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My article on Yoasobi’s “Idol” is now on Music Theory Online! It considers the role of genre-topics in narrating this song, the opening theme for the 1st season of anime Oshi no ko. Rap, trap, singer-songwriter style, J-pop otaku, and Eurobeat combine to tell the tragic, unknowable story of Ai.

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Noriko Manabe @nmanabe.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Why is there not a high-speed train between Austin and Houston? So ridiculous to have to take these thirty-minute flights.

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Noriko Manabe @nmanabe.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

There haven't been any public hearings about putting a nuclear reactor 37 miles from Bloomington. What expertise is in Indiana to run this? What safety measures would be in place? How would the public be notified of an accident? What plans for evacuation are there? @wfiuwtiunews.bsky.social

ans.org

Navy’s first terrestrial reactor coming to Indiana’s NWS Crane

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Michael Clemens @mclem.org · 12/09/2026

The US President's new proposal to tax international students has been approved by the White House for release this week. It's an unprecedented $100,000 tax on int'l grads who stay to work after graduation on Optional Practical Training (most grads do), a crucial bridge to remaining by any channel.

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Noriko Manabe @nmanabe.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Only in the US would patients have such profound problems with medical debt, and only in the US would a doctor who sues 700(!) of his own patients still be elected senator.

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Noriko Manabe @nmanabe.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

On pre-order on the Oxford University Press website: The Oxford Handbook of Protest Music! Many thanks to all our contributors and OUP staff. global.oup.com/academic/pro...

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Noriko Manabe @nmanabe.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Just watched one of these forums where some men seem unaware of just how man-splainy they are…

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Noriko Manabe @nmanabe.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

I’ve had a relaxing time at an Onsen and the last thing I need to hear is the theme from the Titanic in Liszt-style piano solo…

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Noriko Manabe @nmanabe.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Me alegra mucho compartir que este coloquio sobre música de protesta en América Latina, editado por Eileen Karmy, ya ha sido publicado en Resonancias. Trata del carácter intertextual de esta música de protesta desde comienzos del siglo XX hasta el estallido social. resonancias.uc.cl/n-58/coloqui...

resonancias.uc.cl

Coloquio. Palimpsestos de la resistencia: memoria, intertextualidad y significación en las canciones políticas de América Latina - Resonancias: Revista de investigación musical

Noriko Manabe Indiana University, Jacobs School of Music nmanabe@iu.edu Eileen Karmy Departamento de Artes Integradas de la Facultad de Arte, Universidad de Playa Ancha Núcleo Milenio en Prácticas A...

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Noriko Manabe @nmanabe.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

“Although Jacob Wulfson assaulted Steele on UK soil in late 2023, after the pair met on a dating app, American military police quickly took over the case and the pilot was tried by US air force prosecutors.” Does this ceding of authority also happen in Okinawa? www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

theguardian.com

Bizarre questions and an all-male ‘jury’: woman strangled by US pilot in Britain tells of airbase trial

Sarah Steele comes forward to call for greater scrutiny of how US military courts are allowed to ‘rip apart’ vulnerable witnesses in the UK

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Noriko Manabe @nmanabe.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

What I’d like to know is: why was music studies named in the report? There are no music professors on the panel, no one’s work is mentioned—in fact, the only time “music” appears in the report is in the list of disciplines. www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty...

insidehighered.com

Professors Say Vanderbilt Report Misrepresents Their Work

The report on the state of humanities scholarship has generated a lot of debate in academic circles and received backlash from the leading anthropology association.

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Noriko Manabe @nmanabe.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Hey @foxsports.com.web.brid.gy, I only watched 16 min of the Netherlands-Japan #WorldCup match, but that was long enough to hear your announcers calling the Japanese players "passive" and commenting on their height (half of the squad is over 6' tall). Could you cut it with the #racist stereotypes?

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Noriko Manabe @nmanabe.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

Not crazy about Mamdani's latest endorsement of Avila Chevalier over Espaillat. She doesn't seem to have much in the way of steady work experience. Espaillat is a self-made Dominican immigrant and the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus w/ decades of service in elected offices.

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Noriko Manabe @nmanabe.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

So much for the influence of Mitch Daniels/Mike Pence in #Indiana.

Incumbents aggressively primaried against by Trump are largely losing.

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Noriko Manabe @nmanabe.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

When I wrote my book on the antinuclear movement in Japan, I titled it The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, because it wasn’t. Among other factors, Japan has Press Clubs and the Secrets Law. But Japan now outranks the US (#64) on press freedoms. www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/05...

japantimes.co.jp

Japan overtakes U.S. in global press freedom index

The report found press freedom has sunk to a 25-year low, with 52% of the countries and territories being categorized as in 'difficult' or 'very serious' situations.

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Noriko Manabe @nmanabe.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

Excellent reporting from Indiana on Trump’s endorsing primary challengers in the state senate in retribution for not supporting redistricting. Talk about overreach. www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/p...

heraldtimesonline.com

The Trump endorsement faces its biggest test yet in Indiana. Will it work?

May 5 will finally bring answers to the question: Will the Trump endorsement work miracles in these lowly Indiana state senate races?

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Zack Beauchamp @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

A lot of Orbán's American fans are saying that this election proved he was never an authoritarian in the first place. This is completely wrong — and, in fact, betrays a complete misunderstanding of both Hungarian politics and modern authoritarianism. Here's why.

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Noriko Manabe @nmanabe.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Am I to infer that this is related? #academia.edu

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Noriko Manabe @nmanabe.bsky.social · 21/02/2026

Trump's EPA weakened limits for mercury pollution (by 70%) as well as for toxic soot. Its own fine print says it won't bring down electricity prices or help stave off the decline in the coal industry. youtu.be/0GhwxM5hLSQ?...

youtu.be

PBS News Hour full episode, Feb. 20, 2026

YouTube video by PBS NewsHour

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Noriko Manabe @nmanabe.bsky.social · 31/01/2026

Turns out net debtors can’t tick off everyone all the time. Dollar down 10% against other currencies; demand for US equities and govt bonds down, with negative implications for market performance and interest rates. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/b...

nytimes.com

Sell America Is the New Trade on Wall Street

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Noriko Manabe @nmanabe.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

"It’s our blood and bones And these whistles and phones Against Miller and Noem’s dirty lies" I also appreciate the ironic evocation of the national anthem, and that the samples of protesters' chants haven't been edited to fit the music's tempo, allowing them to coexist like sounds at a protest.

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Noriko Manabe @nmanabe.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

I've written this blogpost on ICE protest chants & songs, w/ a large section of transcriptions of singing at protests by faith leaders and the Singing Resistance. It also includes songs about ICE agents' perceived masculinity issues and new songs protesting ICE. medium.com/@norikomanab...

medium.com

ICE protest songs and chants, Minnesota general strike (January 23) and beyond

Transcriptions of singing at ICE protests by faith leaders and protesters. Songs about ICE’s masculinity issues. Other songs about the ICE…

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Barack Obama @barackobama.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

The killing of Alex Pretti is a heartbreaking tragedy. It should also be a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault.

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Jason Heppler @jasonheppler.org · 24/01/2026

I called yesterday and will call again today. If you’re new to it, 5calls.org has got your back.

5calls.org

5 Calls

Spend 5 minutes. Make 5 calls. Make your voice heard.

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Governor Tim Walz @governorwalz.mn.gov · 24/01/2026

I just spoke with the White House after another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning. Minnesota has had it. This is sickening. The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now.

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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 18/01/2026

Noem's claim is FALSE. Here is ICE's own data on the detention population among those arrested by ICE: - 43% no criminal record (up from 6% at the start of the year), - 29% at least one prior conviction* - 28% at least one pending charge *most common are traffic and immigration offenses.

Chart showing detention population, among those arrested in the interior, by criminal record, May 2019 through January 7, 2026. Three lines show prior conviction, pending criminal charges, and no criminal record. The data shows a HUGE spike in the detention of people with no criminal record beginning earlier in the year, to the point where it is now the top group.

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Noriko Manabe @nmanabe.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

I've updated this blog with more singing at protests--it's a thing these days, apparently. Some of them are moving; for others, mileage may vary depending on where one sits politically.

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ProPublica @propublica.org · 14/01/2026

Yes, immigration agents not only took Arnoldo's phone, the 10th grader had to use Find My Phone to locate it — in a vending machine for used electronics, close to an ICE detention center. Read the full story here: www.propublica.org/article/vide...

"Arnoldo had filmed much of the incident, but agents had taken his phone. He used Find My to locate the phone — at a vending machine for used electronics miles away, close to an ICE detention center. The footage, which ProPublica has reviewed, backed the family’s account of the chase."

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Noriko Manabe @nmanabe.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

I've written this blogpost on protest chants, transcribed, from protests since Renee Good's killing by ICE. At the end, I present two songs written about ICE. medium.com/@norikomanab...

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Noriko Manabe @nmanabe.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

I’d also note that the US is a net debtor nation, so the last thing it should be doing is spooking foreign investors by compromising the central bank’s independence.

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Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

hi, political philosopher here! this is not funny, central banks only do this when they're in extreme distress

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ProPublica @propublica.org · 11/01/2026

Kristi Noem, while governor of South Dakota, supplemented her roughly $130,000 salary by secretly accepting $80,000 donated to a political nonprofit she was affiliated with, records show. She never disclosed this income on federal ethics forms. (Published June 2025)

propublica.org

Kristi Noem Secretly Took a Cut of Political Donations

A dark money group paid $80,000 to Noem’s personal company when she was governor of South Dakota. She did not include this income on her federal disclosure forms, a likely violation of ethics requirem...

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Noriko Manabe @nmanabe.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

Real vs. misleading headlines from the NYTimes, pt 2: How on earth does the editor read this graph to show a "modest" pace of job growth? Contrast this with the straight-forward headline from the Financial Times, on the right.

NYTimes: US Hiring Remains at a MODEST Pace, and Weaknesses are evident.

Financial Times: US economy undershoots expectations to add just 50,000 jobs in December. Latest sign labor market is cooling after years of strong growth.

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Noriko Manabe @nmanabe.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

I’ll believe the BBC over the NY Times given these headlines.

BBC: Colombia sees 'real threat' of US military action, president tells BBC

NYTimes: how an abrupt call between Trump and Colombia’s president averted a crisis.

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Ken Jennings @kenjennings.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

The “prosecute the former regime at every level” candidate has my vote in 2028.

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alec karakatsanis @equalityalec.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

Anyone who has read Copaganda knows that we are in the crucial early moments of virality after an extra-judicial police murder. It's extremely important for ICE that the media plays along with the idea that what happened is contested and there are multiple perspectives.

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Noriko Manabe @nmanabe.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

I made this video on the relationship between Japanese language and Western-based musical styles for the French Society for Japanese Studies. It looks at how word and stress systems interact with musical rhetoric and how gendered language contributes to narrative. youtu.be/IqQ0Iy_7dIQ

youtu.be

Japanese language in Western-based popular music, by Noriko Manabe.

YouTube video by Noriko Manabe

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Judd Legum @juddlegum.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

1. The military raid on Venezuela and ouster of Maduro will create a financial windfall for a Trump-supporting billionaire, investor Paul Singer. Follow this thread for details. 🧵 popular.info/p/venezuela-...

The ouster of Maduro is a financial windfall for a prominent Trump-supporting billionaire, investor Paul Singer.

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Cheryl in Nova Scotia 🇨🇦🍁🍁 @minibubbly.bsky.social · 27/12/2025

Washington National Opera may move out of Kennedy Center due to Trump ‘takeover’ Ticket sales at about 40% unsold compared with before president made himself chair of US performing arts center www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

theguardian.com

Washington National Opera may move out of Kennedy Center due to Trump ‘takeover’

Ticket sales at about 40% unsold compared with before president made himself chair of US performing arts center

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