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pretext.bsky.social

@pretext.bsky.social
361 followers 887 following 169 posts

He's just this guy, you know?

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Reposted by @pretext.bsky.social
Erin Reed @erininthemorning.com · 11/10/2026
Just a reminder that when Dems turn against trans people for power, it's also a reminder that they'll do other things for power that you might not like too, such as supporting billionaires.
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Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 12/10/2026
Probably nothing to worry about for homeowners unless there are a bunch of other devices taking images in your home and making that data available for sale. Good thing no one would do that.
404media.co
AI Company Lets Cops Pinpoint Specific Houses Based on a Single Interior Photo
Raven, previously called GeoSpy, lets cops figure out what specific Airbnb or Zillow property a photo was taken in.
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Andrew Gray @andrewgrayak.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
I am alarmed that otherwise rational people are saying they may rank Dave Bronson for Governor. Listen to Yarrow Silvers in 2022 testify to the Anchorage Assembly about some of Bronson’s lies. Bronson was a dangerous mayor and he would be a dangerous governor. Do not rank Dave Bronson. #akgov
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Jake Grumbach @jakemgrumbach.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
New working paper: the Norwegian wealth tax was a huge success. The "exodus" of wealthy people never happened (less than 100 individuals left). Tax revenue increased by 71.5%. No changes in business activity or investment. www.nber.org/papers/w35854
Taxing Entrepreneurial Wealth: Evidence from
Norway, 2021-2025
Marius A. K. Ring
WORKING PAPER 35854|
DOl 10.3386/w35854
ISSUE DATE October 2026
Whether imposing higher taxes on business owners adversely affects business activity by constraining investment and inducing capitalist flight is a central question in the ongoing debate on how to tax the ultra wealthy. To shed new light, I exploit a series of related Norwegian reforms during 2021-2024 that increased dividend tax rates, removed migration-related capital gains tax loopholes, and nearly doubled the effective marginal tax rate on business wealth. These reforms spurred international debate and, allegedly, an "exodus" of Norwegian billionaires (Financial Times,
2023). While I document clear effects on migration, these responses are concentrated among the top 0.1% of the wealth distribution and mostly confined to 2022 and 2023. My results indicate that at most 100 individuals left due to the reforms. I find no evidence of significant outmigration or reduced inflows of startup founders or inventors. I estimate that absent any outmigration, wealth tax revenues would have increased by 75% from 2021 to 2024. Reform-driven outmigration lowers the revenue gain to 71.5%. My findings further show that outmigrating owners' firms remain economically active and do not reduce investment. In a broader set of analyses, I examine whether business outcomes are affected, regardless of whether owners outmigrate, since firms may reduce investment both due to liquidity constraints or distortions to owners' savings decisions. I compare firms owned by Norwegian individuals subject to the wealth tax with firms owned by foreigners and other tax-exempt entities. By merging historical ownership data from Orbis with the Norwegian shareholder register, I perform these analyses on both Norwegian and foreign-domiciled firms.
Across settings, I find no evidence that Norwegian-owned firms pay out more dividends or invest less after the reforms,…
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Justin Levitt @justinlevitt.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
This is a big deal. DC fed judge says that DOJ's pursuit (and use) of the state voter files is unlawful, on a bunch of different grounds. And effectively confirms that for the 18 states that submitted files willingly, whoever collected the files at DOJ Civil Rights committed federal crimes.
storage.courtlistener.com
Memorandum & Opinion – #51 in COMMON CAUSE v. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (D.D.C., 1:26-cv-01352) – CourtListener.com
MEMORANDUM OPINION re the 29 Motion for Partial Summary Judgment and the 32 Motion to Dismiss, or in the Alternative, for Summary Judgment. See the attached document for details. Signed by Judge Spark...
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Pat Race @pat.alaskarobotics.com · 08/10/2026
Heading to Fairbanks this week with @mariancall.bsky.social. Hoping to see some FBX friends!
Pat Race in FBX Oct 9 & 10.
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 08/10/2026
UnitedHealth is the nation’s largest health insurance conglomerate. ProPublica obtained what is effectively the company’s internal playbook for limiting and cutting therapy costs. Here’s what we found. (Published Nov. 2024)
propublica.org
How UnitedHealth’s Playbook for Limiting Mental Health Coverage Puts Countless Americans’ Treatment at Risk
United used an algorithm system to identify patients who it determined were getting too much therapy and then limited coverage. It was deemed illegal in three states, but similar practices persist due...
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Marc Elias @marcelias.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
NEW EPISODE: ICE never wanted you to see these: internal government documents that show Homeland Security Investigations has been probing nonpartisan groups that help register citizens to vote They even went so far as to outline a plan to use undercover agents. www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJoZ...
youtube.com
ICE Voter Plot EXPOSED in Smoking Gun Documents
YouTube video by Democracy Docket
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Carrie Nash @carrieinfbx.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
THIS 😡 is what happened to peaceful students who followed all rules, but had piercings and dyed hair, who tried to hear JD Vance’s speech in Fairbanks on Monday. What have we become? Getting rousted while not raising a ruckus www.newsminer.com/opinion/comm...
Opinion piece linked to above
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willmuldoon @willmuldoon.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
History will smile upon us for funneling journalists into a monolith that routes donations to the people doing the real boots-on-the-ground work: Jeffrey Landfield, Esq. Anyways, here's an ad using Jeff's affiliation w/ the Landmine to influence voters in the same election he's moderating.
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Jeff Tischauser @jtischauser.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
1 in 20 Americans support white nationalism, or 5%, which is a lot but given the ascendency of WN rhetoric and policies within the GOP, the use of open racism to sell T-shirts and chase clout online as well as the tenor of WN propaganda since 2024, 5% seems low theconversation.com/white-nation...
theconversation.com
White nationalism’s appeal runs deeper than partisan politics
Nearly 1 in 7 white men under 30 in the US support white nationalism, and partisanship alone doesn’t explain who’s drawn to it.
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Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Seriously, watch and share this.
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Pat Race @pat.alaskarobotics.com · 06/10/2026
Remind me again which is the "real" Dan Sullivan.
Did you catch any fish or hunt any game this year?Dan S: Declined to answer
Dan J: Yes, I subsistence gillnet for salmon and substance longline for halibut. Deer hunting opens October 1st on Mitkof Island.
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Bill Corbett @billcorbett.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
His giant survival slop buckets did not save him after all :( www.tmz.com/2026/10/05/t...
tmz.com
Televangelist Jim Bakker Dies at 86
Jim Bakker, the televangelist who built a Christian television empire with his former wife, Tammy Faye Bakker, has died.
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Laura Jedeed @laurajedeed.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
How much influence is end times prophecy exerting over American policy right now? The short answer: more than one might like My latest for The New Republic
newrepublic.com
We Need to Talk About the Apocalypse
End-times prophecy, pro-war prayer circles, Democrats as demons: Christian dominionism’s influence is everywhere in the second Trump administration—and increasingly, within America itself. Can democra...
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pixelatedboat aka “mr bluesky” @pixelatedboat.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Sad news everyone. Our beloved friend the computer has now become a hated enemy
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National Ugly Mugs @nationaluglymugs.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Has content been stolen or reuploaded without consent? Are there images of your work on a website you don't want them to be? You have rights to enforce, you don't have to figure this out alone 💗 The Content Removal Guide in our Members Area breaks down every step of the process. #DigitalSafety
There is an image of a laptop on the left, bearing the words "Content Removal". Other text reads, Self Directed Support to Remove Unwanted or Stolen Online Content. Find the Content Removal Guide in the NUM Members Area"
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Ken Miller @akskierken.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Fairbanks
No Kings flier for Fairbanks, Alaska

 NO OIL WARS
NO BILLIONAIRES
VOTE
NO KINGS
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17TH 12-2
VETERANS' PARK, CUSHMAN ST.
BRING NEW SOCKS TO DONATE
EAT HOT SOUP
GET OUT THE VOTE
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Gwen C. Katz @gwenckatz.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Things Gavin Newsom has vetoed this week: -A ban on secretly recording people with smart glasses -A ban on ICE agents working for the state government -A ban on websites selling your data -A bill giving native tribes more say over water rights -A bill protecting transgender healthcare providers
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pretext.bsky.social @pretext.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
This is the second time in as many days that I've seen him standing like a zombie
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Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition @fbxclimateaction.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Yesterday Trump announced S Korea was investing $54B in AK LNG. The problem? He made it up. The cheerleading from AK politicians had just died down when S Korean officials refuted the claims. Apparently they want Glenfarne to prove AK LNG is viable first? 🤷 Wild. alaskabeacon.com/2026/09/30/t...
alaskabeacon.com
Trump touts Korea as source of funding for long-desired Alaska gas project | Alaska Beacon
At an Oval Office ceremony where he promoted Alaska’s embattled Republican U.S. senator, Trump made bold statements that do not match the Korean government’s public stances.
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Brooklyn Rousseau (Spooky 365, not just October) 🎃 @glamgothcollective.mu.social · 01/10/2026
THERE IS NO TRANS DEBATE
THERE ARE TRANS PEOPLE AND THERE ARE FASCISTS WHO WISH TO DOMINATE
AND
ELIMINATE TRANS PEOPLE
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Brent Terhune @brentterhune.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
MAGA Farmers Right Now
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LeftRightUSA @leftrightusa.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
"Everyone, because the role of verification used to be something the public trusted institutions to do on their behalf. As that trust has been lost, it has fallen into the lap of the public."
forbes.com
Why Bellingcat Wants Everyone To Become An Investigator
The founder of one of the world's best-known open-source investigation outfits on building it from a laptop, why anyone can do this work, and why democracies have misread the problem.
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Marc Elias @marcelias.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Before the week begins, I have a specific request: Spread the word about the threats to democracy and how we can fight back. Tell everyone to subscribe to Democracy Docket and share its content. demdock.com/4w6emld
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Shepherd @neolithicsheep.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
167k+ lbs of raw beef, pork, and goat meat recalled after being distributed with fraudulent inspection labels www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-aler...
fsis.usda.gov
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pretext.bsky.social @pretext.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
not in my experience, but to each their own
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Democracy Docket @democracydocket.com · 25/09/2026
🚨 BREAKING: In a major loss for voters, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to allow the Trump administration to initiate voter roll purges using a flawed database involving Americans' private data. The ruling will disproportionately impact naturalized citizens who've been wrongly flagged in the system.
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Ahhhhh @nerdjpg.com · 24/09/2026
We are setting the planet on fire and continuing to work long weeks to make garbage for landfills and to produce marketing materials for the stuff in landfills
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Drew Harwell @drewharwell.com · 23/09/2026
Five cops in Indianapolis were just criminally charged with abusing Flock to spy on their ex-wives, their wives' ex-partners and women they met on duty. Audit was triggered by us at the @washingtonpost.com, the prosecutor said. From last month: wapo.st/4yfNHng
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Nate (brainy rat games) @brainyrat.itch.io · 23/09/2026
I was on the fence about his independent but Nick Begich paid money to convince me to vote for him
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Mixæl Laufer @mixaelslaufer.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
I mean this started a while back, but seriously: fuck RasPi. They betrayed everything they said they stood for. Raspberry Pi is intentionally blocking RAM capacity upgrades - Notebookcheck News share.google/I0o9Neph0G2f...
share.google
Raspberry Pi is intentionally blocking RAM capacity upgrades
Raspberry Pi is actively preventing enthusiasts from upgrading soldered memory to a larger configuration even when the replacement chip is technically compatible. The company says the restriction is i...
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Luiza Jarovsky, PhD @luizajarovsky.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Norwegian humor is on another level. Here's how the Norwegian Consumer Council explained @doctorow.pluralistic.net's concept of 'enshittification':
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Taylor Nichols, MD MS @tnicholsmd.com · 22/09/2026
A renewed reminder to delete your Meta accounts and all Meta apps. Just do it. You’ll feel better.
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404 Media @404media.co · 21/09/2026
404 Media is filing public records requests around the country to find out how cops are using Axon's ALPRs. Here is how you can do that too.
404media.co
Is Your City Using Axon License Plate Cameras? We Need Your Help
404 Media is filing public records requests around the country to find out how cops are using Axon's ALPRs. Here is how you can do that too.
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molly conger @socialistdogmom.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
it literally could not be easier to run against an opponent who is fixated on a microscopic minority that isn’t actually harming anyone! focusing on imaginary threats posed by trans people instead of the world burning down around us is bad politics! point that out! loudly!
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Greg Pak @gregpak.net · 20/09/2026
"My opponent wants to hire creeps to inspect your daughter's genitals if she wants to play soccer. I wouldn't trust him or any hired weirdo from his pedophile-protecting party alone in a room with any kid." Go on the offensive, you cowards! It's not that hard!
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Ambassador Ken Fairfax (ret) @portlandken.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
The accounting is in: In Oregon there are 111 data centers. The TOTAL number of people employed at data centers is just 2,630, or 0.1% of the labor force. Those 100 data centers consumer 23% of all electricity used in Oregon. Meanwhile, electricity rates skyrocket as more centers are built.
opb.org
Oregon data centers by the numbers: 111 facilities consume nearly one-quarter of state’s power, according to new report
A first-of-its-kind report details the footprint of the controversial facilities.
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Mistress Matisse @mistressmatisse.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
The billionaires want us to be their slaves, worship them, work for them until we die, and have nothing. Never forget that that’s what they all want, no matter what they say. 
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𝐚𝐤𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨 @akdanno.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Don't let outsiders open up Alaska to unlimited dark money spending. 
Alaska has some of the toughest campaign finance transparency laws in the country.
Now, Outside spenders are funding a ballot measure in November to get rid of those laws.
They say their proposal is just about getting rid of ranked choice voting ...
... they don't want you to know it would also flood Alaska's elections with untraceable campaign cash.
NO on 2
Protect Alaska's Elections
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Skot Armstrong @skot.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
conjuring up some weekend plans with the coven
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pretext.bsky.social @pretext.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
this right here is really good bait
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Robert Evans (the Only Robert Evans) @iwriteok.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
It's vastly more comforting to believe in an imminent robot apocalypse than the truth: the things that will destroy us are extensions of the unsexy but obvious problems all around us. We are not doomed in one grand way, but a thousand petty small ways.
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Electronic Frontier Foundation @eff.org · 18/09/2026
Of course when you donate to EFF you get some cool swag. But, you also help fund experts fighting for digital rights in the courts! Become a member today: eff.org/fbjoin
supporters.eff.org
Defend Privacy and Free Speech
Donate to the Electronic Frontier Foundation and support the mission to defend civil liberties and human rights online.
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Jason Kint @kint.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Eye popping. Court just unsealed Summary Judgment motions in New York Times v OpenAI / Microsoft. Easy to see why the AI companies had so many redactions (pink). Their own people wrote the lede for NYT, the "largest theft of labor in human history"... "more and more substitutive..." /1
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Gerry Doyle @mgerrydoyle.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
however much you think the iran war is sapping u.s. military readiness, it's probably more than that. a free link for you, the people www.bloomberg.com/graphics/202...
bloomberg.com
The Iran Blockade’s Growing Price Tag Is Draining America’s Global Military Power
The cost of naval operations since the buildup began in January has topped $7.1 billion — not including all the US assets being used to escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.
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The Serfs (youtube.com/theserfstv) @theserfstv.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Could read this headline forever www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Texas police department ordered closed for failing to provide any benefit to community
Disbanding of department in Trinidad comes after arrest of a resident for posting about issues with local water supply
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Dr. Hilary Agro, PhD 🍄 @hilaryagro.com · 14/09/2026
If anyone tries to tell you that people with free healthcare take unfair advantage of it remind them that the hassle of Going To The Doctor is more than enough deterrent against the misuse of resources, and often a deterrent against seeking care for real stuff lol
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404 Media @404media.co · 14/09/2026
EXCLUSIVE: Humans are reading ChatGPT users’ prompts to improve OpenAI’s models, and those chats can include sensitive, personal information, according to leaked internal documents and real prompts seen by 404 Media.
404media.co
Inside ‘Project Lily’: The Humans Reading Your ChatGPT Chats
Humans are reading ChatGPT users’ prompts to improve OpenAI’s models, and those chats can include sensitive, personal information, according to leaked internal documents and real prompts seen by 404 M...
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