Reposted by Lauren KirchnerRyan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 30/09/2026George Saunders on using AI: "Writing is the most precious way one person can communicate their essence to another person. I’ve spent a lifetime trying to get better at making myself present in my writing. Why would I want to sacrifice even one iota of that?" 5541144
Reposted by Lauren KirchnerConsumer Reports @consumerreports.org · 23/09/2026Secondhand baby gear can be a great way to save money, but our investigation found some serious safety gaps. We found recalled, restricted, and banned baby products listed on major resale platforms. Here’s what parents should know. consumerreports.orgPopular Sites for Used Baby Gear Continue to Carry Banned and Recalled Items - Consumer ReportsCR found banned or recalled children's products for sale on eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Mercari, and Craigslist. Here's how to avoid common dangers. 193
Reposted by Lauren KirchnerBusiness Insider @businessinsider.com · 19/09/2026Mystery goo, severe burns, and shiploads of counterfeits: The summer of the squishy has gone horribly wrong bit.ly/3TFb4aDbusinessinsider.comSquishies became the toy of the year. Then came the explosions, burns, and poison-control calls.As squishy toys boom, reports of burns, leaks, and explosions are raising new questions about their safety and ingredients. 041
Lauren Kirchner @lkirchner.bsky.social · 22/09/2026I'm at the climate grief, I'm at the killer robots dread, I'm at the combination climate killer robots griefdread 060
Lauren Kirchner @lkirchner.bsky.social · 17/09/2026Good news from @consumerreports.org's latest baby food tests: many lead levels were lower this time than previous tests. Arsenic in rice cereal continues to be a problem, though. Also interesting that some glass-jar food has more microplastics than the pouches www.consumerreports.org/babies-kids/...consumerreports.orgWe Tested 48 Baby Foods for Heavy Metals and Microplastics - Consumer ReportsMany baby foods from Gerber, Happy Baby, and more had low levels of heavy metals. But we also found phthalates and microplastics, which is concerning. 0157
Lauren Kirchner @lkirchner.bsky.social · 16/09/2026I read "Holy the Firm" as a teen, and it lit my brain on fire in the very best way. It woke me up to the power of paying patient, intense attention to the world around you. Showed me how you can find meaning in just about anything if you sit with it long enough, quietly enough. R.I.P. Annie Dillard. 130
Lauren Kirchner @lkirchner.bsky.social · 10/09/2026Cholula news #cholunews www.classaction.org/news/cholula...classaction.orgCholula Lawsuit Claims McCormick Secretly Reformulated Hot Sauce With Cheaper IngredientsA class action lawsuit claims that McCormick & Co. failed to disclose that it reformulated Cholula Original Hot Sauce with cheaper ingredients. 010
Reposted by Lauren KirchnerConsumer Reports @consumerreports.org · 08/09/2026After years of advocacy from Consumer Reports and other safety advocates, many dangerous water bead toys have been taken off the market. But they still sometimes show up inside popular "squishies," where they can cause damage if the toys break open. 🧵 1104
Reposted by Lauren Kirchnertunes to make you run away @whippoorwont.bsky.social · 07/09/2026"people are anthropomorphizing LLMs because they are so astonishingly good at processing human thought and language" people will anthropomorphize a chair if you put the stitches in the right place. 425174203860
Reposted by Lauren KirchnerEvan Simko-Bednarski @simko-bednarski.bsky.social · 04/09/2026It’s a strategic choice to de-emphasize talking to the people who have sources in favor of talking to people who will do marketing for you. 131
Lauren Kirchner @lkirchner.bsky.social · 04/09/2026🙃🙃🙃 "After the rescue, the men admitted to authorities that they 'relied heavily on Google’s Gemini AI' to plan their hike. They had also asked AI what to bring along on the trip." ktla.com/news/califor...ktla.comHikers who relied on AI rescued from California mountainA group of three novice hikers who said they relied on artificial intelligence to plan their trip was rescued on Monday after becoming stranded on Mount Shasta, according to the Siskiyou County She… 020
Reposted by Lauren KirchnerU.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission @cpsc.gov · 03/09/2026CPSC Warns Consumers to Stop Using Ivyapingdianpu’s Squishy Bun Toys Immediately Due to Risk of Serious Injury or Death from Water Bead Ingestion; Violate Mandatory Standard for Water Beads www.cpsc.gov/Warnings/202...cpsc.govCPSC Warns Consumers to Stop Using Ivyapingdianpu’s Squishy Bun Toys Immediately Due to Risk of Serious Injury or Death from Water Bead Ingestion; Violate Mandatory Standard for Water Beads 510632
Reposted by Lauren KirchnerU.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission @cpsc.gov · 03/09/2026#Recall: GIHNJSI Squeezy Dumplings Toys Sold on Amazon by Chenyuanhui; The squeezy toys contain water beads. Get refund. www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2026... 48827
Reposted by Lauren KirchnerMeredith Whittaker @meredithmeredith.bsky.social · 02/09/2026Yes we all think this is stupid but we, the ppl brushing our teeth, are not the customers The customers are the investors who in ~1yr will be enticed to fund Dyson's smart dental AI spinoff, featuring models trained on "the world's largest real time floss dataset" gizmodo.com/dysons-smart...gizmodo.comDyson’s Smart Toothbrush Uses a Camera to Floss Your TeethYes, you can watch the camera feed from an app. 30616209
Reposted by Lauren KirchnerLauren Feiner @laurenfeiner.bsky.social · 02/09/2026What does it look like when data centers move into town? That's what a lot of Americans are wondering these days, and this VA county gives a glimpse. My @theverge.com feature on Data Center Alley is out now, with amazing visuals by @stephenvoss.bsky.social. Gift link www.theverge.com/cs/features/...theverge.comYour future is in VirginiaIf you want to know what the data center occupation looks like, there’s one place where it already arrived — 20 years ago. 14918
Reposted by Lauren Kirchnerlauren @lauren.rotatingsandwiches.com · 31/08/2026"i don't watch vertical video" is the aging millennial answer to "i dont even own a tv" insofar as it's both probably insufferable to be around and much better for your brain 1160157
Lauren Kirchner @lkirchner.bsky.social · 31/08/2026The 8yo commandeered the Spotify over the weekend. For a while he was exclusively playing The Strokes and Collective Soul (?), but then unfortunately he located the channel that just remixes "Screaming Goat" sound effects into EDM 130
Lauren Kirchner @lkirchner.bsky.social · 27/08/2026MadeGood chocolate chip granola bars perhaps "not recommended to be eaten every day" hitting my family where it hurts today! 010
Reposted by Lauren KirchnerFT @fucktheory.bsky.social · 25/08/2026Imagine being talented and beautiful and rich and famous and still the most noteworthy thing about you is how good a person you are. 99268106332
Reposted by Lauren KirchnerDr. Adeene Denton @spacewhalerider.com · 24/08/2026Described a paper as a "what if an egg did a crime" paper in a meeting today, which to me is very descriptive, but I failed to realize that not everyone is terminally online 518925
Lauren Kirchner @lkirchner.bsky.social · 24/08/2026😱 "Synthetic chemicals were in those that claimed to be '100% natural'; phthalates were in goods labeled 'phthalate-free'; and known allergens were in products marketed as 'hypoallergenic'." www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...theguardian.comPersonal care products are awash in unlabeled toxic chemicals, study findsEven products labeled ‘eco’, ‘green’ or ‘natural’ can contain dangerous compounds including Pfas 011
Lauren Kirchner @lkirchner.bsky.social · 22/08/2026I would like to talk to you about your job some time! 000
Reposted by Lauren KirchnerJustin Krajeski @justinkrajeski.bsky.social · 21/08/2026Some worrying stats I learned while writing this story for CR: • E-scooter injuries are up nearly 8 times since 2017 • 80-90% of e-scooter injuries *don't involve other vehicles* • Kids suffer 45% of e-scooter injuries • E-scooter riders are more likely than motorcyclists to suffer brain injuries 164
Lauren Kirchner @lkirchner.bsky.social · 20/08/2026When CR tested e-scooters a few years ago, they topped out at a max speed of 15 mph. But they're so much faster now - one of the scooters tested in this round goes up to 28 mph, which is just....not a good idea for something you ride on while *standing up* 1227621
Lauren Kirchner @lkirchner.bsky.social · 20/08/2026Consumer Reports tested 13 e-scooters to rate and review. But because of the frequency of injuries being reported - including injuries sustained by the CR testers themselves in this process - CR is not recommending ANY. www.consumerreports.org/cars/electri...consumerreports.orgWe Tested 13 Electric Scooters. We Don’t Recommend Any. - Consumer ReportsCR doesn't recommend e-scooters because of their high speeds and rising injury rates. Two of CR's testers sustained injuries while evaluating e-scooters, too. 441364464
Reposted by Lauren KirchnerConsumer Reports @consumerreports.org · 19/08/2026Do prenatals contain what they’re supposed to? Consumer Reports tested 17 products, including capsules, tablets, softgels, and gummies. Most we tested had key nutrient levels that were lower or higher than claimed on the label. Here's what you should know: consumerreports.orgPrenatal Vitamin Nutrient Levels May Differ From Labeled Amounts, CR's Tests Show - Consumer ReportsIn Consumer Reports’ prenatal vitamin testing, nutrients in most prenatal vitamins didn't match label claims. Here's what this means for your pregnancy. 0112
Lauren Kirchner @lkirchner.bsky.social · 17/08/2026NYC bus mechanics tell @simko-bednarski.bsky.social they're under pressure from supervisors to put buses on the road quickly w/o critical maintenance & repairs, potentially putting riders at risk. Documents show 400K work orders closed with no man-hours attached: www.nydailynews.com/2026/08/16/c...nydailynews.comConcern continues to surround MTA bus fixes as work orders show no work doneMultiple sources throughout New York City Transit’s bus division told The News at the time that management pressure to keep buses on the road creates a tendency to defer repairs in order to “make serv... 042
Lauren Kirchner @lkirchner.bsky.social · 05/08/2026Fascinating piece framing the promises of (and inevitability of) AI-fueled progress as a "mass corporate delusion" and "literal religious mania" www.thenerve.news/p/cory-docto...thenerve.newsCory Doctorow: The people who tell you ‘AI is changing everything’ are lyingIt has become impossible to tell managers mesmerised by artificial intelligence that the tools are not, in fact, helpful. So employees just play along with the fiction to keep their jobs, writes our t... 001
Lauren Kirchner @lkirchner.bsky.social · 03/08/2026Important story, well done @dmehro.bsky.social. I wrote this a decade ago when I heard about some 15-year-olds who were put in this position, and it feels almost quaint now www.propublica.org/article/dna-...propublica.orgDNA Dragnet: In Some Cities, Police Go From Stop-and-Frisk to Stop-and-SpitPolice in Florida and other states are building up private DNA databases, in part by collecting voluntary samples from people not charged with — or even suspected of — any particular crime. 030
Reposted by Lauren KirchnerEvan Simko-Bednarski @simko-bednarski.bsky.social · 03/08/2026Someone give me $25 million dollars and an offset press, please 1251
Lauren Kirchner @lkirchner.bsky.social · 23/07/2026Wait, and this guy happens to be named Sullivan? This is too much 030
Lauren Kirchner @lkirchner.bsky.social · 23/07/2026OK I'm late to this, but I just needed to say: Ted Lemonade 010
Reposted by Lauren KirchnerEvan Simko-Bednarski @simko-bednarski.bsky.social · 23/07/2026Trump Station? A letter from DOT Secretary Duffy to congressional leaders yesterday makes clear, he intends to re-name Penn Station. Read it first in the New York Daily News.nydailynews.comFeds look to rename Penn Station, potentially for TrumpIn a letter sent Wednesday to Senate leadership on several committees, Duffy lists “administration priorities” for the federal rebuilding of the nation’s busiest rail hub. 709751
Lauren Kirchner @lkirchner.bsky.social · 22/07/2026Dream internship alert! at @democracynow.org democracynow.hire.trakstar.com/jobs/fk0z7ki...democracynow.hire.trakstar.comArchive Intern at Democracy Now!Democracy Now! Internships are paid, 20-hour per week, temporary work placements to help students, people early in their careers and career changers gain entry-level skills and experience in the field... 010
Lauren Kirchner @lkirchner.bsky.social · 21/07/2026Old, genuine, unique media is being sacrificed by the pallet on the altar of the gods of fake media 020
Lauren Kirchner @lkirchner.bsky.social · 16/07/2026PSA for these strange orangey days: NYC is distributing free KN95 masks -- you can drop in any public library branch or any local police precinct! Map here: on.nyc.gov/freemaskon.nyc.govMask Distribution Sites - Google My MapsIn response to the wildfire smoke, free KN95 masks will be available at the listed locations. 000
Lauren Kirchner @lkirchner.bsky.social · 15/07/2026Is Consumer Reports ever first to the news? No, no we are not. But, are we....BEST? Maybe?? Thank you for this, @paris.nyc: 160
Reposted by Lauren KirchnerConsumer Reports @consumerreports.org · 13/07/2026Do you own a Black+Decker PowerCrush BL1230 blender? Did you contact its manufacturer, Spectrum Brands, after reading the Consumer Reports story about it? If so, what did they tell you, and how do you feel about it? Reply below.consumerreports.orgLead Detected in a Black+Decker Blender - Consumer ReportsConsumer Reports safety experts are urging the FDA to investigate. 185
Lauren Kirchner @lkirchner.bsky.social · 13/07/2026“The U.S. has not done a great job in regulating these companies,” he said. “But it’s getting actively worse as we speak.” Seems to be a theme... www.nytimes.com/2026/07/10/w...nytimes.comMillions of Eye Drop Bottles Recalled Over Contamination ConcernsThe prescription drops are used to reduce inflammation after surgery or to treat irritation. 010
Reposted by Lauren KirchnerAmy @lolennui.bsky.social · 10/07/2026oh yeah can AI do this?? (sends a work email ending with “brest wishes”) 261508174
Lauren Kirchner @lkirchner.bsky.social · 10/07/2026Hate-click of the day www.nytimes.com/2026/07/04/s...nytimes.comTo Beat the Heat, the Wealthy Are Building Snow Rooms 000
Reposted by Lauren KirchnerAstra Taylor @astra.bsky.social · 05/07/2026Instead of founding fathers let us aspire to be perennial midwives, helping always to deliver democracy anew. (The last line of Democracy May Not Exist, but We'll Miss It When It's Gone.) 28417
Lauren Kirchner @lkirchner.bsky.social · 26/06/2026insideclimatenews.org/news/0305202...insideclimatenews.orgHow the Rush to Mine the Metal of the Future Echoes America’s Colonial Past - Inside Climate NewsCompanies have staked claims for more than 100 lithium-mine projects. Tribes are among the most affected. 020
Reposted by Lauren KirchnerLoafy @loaf22.bsky.social · 24/06/2026It's horrifying to be in the early stages of an era where an abstraction with so much value (data) is being pillaged, all while the vast majority have yet to understand what is being taken. It's not a shiny rock, or a patch of fertile dirt, but a concept with fuzzy boundaries for most. 13612