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Rachel

@halp77.bsky.social
444 followers 340 following 26 posts
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Reposted by Rachel
Daniel Drezner @dandrezner.bsky.social · 21h
In which I take issue with the notion that colleges place too high a value on writing. danieldrezner.substack.com/p/im-a-colle...
danieldrezner.substack.com
I’m a College Professor. Writing is Pretty Damn Important.
It’s hardly the only thing -- but it’s a very important thing!
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Arlington Democrats @arlingtondems.bsky.social · 15h
Join us this Friday as we celebrate two Distinguished Democrats, and honor their years of volunteer service to the Arlington Democrats! Tickets: tinyurl.com/mr3py292
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Sam Wang @samwang.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
This is a valuable tutorial on why LLMs run into a fundamental problem of not being useful to tell us true things. And it gives some great use cases on what they *are* good for. Great for users, students, and teachers. Read the whole series!
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Daniel Drezner @dandrezner.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I’ve been asked this question a lot recently; here’s me thinking through an answer. danieldrezner.substack.com/p/will-the-2...
danieldrezner.substack.com
Will the 2026 Midterms Affect American Foreign Policy?
If history repeats itself, no. If Democrats learn from history, well...
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Tom Nichols @radiofreetom.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
These summits are too embarrassing - and too dangerous, with Trump's instability - and the country would be safer and better off if our president weren't hosting them. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
theatlantic.com
Trump Should Stop Hosting Summits
He’s turned them into a pointless ritual.
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Rachel @halp77.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
IMHO Gillian is the journalist doing the most important work right now.
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McSweeney's @mcsweeneys.net · 23/09/2026
6:05 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Stephen Miller recites the entire screenplay of The Birth of a Nation from memory. buff.ly/53Rahyu
buff.ly
Today’s Programming Lineup on Trump TV
“No nation can truly call itself a democracy until its leader has dismissed the entire press corps and replaced them with state-run media. Now, instead of Am...
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Patrick De Haan @gasbuddyguy.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
diesel is already at all-time highs, and a diesel export ban may bring some relief to diesel at the expense of gas prices- which could start to rise (as cutting output would hit gasoline hardest). if diesel exports get banned, gas prices could rise toward record levels.
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The Onion @theonion.com · 22/09/2026
Beaver Overthinking Dam theonion.com/beaver-overthinking-da…
Beaver Overthinking Dam
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Garrett M. Graff @vermontgmg.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
So much of what we’re living through right now, from Trump to AI, feels like it’s driven by an explicit strategy of “we just do the crimes so quickly that we can’t be stopped and by the time the courts weigh in, they have no choice but to accept our crimes.” www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/it-s-the-a...
doomsdayscenario.co
It's the accountability, stupid.
Doing crime
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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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Daniel Drezner @dandrezner.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
For the next six weeks everyone is gonna act as though the GOP has not run off of a cliff. danieldrezner.substack.com/p/welcome-to...
danieldrezner.substack.com
Welcome to the Wile E. Coyote Moment
For the next six weeks everyone in American politics will be acting as though the bottom has not fallen out of the GOP.
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Tom Nichols @radiofreetom.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Trump’s obsession with these vulgar memorials to his own vanity is a reminder of the darkness around him, of his hostility to democracy, his loathing of honor, and his disordered mind. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
theatlantic.com
Trump’s Monumental Obsession
The president fantasizes about a capital city full of memorials—to himself.
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Daniel Drezner @dandrezner.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Clowns. We have an administration run by clowns. danieldrezner.substack.com/p/the-beclow...
danieldrezner.substack.com
The Beclowning of the State Department Continues Apace
Heckuva job you’re doing, Marco Rubio.
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McSweeney's @mcsweeneys.net · 19/09/2026
"It’s a simple exchange introduced by German academics that dates back to the early nineteenth century. We’ll cover the complete cost of IVF to help you build your family—yes, really—and then, on your child’s first birthday, we might take your baby." buff.ly/stGSoST
buff.ly
Rumpelstiltskin Isn’t Your Typical Fertility Startup
“Our founders took years of experience in casino design and timeshare sales and swaddled them together into a first-of-its-kind solution that asks: Do poor p...
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Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
My mom had polio when she was five. She was living on a US military base in Japan (1947). Four kids on the base died. She was the only survivor.
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Alexandra Petri @petridishes.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
These are the little details that make every wedding: the bridesmaids, getting their hair and makeup done; the best man, rushing to finish his toast; and the oligarch, handing over fistfuls of unmarked bills to all of the entertainers. www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...
theatlantic.com
Pay No Attention to the Russian Oligarch at My Wedding Weekend
He’s just a dear friend we know nothing about!
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Mark Teel @teelmj.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
“First Day of Early Voting Block Party!”
mobilize.us
First Day of Early Voting Block Party! · Arlington Democrats
Please join our local candidates, Matt de Ferranti for County Board, Bethany Zecher Sutton for School Board, and other elected officials to celebrate the first day of early voting! Be one of the first...
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Reposted by Rachel
Daniel Drezner @dandrezner.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Machiavelli 1, Trump 0. danieldrezner.substack.com/p/donald-tru...
danieldrezner.substack.com
Donald Trump Is No Longer Feared
What happens when a president has no ideas, runs out of steam, and loses credibility?
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Rachel @halp77.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Do this!
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Reposted by Rachel
McSweeney's @mcsweeneys.net · 15/09/2026
"For as long as humans have created SHIT with our BODIES AND BUTTS, we have been asking this FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION: What if there were a COMPUTER that could ALSO SHIT?" buff.ly/K5t1rGh
mcsweeneys.net
We Must Create the Shit Machine
“For as long as humans have created SHIT with our BODIES AND BUTTS, we have been asking this FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION: What if there was a COMPUTER that could AL...
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Rachel @halp77.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
I will be there too! And I'm bringing the donuts!
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Reposted by Rachel
Tom Nichols @radiofreetom.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Trump is trying to blackmail the Kennedy Center into putting his name on it. They should refuse. Remember Kipling's warning about paying the Danegeld. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
theatlantic.com
Trump’s Kennedy Center Shakedown
The only appropriate option is to refuse to accede to his demands.
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The Onion @theonion.com · 14/09/2026
Commentary: Anyone Else Have Those Weird Dreams Where Sobbing Future Generations Beg You To Change Course? By Sam Altman, CEO, OpenAI theonion.com/anyone-else-...
Commentary: Anyone Else Have Those Weird Dreams Where Sobbing Future Generations Beg You To Change Course? By Sam Altman, CEO, OpenAI
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Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu · 14/09/2026
Trump's foreign policy is not isolationist. On the contrary, his ideologues want to build an international empire run by far-right political movements who serve American crypto, mineral and tech companies, many with links to the president. Read more here: www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
theatlantic.com
Empire of Grift
Far-right ideologues have transformed American foreign policy into a tool of private gain and antidemocratic reaction.
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By Cory Doctorow (GPG 0xBF3D9110957E5F4C) @doctorow.pluralistic.net · 14/09/2026
Of all the weird recurring motifs of the stories people tell me about the AI labor wars, the *weirdest* is when bosses demand to be reassured that their contractors and workers will *absolutely* use AI to get the job done.
A worn out keyboard, cropped over the bottom left modifier keys. Posed in the image is a bearded prophet in Bronze Age robes, arms uplifted in worship.

Image:
ArwinJ (modified)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Macro_key,_BTC-53_series_keyboard.JPG

CC BY-SA 3.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en
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Daniel Drezner @dandrezner.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
The United States has experienced prior low points when its hard and soft power seemed to be at a low ebb, but it could always count on its structural and network power as a source of strength. No longer. danieldrezner.substack.com/p/the-dollar...
danieldrezner.substack.com
The Dollar Will Be the Last Pillar To Fall
The Trump administration is gutting the pillars of U.S. hegemony one by one.
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Alexandra Petri @petridishes.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
The Midterm Convention Will Continue Until Morale Improves www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...
theatlantic.com
A Recap of a Surreal Midterm Convention
It isn’t over until the president’s tenor sings.
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Tom Nichols @radiofreetom.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
9/11 was traumatic for all Americans. But the U.S. and other governments panicked, and took their eyes off a lot of other threats for a while. We’re still living with the consequences of that panic. My look back at that day and what it brought: www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
theatlantic.com
A Quarter Century of Panic
After 9/11, the U.S. government was over-focused on fighting terrorism, losing sight of other threats. Americans are still living with the consequences.
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The Onion @theonion.com · 10/09/2026
Report: You To Be Fired For Reading This Headline About Charlie Kirk theonion.com/report-you-to-be-fired…
Report: You To Be Fired For Reading This Headline About Charlie Kirk
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Rachel @halp77.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
"4:30 p.m. I go to a Starbucks where the barista’s name tag reads CRITICAL RACE THEORY. My Frappuccino is laced with arsenic. Coincidence? I think not."
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McSweeney's @mcsweeneys.net · 09/09/2026
“Wow—every repair in this house done by the previous owner was completed correctly.” buff.ly/areooM1
mcsweeneys.net
My Ideal Building Contractor
[Knocks on wall] “Wow—every repair in this house done by the previous owner was completed correctly.”
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The Onion @theonion.com · 08/09/2026
Agriculture Dept. Puts Trump’s Face On Soybeans
Agriculture Dept. Puts Trump’s Face On Soybeans
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Daniel Drezner @dandrezner.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
I write this more in sorrow than in anger— wait, that’s a lie, I’m pissed as hell. danieldrezner.substack.com/p/the-devolu...
danieldrezner.substack.com
The Devolution of the Policy Planning Staff
A career dream dies of shame and embarrassment.
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The Onion @theonion.com · 06/09/2026
New Company Aims To Explore Intersection Of Technology, Other Thing theonion.com/new-company-aims-to-ex…
New Company Aims To Explore Intersection Of Technology, Other Thing
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McSweeney's @mcsweeneys.net · 05/09/2026
"I’m glad we don’t have to worry about politics. It’s just that I still am deeply concerned about the management of New York City, a place I’ve never visited and have no connection to at all. But a Muslim socialist? No, thank you." www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/im-...
mcsweeneys.net
I’m Your Friend Who Just Doesn’t “Do Politics”
“I just have other interests, I guess, apart from politics. Did I tell you I’m working with the PTA in the school library to remove any books with objectiona...
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Jeff Asher @jeffasher.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
This is so incredibly addictive anyhumanever.com
anyhumanever.com
Any Human Ever
One life, drawn at random from all who have ever lived.
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Daniel Drezner @dandrezner.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
The Trump administration has bent over backwards to placate Russia and China in pursuit of strategic stability. This effort is not going well, like, at all. danieldrezner.substack.com/p/so-how-is-...
danieldrezner.substack.com
So How Is The Concert of Trump Going?
Spoiler alert: it’s going very badly.
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The Onion @theonion.com · 01/09/2026
AI Strategist Suggests Calling Data Centers ‘Computer Parties’ theonion.com/ai-strategist-suggests…
AI Strategist Suggests Calling Data Centers ‘Computer Parties’
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Rachel @halp77.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Evil.
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Reposted by Rachel
Alexandra Petri @petridishes.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
welcome to Recall Cooking with your host RFK Jr www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...
theatlantic.com
The Recalled-Food Show With RFK Jr.
If you share my attitude toward risk, you’ll love these recipes!
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Bill Grueskin @bgrueskin.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Tuesday: The US govt offers its “deepest condolences to the victims and their families” after armed gangs storm a mountainside town in Haiti, killing dozens and kidnapping more than 50, including infants. Thursday: The govt deports 57 people, including a 3-year-old born in the U.S., to Haiti. 1/
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Rachel @halp77.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
“American kids don’t get measles any longer. They get America!”
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Alexandra Petri @petridishes.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
the year is 2027. gas costs $83 and lettuce is at war with us. however every location on every map now says AMERICA
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Daniel Drezner @dandrezner.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
*taps the sign* danieldrezner.substack.com/p/a-reminder...
danieldrezner.substack.com
A Reminder that Launching a Trade War With Canada is Galactically Stupid
This makes no economic sense, no political sense, and no strategic sense.
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Daniel Drezner @dandrezner.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Scott Bessent has just introduced a great test of whether Trump’s Sino-American entente is real or not. danieldrezner.substack.com/p/testing-tr...
danieldrezner.substack.com
Testing Trump’s Sino-American Entente
I guess we’re gonna find out the real economic outcast!
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Daniel Drezner @dandrezner.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
It’s crazy to think that folks will look back at 2025 and think of it as the acme of Trump’s second-term foreign policy. danieldrezner.substack.com/p/two-years-...
danieldrezner.substack.com
Two Years of the Dumbest Foreign Policy Imaginable Is Starting to Yield Negative Returns
Year two of the dumbest motherfuckers alive running American foreign policy is proceeding apace.
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NY Times Pitchbot @nytpitchbot.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
It’s scary to think that if anything happens to Natalie Harp, JD Vance could become the most powerful person in the world.
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Rachel @halp77.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
"Money turns out to be remarkably effective at solving money problems. The other ones are apparently their own department."
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Rachel @halp77.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
"Facial expressions now accurately reflect internal thoughts. This feature cannot be disabled."
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