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Karen D’Souza

@karendsouza.bsky.social
531 followers 568 following 27 posts

Staff Writer at EdSource.org, film & theater critic at Mercury News, culture vulture

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Reposted by Karen D’Souza
EdSource @edsource.org · 13/06/2025
Schools across California report that parents and students have been detained or deported. In the aftermath, teachers are trying to help.
edsource.org
Trauma, upheaval, fear: Students and families caught in the crosshairs of immigration enforcement
Schools across California report that parents and students have been detained or deported. In the aftermath, teachers are trying to help.
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Reposted by Karen D’Souza
San Francisco Chronicle @sfchronicle.com · 08/06/2025
Salmon season has been canceled. Dungeness crab season is shorter. So fishermen are fighting for what might be the last lucrative catch in California, if tariffs don’t stop them.
bit.ly
California’s fishermen are struggling. Is this tiny catch their last big chance?
Salmon season has been canceled. Dungeness crab season is shorter. So fishermen are fighting for what might be the last lucrative catch in California, if tariffs don’t stop them.
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Reposted by Karen D’Souza
Saganism @sagan.bsky.social · 05/06/2025
Carl Sagan in 1986 on the problems with media and science literacy.
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Reposted by Karen D’Souza
EdSource @edsource.org · 29/05/2025
Berkeley High School's Future Filmmakers program mentors teens in documentary filmmaking, culminating in a sold-out festival. Nico Lee's short film, "Changing Shapes," explores masculinity and identity, reflecting the program's focus on real-world readiness and pride in work.
edsource.org
Film program empowers Berkeley teens to tell their stories
Hands-on learning is the heart of this immersive documentary project, which culminated in a sold-out film festival at Berkeley’s Rialto Cinemas Elmwood.
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Reposted by Karen D’Souza
Berkeleyside @berkeleyside.org · 02/06/2025
Hands-on learning is the heart of this immersive documentary project, which culminated in a sold-out film festival at Berkeley’s Rialto Cinemas Elmwood.
berkeleyside.org
Film program empowers Berkeley teens to tell their stories
Hands-on learning is the heart of this immersive documentary project, which culminated in a sold-out film festival at Berkeley’s Rialto Cinemas Elmwood.
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Reposted by Karen D’Souza
Ben Siemon @benjaminjs.bsky.social · 08/05/2025
Someone at SNL is frantically measuring Walton Goggins for a pope costume as we speak.
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Reposted by Karen D’Souza
Taco Bell Quarterly @tacobellquarterly.org · 09/05/2025
So what? The literary world is always in the first detonation blast zone. Run towards the searing light. You don't want to live in the world without the arts. Become a writer.
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Karen D’Souza @karendsouza.bsky.social · 06/05/2025
The sound of music returns to Altadena students in the wake of the LA fires. edsource.org/2025/the-sou... @guitarcenter.bsky.social @edsource.org @pasadenaunified.bsky.social
edsource.org
The sound of music returns to students traumatized by the Eaton fire
For arts students who lost so much as fires swept through the Los Angeles area in January, a new musical instrument is a big step back toward normalcy.
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Reposted by Karen D’Souza
Saganism @sagan.bsky.social · 30/04/2025
This is from The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson aired on May 20th, 1977. Carl Sagan says something very important, a strong message that didn't lose any validity since then.
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Reposted by Karen D’Souza
EdSource @edsource.org · 17/04/2025
Sixteen California counties have fallen below the herd immunity marker against measles, one of the world’s most contagious diseases, amid a sprawling outbreak.
edsource.org
Amid deadly measles outbreak, California’s childhood vaccination rates are falling
While California's childhood immunization rates remain higher than the rest of the nation, 16 counties now fall below the threshold for herd immunity against measles.
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Reposted by Karen D’Souza
Daniel J. Willis @bayareadata.press · 17/04/2025
My (and @karendsouza.bsky.social’s) (let’s be honest, it’s been a rough couple weeks, mostly Karen’s) latest from EdSource! It’s not cheerful.
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Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 14/04/2025
Breaking news: The European Commission is issuing burner phones and basic laptops to some US-bound staff to avoid the risk of espionage — a measure traditionally reserved for trips to China www.ft.com/content/20d0...
Old mobile phones and keyboards. Overlaid text reads: FT Exclusive: EU issues US-bound staff with burner phones to avoid espionage
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Reposted by Karen D’Souza
Christopher Mims @mims.bsky.social · 10/04/2025
It always boggles my mind that I, a journalist, am expressly forbidden from trading stocks, but members of Congress, with vastly greater knowledge of market-moving news, are allowed to profit by front-running markets, and so may profit by in essence stealing from the public they represent.
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New York Theater @newyorktheater.bsky.social · 28/03/2025
The In-Between: Intimate and Candid Moments of Broadway Stars photographed by Jenny Anderson Is that Sarah Paulson brushing her teeth in her dressing room at the Belasco, during the run of the play “Appropriate?” It’s one of some one hundred black-and-white photographs that Jenny Anderson has…
newyorktheater.me
The In-Between: Intimate and Candid Moments of Broadway Stars photographed by Jenny Anderson
Is that Sarah Paulson brushing her teeth in her dressing room at the Belasco, during the run of the play “Appropriate?” It’s one of some one hundred black-and-white photographs that Jenny Anderson has taken over the past 17 years backstage – during the moments “before a show begins” – that are collected in "The In-Between" (Applause, 144 pages.) Anderson has been a theater lover “since my memories began,” she writes in a short preface. But if she’s loved watching the actors on stage, “I loved the world backstage more," starting at the age of seven, when she hung out in the wings while her mother was performing in a production of “Annie” in her native Mississippi.
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Reposted by Karen D’Souza
EdSource @edsource.org · 24/03/2025
Many hope that parental empowerment will remain robust even as the Covid years recede into memory. They are optimistic that families will continue to push for more transparency about academic standards and practices in the wake of falling test scores. Learn more: bit.ly/4kY7AJc
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Mara Wilson @marawilson.bsky.social · 18/03/2025
I wrote about my kind, funny childhood friend Michelle Trachtenberg, and the group of friends that saved my life when I was a kid. www.vulture.com/article/mara...
vulture.com
My Cool Friend Michelle
Other kids called Trachtenberg a bitch, but in our group of child stars, we all wanted to be like her.
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Outside Play Lab @outsideplayubc.bsky.social · 12/03/2025
“There are now so many barriers restricting play... As a result, children are spending less time outdoors than previous generations, less time socialising with friends, and less time playing." www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/02...
telegraph.co.uk
Children playing outside far less amid ‘no ball games’ culture, study shows
Researchers also warned of the growing dominance of smartphones, social media and gaming
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Reposted by Karen D’Souza
Daniel J. Willis @bayareadata.press · 12/03/2025
If you're affected by the DOE OCR closure in SF, or the DOE layoffs in California, or anything that affects education in the state, @edsource.org (specifically Emma) wants to hear from you! That number is also how to get in touch with her via Signal.
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By David John Chávez @davidjchavez.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
I am such a fan of #LeahNanakoWinkler, a playwright with some big upcoming projects. I'm honored to sit on this committee for the 4th year along with Jean Schiffman, @lilyjaniak.bsky.social @karendsouza.bsky.social & @enkohl.bsky.social. Congrats Leah! www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
sfchronicle.com
Leah Nanako Winkler’s ‘Thirty-Six’ wins Will Glickman Award for best new play in Bay Area
The romantic dramedy, which Shotgun Players premiered, gets its title from a 2015 New York Times article headlined “The 36 Questions That Lead to Love.”
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Matt Pearce @mattdpearce.com · 04/03/2025
Utterly mortifying. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
theguardian.com
The LA Times published an op-ed warning of AI’s dangers. It also published its AI tool’s reply
‘Insight’ labeled the argument ‘center-left’ and created a reply insisting AI will make storytelling more democratic
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Surprised Face Guy @surprisedface.bsky.social · 27/02/2025
AOL warned us of the dangers of logging on. It would play for us the screams of the damned. But we didn’t listen. We didn’t listen.
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David Zipper @davidzipper.bsky.social · 27/02/2025
Next year, the EU will require cars to have buttons & dials -- not just touchscreens -- to get a top safety rating. This is a great move. Drivers can fiddle with knobs & buttons without taking their eyes off the road, but they can't do that with touchscreens. (Even better: Tesla will hate this)
theverge.com
Cars will need fewer screens and more buttons to earn five-star safety rating in Europe
Euro NCAP will release new testing guidelines in 2026.
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Emma Gallegos @emmagallegos.bsky.social · 27/02/2025
PODCAST: Is LAUSD misusing its money for arts education? Guest Vicky Martinez says her children need a robust arts education in the wake of the pandemic, but LAUSD isn’t providing that. Special thanks to @mallikaseshadri.bsky.social and @karendsouza.bsky.social edsource.org/podcast/laus...
edsource.org
PODCAST: Is LAUSD misusing its money for arts education?
Parents joined a lawsuit against LAUSD and superintendent Alberto Carvalho, claiming that the district was misusing its Proposition 28 funds.
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Reposted by Karen D’Souza
Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 27/02/2025
Nearly 40% of new US homes were built in climate high-risk zip codes at the end of 2024. www.ft.com/content/f8c0...
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EdSource @edsource.org · 26/02/2025
Stanley Zhong had a 4.42 GPA from prestigious Gunn High School and a near perfect SAT score, 1590 out of 1600. He also founded his own tech startup and tutored low-income kids in coding. The Palo Alto teen was so impressive that he was hired by Google right out of high school.
edsource.org
UPDATE: Bay Area teen rejected by 16 colleges files racial discrimination lawsuit against UC
The latest education news updates from EdSource.
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EdSource @edsource.org · 27/02/2025
The most significant change the screen time survey tracked was that children are watching very short form videos on algorithm-driven platforms like TikTok, Instagram reels and YouTube shorts. Also, AI is now a common presence.
edsource.org
UPDATE: Forty percent of 2-year-olds have their own tablets, survey says
The latest education news updates from EdSource.
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Reposted by Karen D’Souza
NPR @npr.org · 26/02/2025
A.I. is the other big change in the media landscape for kids and parents, the report from Common Sense Media finds.
npr.org
Tablets for tots? Survey says kids watch videos on their own devices by age 2
A.I. is the other big change in the media landscape for kids and parents, the report from Common Sense Media finds.
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Charles McNulty @charlesmcnulty.bsky.social · 24/02/2025
One of the funniest, smartest plays I’ve seen in a while.
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Reposted by Karen D’Souza
Daniel Benneworth-Gray @danielgray.com · 24/02/2025
oh cool I’ve been meaning to learn anxiety
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Reposted by Karen D’Souza
EdSource @edsource.org · 08/02/2025
Drama teacher Catherine Borek has empowered her students to be cultural ambassadors, combating long-held stereotypes of Compton. Read more: bit.ly/3WRQCBH
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Reposted by Karen D’Souza
EdSource @edsource.org · 08/02/2025
The program uses a focus on the arts as a way to empower gang-involved and formerly incarcerated youth.
bit.ly
At LA’s Homeboy Art Academy, arts education saves lives
The program uses a focus on the arts as a way to empower gang-involved and formerly incarcerated youth.
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Reposted by Karen D’Souza
EdSource @edsource.org · 20/02/2025
Tom Stafford was known as the “singing principal” because he sang to his students every day. This was his secret to igniting engagement amid widespread student disaffection.
edsource.org
Pacifica’s ‘singing principal’ engages students through music
Immersing in music over time allows students to achieve a feeling of expertise, of charting their own course and following their passion, that can lead to greater knowledge and pride, experts say.
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EdSource @edsource.org · 25/02/2025
A guide to what's at risk: bit.ly/439BweO
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Meredith Whittaker @meredithmeredith.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
Stand by this: www.politico.com/newsletters/...
What’s a technology that you think is overhyped?

I’m going to give a sideways answer to this, which is that the venture capital business model needs to be understood as requiring hype. You can go back to the Netscape IPO, and that was the proof point that made venture capital the financial lifeblood of the tech industry.

Venture capital looks at valuations and growth, not necessarily at profit or revenue. So you don’t actually have to invest in technology that works, or that even makes a profit, you simply have to have a narrative that is compelling enough to float those valuations. So you see this repetitive and exhausting hype cycle as a feature in this industry. A couple of years ago, you would have been asking me about the metaverse, then last year, you would have asked me about Web3 and crypto, and for each of these inflection points there’s an Andreessen Horowitz manifesto.

It’s not simply that one piece of technology is overhyped, it’s that hype is a necessary ingredient of the current business ecosystem of the tech industry. We should examine how often the financial incentive for hype is rewarded without any real social returns, without any meaningful progress in technology, without these tools and services and worlds ever actually manifesting. That’s key to understanding the growing chasm between the narrative of techno-optimists and the reality of our tech-encumbered world.
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Evans Donnell @evansd.bsky.social · 17/02/2025
www.orartswatch.org/a-farewell-t... 😢
orartswatch.org
A farewell to theater critic Misha Berson • Oregon ArtsWatch
The longtime Seattle theater and culture writer, who also contributed often to Oregon ArtsWatch, embraced life and art with passion and a constant case of curiosity.
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Reduced Shakespeare Company @reduced.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
Happy Valentine's Day!!
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Evans Donnell @evansd.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
Lawsuit charges misuse of arts education funding at LAUSD schools edsource.org?page_id=726675 @karendsouza.bsky.social
edsource.org
Lawsuit charges misuse of arts education funding at LAUSD schools
Student plaintiffs and the author of Proposition 28 join forces, alleging Los Angeles Unified improperly spent new arts money on existing teaching positions, not to add new educators.
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EdSource @edsource.org · 11/02/2025
Student plaintiffs and the author of Proposition 28 join forces, alleging Los Angeles Unified improperly spent new arts money on existing teaching positions, not to add new educators.
edsource.org
Lawsuit charges misuse of arts education funding at LAUSD schools
Student plaintiffs and the author of Proposition 28 join forces, alleging Los Angeles Unified improperly spent new arts money on existing teaching positions, not to add new educators.
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EdSource @edsource.org · 12/02/2025
Student plaintiffs and the author of Prop 28 join forces, alleging Los Angeles Unified improperly spent new arts money on existing teaching positions, not to add new educators. Learn more: bit.ly/4aWJ8mX
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EdSource @edsource.org · 07/02/2025
Drama teacher Catherine Borek has empowered her students to be cultural ambassadors, combating long-held stereotypes of Compton.
edsource.org
Drama class helps Compton students find themselves on stage
Drama teacher Catherine Borek has empowered her students to be cultural ambassadors, combating long-held stereotypes of Compton.
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Karen D’Souza @karendsouza.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
All the world’s a stage for this @comptonunified.bsky.social teacher. Meet the unstoppable Catherine Borek. edsource.org/2025/drama-c...
edsource.org
Drama class helps Compton students find themselves on stage
Drama teacher Catherine Borek has empowered her students to be cultural ambassadors, combating long-held stereotypes of Compton.
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John Fensterwald @jfensterwald.bsky.social · 04/02/2025
Great read by @karendsouza.bsky.social on the power of art: how Homeboy ArtAcademy in LA resurrects lives #arteducation #Prop28 edsource.org/2025/at-las-...
edsource.org
At LA’s Homeboy Art Academy, arts education saves lives
The program uses a focus on the arts as a way to empower gang-involved and formerly incarcerated youth.
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André Picard @picardonhealth @picardonhealth.bsky.social · 03/02/2025
Jumping off rocks: Why kids need outdoor play to thrive. Not only do kids need more movement than sedentary life allows, they need adventurous activities to thrive, by @karendsouza.bsky.social edsource.org/2024/jumping... via @edsource.org @outsideplayubc.bsky.social #RiskyPlay
edsource.org
Jumping off rocks: Why kids need outdoor play to thrive
Not only do children need way more movement than our sedentary society allows them, experts suggest, but they need precisely the kinds of movements that make adults gasp, if they are going to thrive.
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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 01/02/2025
More than 90% of the 313 air traffic control facilities in the U.S. are understaffed, according to an analysis of staffing data from the union representing controllers obtained by The New York Times.
nytimes.com
285 of 313 Air Traffic Control Facilities Are Understaffed
Persistent staff shortages have raised safety concerns. At many facilities, staffing is so low that at least a quarter of the work force is missing.
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Amanda Katz @katzish.bsky.social · 01/02/2025
This seems to be true — 2 people on small plane, per police www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia...
cbsnews.com
Plane crash in Northeast Philadelphia leaves multiple houses on fire, causes explosion
Emergency crews are responding to an explosion in Northeast Philadelphia after a small plane crashed in the area of Roosevelt Boulevard and Cottman Avenue, according to police.
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EdSource @edsource.org · 30/01/2025
By 12, Fabian Debora joined a gang, began to deal drugs and got addicted to them. He wrestled with substance abuse for years before trying to commit suicide at 30, by running across the freeway. That’s when he found his spiritual center and his salvation, his cause.
edsource.org
At LA’s Homeboy Art Academy, arts education saves lives
The program uses a focus on the arts as a way to empower gang-involved and formerly incarcerated youth.
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Reposted by Karen D’Souza
Outside Play Lab @outsideplayubc.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
Jumping off rocks: Why kids need outdoor play to thrive edsource.org/2024/jumping... Karen D'Souza via @edsource.org
edsource.org
Jumping off rocks: Why kids need outdoor play to thrive
Not only do children need way more movement than our sedentary society allows them, experts suggest, but they need precisely the kinds of movements that make adults gasp, if they are going to thrive.
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Karen D’Souza @karendsouza.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
Arts education saves lives at Homeboy Industries in LA. Honored to do this story for @edsource.org EdSource.org/2025/at-las-homeboy-art-academy-arts-education-saves-lives/725762
edsource.org
At LA’s Homeboy Art Academy, arts education saves lives
The program uses a focus on the arts as a way to empower gang-involved and formerly incarcerated youth.
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William Shakespeare @shakespeare.lol · 20/01/2025
Hell is empty, And all the devils are here.
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Will Oremus @willoremus.com · 15/01/2025
i think a lot of folks recognize AI occasionally makes mistakes and are willing to give a little leeway to an emerging tech, but three lies in three tries is quite a batting average for a mass consumer product from one of the richest companies in world history
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