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Jonathan Edward Durham @thisone0verhere.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Hey folks! ! I’m going on tour in October for the release of my book, Winterset Hollow! And you should totally come see me! And bring me banana bread! Can’t wait to see you guys! And please, check with these venues for details, because some of these events are ticketed/reservation required ⬇️

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Kat Abughazaleh @katmabu.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Thinking about how a girl at Christian summer camp asked me if my dad was in Al Qaeda and I got in trouble for asking if her dad was a Klansman bc “her question was understandable”

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Ian Boudreau @ianboudreau.com · 11/09/2026

Pretending the days after Sept. 11, 2001 were some kind of gauzy Hallmark special when we came together as a country is nauseating and ahistorical. The country went completely insane and has not recovered

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Caitlin McGlade @caitmcglade.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

I, the only data reporter at the Charlotte Observer, am among the McClatchy layoffs in the bloodbath today. The HR person asked me not to talk about it! AMA. Anyway, here’s a link to one of my most important stories this year. www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/a...

charlotteobserver.com

A Black teen found hanged near Charlotte church was a suicide, police say. Questions remain

In May, 16-year-old Juliana Nzita was found dead in a Charlotte churchyard. CMPD called it a suicide. Her family isn’t so sure.

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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

“The Miami Herald will no longer have a Miami beat” is the state of local journalism in a nutshell. Really, really bad.

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Musicology Duck @musicologyduck.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

when i started grad school, i was the first person in my extended family to get an advanced humanities degree and i was so shocked that what passed for smart, or at least confident, in seminars was negative critiques of the readings

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Alex Ip 葉清霖 @alexip718.com · 08/09/2026

Ruby Bridges is younger than the oldest existing McDonald's at Downey. She is also younger than the credit card, diet soda, Frosted Flakes, the hedge fund, Mr. Potato Head, the original KFC recipe, Legos, Olay, Oral-B, the photocopier, tater tots, the treadmill, the washer dryer, and WD-40.

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Admirable Women @admirablewomen.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Jane Addams: the first American woman awarded the #Nobel Peace Prize, 1931, her efforts to revive the ideal of peace & champion social justice globally. She co-founded @aclu.org, 1920, and is the "mother" of the #socialwork profession in the US. She was born #OTD in 1860. #CivilLiberties #HistSky

Black-and-white historical photograph of Jane Addams (1860–1935), the pioneering social worker, suffragist, and first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Addams is seated at a dark wooden desk, her body angled toward the viewer while her right hand holds a pen poised over a piece of correspondence. She is dressed in a formal, dark, three-quarter-sleeve jacket over a white, high-collared lace blouse. Her most striking accessory is a large, dark, wide-brimmed hat adorned with voluminous, light-colored feathers. A thin dark ribbon is tied closely around her neck, and a long, fine chain hangs over her chest. Her expression is composed and serious, characterized by heavy-lidded eyes and a direct gaze that conveys intellectual focus and resolve. To the viewer's left, a tall glass vase filled with light-colored roses sits on the desk, providing a soft contrast to the room's spare, interior background. The composition is a classic portrait that captures the dignity of a woman whose work at Hull House transformed American social reform. The mood is scholarly and dignified, highlighting her status as a leading public intellectual of the Progressive Era.

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