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Jesse Bethea

@jessecbethea.bsky.social
802 followers 262 following 215 posts

Freelancer @colsunderground.bsky.social, Statehouse reporter for @nbc4i.com. FELLOW TRAVELLERS: a.co/d/bsr8QLP SHORT FICTION: linktr.ee/JesseBethea

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Reposted by Jesse Bethea
Jeff VanderMeer @jeffvandermeer.bsky.social · 5h
They quoted me in this New Yorker piece about AI today. www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...
“Let’s say there’s a world or time line I exist in where A.I. has been subject to regulation. It is ethical. It has no footprint environmentally,” the novelist Jeff VanderMeer, a prominent critic of A.I., told me over the phone. “With those guardrails in place, would I read an A.I. book? All I can say is no. And the reason is, in part, because I want to read something coming from a particular mind.” Using A.I., he said, “feels like a betrayal of the whole point of why you’re a writer.”
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Hannah Vardit @hannahvardit.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
you will encounter more opportunities in life to change the batteries on a smoke alarm than you will to run into a burning building and no one gives a shit you changed those batteries but it is still very important and why are you waiting on a burning building, know what i’m saying, it’s a metaphor
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Jesse Bethea @jessecbethea.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
In totally unrelated news, Ohio Republicans are suddenly very eager to suspend the state gas tax with committee hearings starting at 2pm this afternoon.
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Jesse Bethea @jessecbethea.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Look, if we are going to pretend every four years that a former New York mayor can be president, we have to afford the same delusions to a former Chicago mayor too. It's only fair.
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Jesse Bethea @jessecbethea.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
The White House belongs to the people of the United States.
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Jesse Bethea @jessecbethea.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
My hottest take right now is that when the kids talk about "Millennial Optimism" what they really mean is they wish Obama was president but think it's lame to say nice things about the Democrats.
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Brent Warren @brentincolumbus.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
It's a big expansion - Homestead will go from 44 to 376 acres, and the new land is all to the west, toward Big Darby Creek. columbusunderground.com/hilliard-ann...
columbusunderground.com
Hilliard Announces Expansion of Metro Park into Big Darby Watershed - Columbus Underground
The City of Hilliard yesterday announced that it would soon be authorizing the transfer of 333 acres of land to Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks. The properties – mostly former farm land with ...
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Zack Beauchamp @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
One thing I learned from Hungary is that moving on the free press requires overwhelming dominance. If an authoritarian can't shutter the vast majority of opposition media quickly, voters will simply shift to different free outlets — and get angrier at both the state and its would-be mouthpieces
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Matter News @matternews.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
New records obtained by Matter News show that between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31 the number of missed COTA trips totaled 32,056, an average of almost 132 missed trips per day. The agency placed the majority of the blame on fleet maintenance issue and said it is taking steps to correct the problem.
matternews.org
Thousands of missed trips leave Columbus COTA riders stranded – Matter News
New records obtained by Matter News show that between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31 the number of missed COTA trips totaled 32,056, an average of almost 132 missed trips per day. The agency placed the majority o...
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The Columbus Dispatch @dispatch.com · 11/09/2026
Jason Thomas helped save two police officers trapped in the rubble on 9/11, then settled into an anonymous life in Whitehall, Ohio for a few years
bit.ly
Meet the Whitehall Marine who ran toward Ground Zero on 9/11
Jason Thomas helped save two police officers trapped in the rubble on 9/11, then settled into an anonymous life in Whitehall, Ohio for a few years
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WKBN 27 First News @wkbn.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
One in custody after altercation during Amy Acton's fair appearance
wkbn.com
One in custody after altercation during Amy Acton’s fair appearance
One person has been arrested after allegedly attempting to assault Democratic gubernatorial candidate Doctor Amy Acton at the Canfield Fair.
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Sky Marchini @sky.skymarchini.net · 03/09/2026
“Millennials are the only normal generation” theory continues to remain undefeated. we are the only ones that didn't get our brains cooked by the computer
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Joe Neff @josephneff.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
@brittanyhailer.bsky.social continues to uncover the mess that is a psychiatric treatment center for children in Ohio www.themarshallproject.org/2026/09/01/t...
themarshallproject.org
Teen Treatment Center CEO Accused of Unlawful Sexual Contact With Minor in Police Sting
Police say the head of Fox Run Center for Children and Adolescents drove nearly 200 miles to meet with someone he believed was a 14-year-old girl.
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Jim Swift @jimswift.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Statement from Gov. Mike DeWine: "I think we have to ask ourselves: is this really good? Is it what we want done to people like this being picked up and facing deportation? Do we want that being done in our name?"
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NBC4 Columbus @nbc4i.com · 01/09/2026
Bel's family believes he became distraught after Haitian immigrants lost temporary legal protections and ICE equipped him with an ankle monitor. nbc4i.co/46yoSqa?utm_medium=social&… 
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Jesse Bethea @jessecbethea.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on the death of Pierre Damas Bel yesterday morning: "I think we have to ask ourselves, is it really good, is it what we want done, to see people like this being picked up and facing deportation? Do we want that being done in our name?"
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Rodger Sherman @rodger.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Just dawned on me that we lost two officers of the Red October in a month
Tim Curry saying “you’ll receive the order of Lenin for this, Captain!Sam Neill saying “I would have liked to have seen Montana”
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Jesse Bethea @jessecbethea.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
As a reminder, the Ohio Senate is considering a similar drag ban bill.
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NBC4 Columbus @nbc4i.com · 27/08/2026
A federal judge in Texas cited the late Dolly Parton in a ruling involving drag queens.
nbc4i.com
Federal judge cites Dolly Parton in ruling striking down drag show ban
A judge ruled lawmakers sought a ban based on “content and viewpoint.”
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NBC4 Columbus @nbc4i.com · 26/08/2026
Gallia County Job and Family Services filed a complaint with the court alleging the children were not regularly attending the virtual school they were enrolled in and showed signs of being academically or developmentally delayed. nbc4i.co/4qBjA6L?utm_medium=social&…
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NBC4 Columbus @nbc4i.com · 24/08/2026
A Gallia County Court released new documents that show Child Protective Services told a court years ago that the Siders' children may be neglected, but the children remained with their parents. nbc4i.co/45L1QMA?utm_medium=social&…
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Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
NEW: We’ve spent a year tracking ICE’s massive expansion of detention for people with years-long ties to the U.S. It has strained courts, wrecked lives and been widely deemed illegal. Our report, based on interviews with judges, detainees and attorneys: www.politico.com/news/2026/08...
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Jesse Bethea @jessecbethea.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
How is this a 1st inning score?
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Jesse Bethea @jessecbethea.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Seems like an ominous sign for Trump when Bari Weiss’ CBS is doing “you know, Herbert Hoover wasn’t THAT bad…”
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Jesse Bethea @jessecbethea.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Remember if you’re out there killing spotted lantern flies, always attack from the front.
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Reposted by Jesse Bethea
NBC4 Columbus @nbc4i.com · 31/07/2026
Some Ohioans are expressing concerns after a poster created with artificial intelligence won the Ohio State Fair’s poster contest. nbc4i.co/44ZRLLm?utm_medium=social&… 
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Jesse Bethea @jessecbethea.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Ohio environmentalists are calling on the Bureau of Land Management to reconsider leasing about 2,800 acres of the state's only national forest for fracking: www.nbc4i.com/news/politic...
nbc4i.com
Fracking rights in Ohio’s only national forest up for grabs
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio’s only national forest will soon be open for oil and gas drilling via hydraulic fracturing, commonly called fracking. The federal government will begin leasing 41…
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Jesse Bethea @jessecbethea.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Maybe the real Sea Peoples were the friends we made along the way.
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Jesse Bethea @jessecbethea.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Speak, Muse, of the man who had to “assess the situation…”
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Dan Trevas @dantrevas.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Great quote by Ohio judge about using AI/internet in court filings. It might give you something that is "legal-ish"! www.nbc4i.com/news/politic...
nbc4i.com
2 Ohio attorneys facing sanctions for legal briefs containing AI-generated falsehoods
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The office of the Ohio Disciplinary Counsel filed a complaint this week with the Board of Professional Conduct against a Cleveland-area attorney claiming he used artif…
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tony romm @tonyromm.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
NEW: In a stunning admission, the Trump administration admitted in court documents that it canceled billions in energy grants to states "based solely" on politics -- and whether that state was represented by Democrats and backed Harris in 2024. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/24/b...
nytimes.com
Trump Administration Admits Canceling Grants to States That Did Not Vote for Him
Federal officials said in court documents that they halted billions of dollars in funding for energy projects to states “based solely” on whether they backed President Trump in the 2024 election.
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Jesse Bethea @jessecbethea.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
It’s the time of year when the Ohio Statehouse displays how truly atrocious some of our county flags are.
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Tom Cox @dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Someone said to me, "I'm sorry but I got your book from a library." Nobody should ever apologise for that. You read my book! That's brilliant! I grew up hanging out in libraries and the idea of a world without them fills me with dread. Without libraries, authors, like readers, will only suffer.
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 21/07/2026
Wow -- Ken Paxton and his team abruptly shut down a news conference and bail after journalists try to ask him about his various scandals
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Columbus Underground @colsunderground.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
An Announcement to The Community
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Jesse Bethea @jessecbethea.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Jack Sandwich actually ain’t bad.
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GOLIKEHELLMACHINE @golikehellmachine.com · 07/07/2026
i open linkedin approximately every three months or so and every time i do, the posting there gets so much weirder than it was three months prior. alternate reality social media.
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Jesse Bethea @jessecbethea.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
RIP, CUM
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NBC4 Columbus @nbc4i.com · 07/07/2026
Following the removal of 16 children from an allegedly abusive home in Hamden, lawmakers and advocates are asking how this tragedy could have happened and what the state should do moving forward. nbc4i.co/4y3TpsJ?utm_medium=social&…
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CJ Fogler @cjzero.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Hydration, broken
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Jesse Bethea @jessecbethea.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
I still think the totenkopf should’ve been the end of it but I also don’t live in Maine so whatever.
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NBC4 Columbus @nbc4i.com · 06/07/2026
Sunday may have been the most dramatic day of the World Cup both on and off the pitch as England ousted Mexico and USA striker's Folarin Balogun's suspension was lifted. nbc4i.co/4f61jct?utm_medium=social&… 
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Jesse Bethea @jessecbethea.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Among the proudest moments of my life is when I hit one of these fuckwads with with a coffee cup outside the Ohio Statehouse in October 2023. #America250
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The Onion @theonion.com · 04/07/2026
Nation Turns 250 Despite Presence Of Irish theonion.com/nation-turns-250-despi…
Nation Turns 250 Despite Presence Of Irish
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JK @miniver.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
My personal tradition, for decades, has been to re-read our national manifesto on the 4th of July. It includes instructions.
archives.gov
Declaration of Independence: A Transcription
Note: The following text is a transcription of the Stone Engraving of the parchment Declaration of Independence (the document on display in the Rotunda at the National Archives Museum). The spelling a...
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NBC4 Columbus @nbc4i.com · 04/07/2026
Days away from America’s 250th birthday, more than 100 new Americans were officially sworn in as citizens at the Ohio Statehouse on Wednesday. bit.ly/4xYR1mZ?utm_medium=social&ut…
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Josh @joshmallow.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Normalize telling annoying people to shut the fuck up
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Jeff VanderMeer @jeffvandermeer.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
I had a piece commissioned by The Yale Review. However, since they published Christopher Sorrentino's sophomoric, frankly pathetic ode to using generative AI for his writing, I have told them in the strongest possible terms that I no longer have any interest in writing for them.
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ID4 in Real Time @1996id4.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Ok, got a weird one here, but stay with us… Defense Secretary Al Nimziki just tagged us on some experimental group communication tool called “Signal,” and, I mean, this is wild. We’ve never even spoken with this guy before. But we have to share what we have just learned:
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◥◤Kriston Capps 250 @kristoncapps.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
This is the one true recipe for a Reflecting Pool: 2oz rum, 4oz pineapple juice, 1oz blue curacao, one Blue Razzberry Fruit Roll-Up
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