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Kat O’Brien

@lavidagata.bsky.social
3.7K followers 434 following 2.5K posts

Iowa-born, NYC-influenced, Spain living. Former sports journalist launching a sports tourism company, Gata Sports Tours. Runner, traveler, pro-democracy, love to read. My own opinions. Signal @Democracy.23

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Kat O’Brien @lavidagata.bsky.social · 3m
There is no $15 billion steel plant coming in Iowa, and if you believe there is, I have some winning lottery tickets to sell you. Perhaps of the type of scam debunked with the help of @robsandia.bsky.social
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lizbauch.bsky.social @lizbauch.bsky.social · 1h
KWQC looks behind the curtain and finds that he steel plant announced to great fanfare in the Oval Office, supposedly already being built-- has no public record: www.kwqc.com/2026/09/29/t...
kwqc.com
Done deal? Despite White House claims, major hurdles remain for Iowa’s $15B steel plant
The Iowa Legislature will meet Friday in a special session to debate incentives for the company to build in Iowa.
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Kat O’Brien @lavidagata.bsky.social · 7m
Oh no, this is vile and dangerous. So dangerous.
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Kate Hagen 🦂 𓋹 🦂 @thathagengrrl.bsky.social · 4h
"Meanwhile, Jane Doe dropped out of Cornell and was denied her request to get her tuition refunded so that she could transfer to a different college. She hence faced more severe consequences than most of the men who she alleges gang-raped her." www.thecut.com/article/what...
thecut.com
What It Feels Like at Cornell Right Now
As a professor at the Ivy League school, Kate Manne has known many, many victims. There’s a palpable feeling on campus, she writes, that this is big.
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Kat O’Brien @lavidagata.bsky.social · 10m
I don’t know if it’s gonna play well in Iowa either. You don’t know Caitlin Clark?
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Kat O’Brien @lavidagata.bsky.social · 42m
My parents and I saw @robsandia.bsky.social speak tonight in my hometown of Davenport, Iowa. It was a packed house at the Starlite on Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds, where I had 4-H exhibits as a kid. I’d conservatively estimate 500-600 people there, a sizable minority of independents & Republicans.
A crowd for Rob Sand’s town hall in Davenport
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Kat O’Brien @lavidagata.bsky.social · 5h
My parents and I went for a late lunch - either because I live in Spain and it was normal Spanish lunch time or because I just arrived from California, both work 😅 - and two TVs had soccer on. One on Spain-Croatia. Iowa is a soccer state now, yay! 😁
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ESPN FC @espnfc-m.bsky.social · 7h
Just another day at the office for Lamine Yamal 🧳 Two goals and an assist in 68 minutes of work 🇪🇸
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David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 8h
reminder that we are talking about this
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David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 9h
it's evidently too much to ask the rw justices to consider the irreparable harm to individuals treated to such inhumanity. they are complicit in this criminality. shame on all six of them. and shame on us for having a system that allows this illegality.
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Kat O’Brien @lavidagata.bsky.social · 5h
Brutal ad. I know the bar is lower than low, but Pete Ricketts doesn’t seem like somebody who should be a U.S. Senator.
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Kat O’Brien @lavidagata.bsky.social · 7h
Nicooooooo 🎉 4-1 Spain.
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Kat O’Brien @lavidagata.bsky.social · 8h
Another goal for Lamine (after goals by him and Marc Pubill in the first half) and it’s 3-1 Spain over Croatia in Sevilla. The Fox Sports commentator is saying they’d go with Lamine for Ballon d’Or.
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ESPN FC @espnfc-m.bsky.social · 9h
Rodri presented the World Cup trophy at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán in front of Spain fans prior to their match vs. Croatia 🏆
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Tariq Panja @tariqpanja.bsky.social · 10h
830m pounds in “sham” income over almost a decade of cheating is hard to get your head around. And even during the hearing evidence given on behalf of the club by witnesses was “false in a number of key respects” and they gave evidence “that they knew to be untrue and so had to be dishonest.”
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Simon Rosenberg @simonwdc.bsky.social · 13h
If this goes ahead it is Trump overtly taking Russia's side in the war against Ukraine and Europe, aligning the United States with China, Iran, and North Korea. Like the Putin G20 visit, it cannot be allowed to happen. We must fight.
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Kat O’Brien @lavidagata.bsky.social · 9h
What????
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Helen Kennedy @helenkennedy.com · 12h
Trump’s new AI website is kinda fun, it turns out.
Can the president use taxpayer funds to air his old campaign ads on TV?

No. Federal appropriations law has long barred using taxpayer funds for political advertising.
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Kat O’Brien @lavidagata.bsky.social · 11h
If they actually cared about women’s sports, they would’ve known the Hawkeyes 🤣🤣🤣
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Kat O’Brien @lavidagata.bsky.social · 12h
If I were a candidate running for office, I’d make sure my website highlighted upcoming events and recent news. @democrats.org I’m back in my hometown in Iowa for several days, & went to check for Governor/Senate/Congress candidate events. They’re often not even featured on campaign website!
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Kat O’Brien @lavidagata.bsky.social · 12h
Curious what people think would expect price to be for Clásico (men’s) tickets at Camp Nou Oct. 25th. Regular not VIP seats, starting listed price by club, on socios only pre-sale. 1️⃣ Under €250 2️⃣ €250-500 3️⃣ €500-1000 4️⃣ €1000 or more 📊 Show results
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Kat O’Brien @lavidagata.bsky.social · 13h
Da gusto que Shakira está dando lugar de honor en sus conciertos a atletas como o Linda Caicedo o Carolina Marin. It’s cool to see how Shakira is showcasing women athletes like Linda Caicedo and Carolina Marin. www.mundodeportivo.com/futbol/real-...
mundodeportivo.com
Linda Caicedo, protagonista en el concierto de Shakira
Shakira continúa con sus conciertos en Madrid. La cantante colombiana los inicia con un paseo entre la multitud acompañada de varias personas que, normalmente, son
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Kat O’Brien @lavidagata.bsky.social · 13h
When we say most accusations out of MAGA are projection … they say our culture is attacking Christianity, yet their actions expel Christian pastors and priests and ministers who are immigrants. What was that propaganda about going after dangerous criminals only?
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Allen Orr @allenorr.bsky.social · 14h
Three men. Three states. Twenty-four hours. ICE calls two of the dead “collaterals.” They were fathers, partners and human beings. #immigration @urbanviewradio.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Three deaths, three states, 24 hours: one day in ICE’s quiet but ‘gruesome’ surge
These men in Maine, Georgia and Florida shared no ties – until they became casualties in Trump’s anti-immigration campaign
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Scott County Iowa Democratic Party @scottcountydems.org · 27/09/2026
Rob Sand, Governor Candidate, Townhall, Sept. 29, 6:30 p.m. Davenport. Details here - www.mobilize.us/robsandia/ev...
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Emily Gorcenski @emily.gorcen.ski · 28/09/2026
Here’s the most incredible story you’ll read today. A small plane with four people aboard crashes in a field. Another pilot witnesses it. That pilot happens to be flying a bunch of skydivers. They offer to jump to assist, are given permission. The skydivers happen to be EMTs. Everyone survives.
wisn.com
Skydivers alert emergency crews, assist after plane crashes near East Troy airport
Four people were aboard the single-engine plane when it went down in a cornfield near Carvers School Road in East Troy at about 1:30 p.m.
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David Gilbert @davidgilbert.bsky.social · 17h
SCOOP A Pentagon influencer called liberal women a "pestilence" who will end western civilization. He's also: • Praised dictators like Franco and Pinochet • Said people without kids should not be allowed vote • Called immigrants "semihuman savages" www.wired.com/story/a-pent...
wired.com
A Pentagon Influencer Called Liberal Women a ‘Pestilence’ Who Will End Western Civilization
Kurt Schlichter was part of a task force rooting out so-called woke ideologies at the military’s war colleges. He has called to bar childless adults from voting.
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Kat O’Brien @lavidagata.bsky.social · 14h
Nooooooo.
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Kat O’Brien @lavidagata.bsky.social · 14h
A grad school classmate wrote this: he believes U.S. will have single payer health care within 10 years. This is hard to fathom, but his writing it is intriguing as his work is always thoughtful & deeply researched. He also has lots of experience in health sector. open.substack.com/pub/ayokunle...
open.substack.com
The US will have “single payer” within 5 - 7 years
And we’ll do it the least efficient way possible.
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DeportistasCTXT @deportistasctxt.bsky.social · 18h
Estas son las 25 convocadas para los dos amistosos de la selección femenina de fútbol ante Estados Unidos (10 de octubre en Washington y 14 en Chester). Se quedan fuera Carmona (por lesión) y Aitana (que acaba de reaparecer). Las novedades son la vuelta de Oihane y la llamada de Ainhoa Marín.
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lastpositivist.bsky.social @lastpositivist.bsky.social · 18h
The raw visceral hatred some men have for women, at least women who step out of line, is shocking. I know it sounds like some sorta "one of the good ones" ploy but I am genuinely taken aback when I see it because I think: I had a fairly normal socialisation as a man in the west, how did I miss this?
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EL PAÍS @elpais.com · 20h
Los precios han subido un 80% desde 2015. Desde entonces también ha crecido la población, han aflorado miles de pisos turísticos y los extranjeros no residentes han comprado más de 500.000 viviendas, mientras solo se han construido 850.000. La vivienda en gráficos
elpais.com
La vivienda en gráficos: más población, más turismo y poca construcción | Especial
Los precios han subido un 80% desde 2015. Desde entonces también ha crecido la población, han aflorado miles de pisos turísticos y los extranjeros no residentes han comprado más de 500.000 viviendas, mientras solo se han construido 850.000
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Kat O’Brien @lavidagata.bsky.social · 14h
Familiar. I went back to work before I was supposed to after a stroke because I needed my full paycheck again. Even so, I was tens of thousands of dollars in debt - at 11% interest - from costs not covered by insurance.
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Jeff (Hot Type) Jarvis @jeffjarvis.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Critical reporting by @theguardian.com: The SS goes stealth. Their quiet crimes are all around us. Gone in 90 seconds: an ‘invisibilized’ ICE is arresting more people than ever www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
theguardian.com
Gone in 90 seconds: an ‘invisibilized’ ICE is arresting more people than ever
After public backlash, the Trump administration changed its tactics from ‘siege’ to ‘soft feet’. Now, ICE is everywhere
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Kat O’Brien @lavidagata.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Oh man. A lot of us Xennials have many memories of watching him on Saved by the Bell. May he rest in peace.
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Kat O’Brien @lavidagata.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Unas anécdotas de 10 personas acampando en Sol, luchando para el derecho a la vivienda. elpais.com/espana/madri...
elpais.com
Diez formas de sufrir la especulación inmobiliaria: rostros de acampados en Sol
Los acampados pasan su tercera noche en la Puerta del Sol. Algunos llegaron en las últimas horas desde distintos puntos de Madrid o de fuera de la Comunidad mientras otros resisten desde la primera n...
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Kat O’Brien @lavidagata.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
A bit too on the nose.
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JP Acosta @acosta32jp.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
National anthem played by a mariachi band is elite
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Kat O’Brien @lavidagata.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I’m not a very nervous flyer (this, despite my having gotten sick on a plane & getting a concussion that led to a stroke), but we hit sharp turbulence on this flight where it felt like the plane turned 20 degrees to an angle. 😬 The off-duty pilot across the aisle staying calm made me feel calmer.
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Andrew Schreck @andrewschreck.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
i don't think cis guys realize how much power they can shift in a conversation just by casually telling their friends
"that's fucked up, man" when someone says something
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Daniel Knowles @dlknowles.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I struggled to finish reading this important and horrifying reporting www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
theatlantic.com
The Babies Left Behind in America
The United States is deporting parents without their children, creating a whole new family-separation crisis.
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EL PAÍS @elpais.com · 28/09/2026
El Papa, sobre Maricarmen: “¿Cuál es el problema en el sistema que permite que una anciana sea echada de su casa?”
elpais.com
El Papa, sobre Maricarmen: “¿Cuál es el problema en el sistema que permite que una anciana sea echada de su casa?”
León XIV habla con la prensa sobre los desahucios, aunque admite no conocer el episodio concreto, y pide “soluciones más justas” y buscar “la causa sistémica del problema”
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Mark Bray @mark-bray.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Whoa the protests in Madrid have been so strong that they managed to get the 87-year-old Maricarmen back in her home after being evicted!
Maricarmen volverá a su casa…
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Roger Senserrich @4freedoms.es · 28/09/2026
Hay una solución al problema de la vivienda, que es construir más vivienda. Más vivienda pública, más vivienda privada, más vivienda pública de alquiler, más vivienda privada de alquiler. Más vivienda. Cerca de estaciones de cercanías. Cerca de estaciones de metro. Edificios. Altos. Con. Vivienda.
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The Media, Inequality & Change Center @miccenter.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Reminder to RSVP for tomorrow’s talk with Andrew Ryvkin at the Annenberg School for Communication, Room 500, at 12pm. Lunch will be provided!
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Kat O’Brien @lavidagata.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I’ve found it really hard to take the last few years how much broad swaths of our society & institutions hate women and discount things that happen to women. I couldn’t keep believing that they’re exceptions, bc they’re really not. No, it’s not every guy, but it’s far too frequent to be exceptions.
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Austin Kocher, PhD @austinkocher.com · 25/09/2026
I'll be in New York on Oct 20 to talk about The Truth Tellers, a new film by Pamela Yates and Paco de Onís, and about documenting immigration detention right now. With @documentedny.bsky.social. Tue, Oct 20, 6 p.m., Columbia SIPA, NYC. Get tickets: givebutter.com/Documented-T...
givebutter.com
Private Screening: Borderland – The Line Within. A Conversation on Immigration Detention, Accountability, and Who Profits
immigration, media, New York, Borderland
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Brennan Center @brennancenter.org · 28/09/2026
Voters should ask candidates: Speeches about democracy are nice, but what are you actually going to do to take on big money? And then hold them to their promises. bit.ly/4d1GYVr
brennancenter.org
$1 Billion in Secret Cash Is Reshaping the Midterms
We may never know where most of the money came from.
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Kat O’Brien @lavidagata.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Oh hey, sounds to me like another promise being made that rhymes with bribe that would happen in the future and you can cancel after elections. Please don’t fall for it, Iowa voters.
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Samuel Perry @profsamperry.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
That would be entirely consistent with our finding some years ago that Google searches for male enhancement terms (e.g., "male enhancement pills" "penis enlargement") are strongly correlated with evangelical adherence rate in a state, even with numerous controls. doi.org/10.1111/jssr...
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