Rania Combs @raniacombs.bsky.social · 15hCompanies are increasingly using AI tools to track us, target us, and charge us more at checkout. Consumers need control over our personal data. 010
Rania Combs @raniacombs.bsky.social · 07/09/2026Exactly! “Once a company knows its customers can't leave, it can switch from treating them well to abusing them in order to extract money from them. The same goes for companies whose workers can't leave” pluralistic.net/2026/09/06/h...pluralistic.netPluralistic: How corporate America built a better Roach Motel (07 Sep 2026) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow 000
Rania Combs @raniacombs.bsky.social · 06/09/2026Wondering how many of the lawyers who told Nilay Patel they “can do a piece of legal research or prepare a trial brief in five minutes instead of 15 hours” eventually end up on this list of lawyers sanctioned for citing AI-produced hallucinated content: www.damiencharlotin.com/hallucinatio...damiencharlotin.com 000
Rania Combs @raniacombs.bsky.social · 06/09/2026A tremendous act of generosity. www.pbs.org/newshour/sho...pbs.orgInstead of selling, business owner donates company to trust for charityLast month, Eddie Smith, the owner of Grady-White Boats in Greenville, North Carolina, made waves when he announced that he was pledging nearly all his company's future profits to charity. Instead of ... 010
Rania Combs @raniacombs.bsky.social · 03/09/2026We’re not the in the early days when some people believed AI was infallible. Why are attorneys still submitting briefs without checking the citations and quoted content? 000
Rania Combs @raniacombs.bsky.social · 28/08/2026We need more radical acceptance in our world: “She practiced a unique brand of radical acceptance…No one would ever be thrown out of the Big Dolly Tent.” www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...theguardian.comDolly Parton brought divided Americans together. What can we learn from her? | Margaret SullivanThe singer had a serendipitous mixture of humor, humility and humanity. We could all stand to channel it a bit more 000
Reposted by Rania CombsCatherine @cathms.bsky.social · 27/08/2026“Her philanthropy was so much more significant and serious than what you see from other celebrities... As a woman, she was a standout giver, and she gave to the kinds of causes that a lot of rich people don’t give to, ones that were based on her life experience.”nytimes.comDolly Parton’s Other Legacy: A Fortune Given Away, Dollar by Dollar (Gift Article)The country star supported early childhood literacy, disaster relief, the development of the Covid-19 vaccine and more. 053
Rania Combs @raniacombs.bsky.social · 26/08/2026I always learn something new from Cory Doctorow. A must-read about how monopolies disguise enshittification as innovation to extract maximum profit while limiting consumers power to use their property any way they see fit. It’s time to restore power to consumers. 010
Reposted by Rania CombsBy Cory Doctorow (GPG 0xBF3D9110957E5F4C) @doctorow.pluralistic.net · 26/08/2026Competition makes companies weaker, giving the public *and* democratic institutions more power. Competition makes the public richer at the expense of corporate shareholders, who have less money to spend on the project of subverting democracy. 40/ 120824
Reposted by Rania CombsEmily M. Bender @emilymbender.bsky.social · 01/07/2026For more on how to talk about tech sold as "AI" in more precise terms: buttondown.com/maiht3k/arch...buttondown.comHow to talk aboutEmily M. Bender and Nanna Inie In our op-ed for Tech Policy Press ("We Need to Talk About How We Talk About 'AI'"), we made the case against the... 11333121
Rania Combs @raniacombs.bsky.social · 29/06/2026Exactly! It’s so frustrating for those of us who have spent the past two decades, writing useful content. 0339
Reposted by Rania CombsThe Atlantic @theatlantic.com · 24/05/2026"What a time to be alive! We are finally freeing you from the rat race and placing you on the rat unemployment line.” Read @petridishes.bsky.social's pro-AI commencement speech that 2026 grads will definitely not boo: theatln.tc/39O6Wr1c 🎨: The Atlantic 19917
Reposted by Rania CombsRima I Anabtawi @rimaanabtawi.bsky.social · 17/05/2026Texas A&M researchers develop nasal spray aimed at reducing brain fog “The mode of delivery is one of the most exciting aspects of our approach….Intranasal delivery allows us to reach, and treat, the brain directly without invasive procedures.” www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...houstonchronicle.comTexas A&M scientists think this nasal spray could change dementia careResearchers at A&M’s Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine say the therapy could be revolutionary for patients. 0112
Reposted by Rania CombsThe Atlantic @theatlantic.com · 17/04/2026@petridishes.bsky.social's shoes pivoted to AI. She needed some coffee to deal with this, but the coffee shop had pivoted to AI. She sat down on a bench, but the bench? Pivoted to AI.bit.lyThe Tyranny of AI EverywhereSneakers? Why stop there? 27712
Reposted by Rania CombsJeff (Hot Type) Jarvis @jeffjarvis.bsky.social · 01/04/2026The question they should be asking: Is there life after newspapers? Is There Life After Smartphones? www.nytimes.com/interactive/...nytimes.comWhy Some Young People Are Ditching Their Smartphones for Dumbphones, Flip PhonesWhat happens when a growing cohort of young people decide to ditch their devices? 4266
Rania Combs @raniacombs.bsky.social · 22/03/2026“Older people who are lonely or bereaved are particularly vulnerable to being targeted, as criminals seek to exploit their isolation and yearning for friendship to part them from their money” www.theguardian.com/money/2026/m...theguardian.comFriendship fraud: warnings of rise in ‘insidious’ scam targeting older peopleSteps to help you avoid fraudsters who exploit isolation and search for human contact to often devastating effect 010
Reposted by Rania CombsJoshua Erlich @joshuaerlich.bsky.social · 20/03/2026I did a consult on an AI drafted non-compete yesterday and it was surreal. There are no good answers because the document is functionally abstract. “Well, how would this work?” I’m sorry. I cannot tell you because literally no one has ever written something like this before. 619230
Rania Combs @raniacombs.bsky.social · 27/01/2026So then full speed ahead with continuing to develop an “AI is so powerful… that it is very difficult for human civilisation to impose any restraints on it at all”? www.theguardian.com/technology/2...theguardian.com‘Wake up to the risks of AI, they are almost here,’ Anthropic boss warnsDario Amodei questions if human systems are ready to handle the ‘almost unimaginable power’ that is ‘potentially imminent’ 000
Rania Combs @raniacombs.bsky.social · 25/01/2026Exactly. “The stakes go beyond economics. Work brings dignity and purpose to people’s lives. That’s what makes the AI transformation so consequential.” www.theguardian.com/technology/2...theguardian.comAI needs to augment rather than replace humans or the workplace is doomed | Heather StewartTech could lose its social acceptance unless it makes people’s lives better – and trade unions want an urgent conversation 110
Rania Combs @raniacombs.bsky.social · 25/01/2026AI overviews are “reliable” except when they are catastrophically wrong. For medical and legal advice, consult professionals instead of “Almost Intelligence.” 000
Rania Combs @raniacombs.bsky.social · 19/01/2026“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” MLKJr 000
Reposted by Rania CombsVictoria J. Haneman @taxlawprof.bsky.social · 01/01/2026If tax law were actually simple, there wouldn’t be an entire industry built on explaining it poorly on Instagram. I teach several law classes on bad social media tax law and estate planning advice, because it is a great (and fun) way to illustrate so many important concepts. 0237
Rania Combs @raniacombs.bsky.social · 21/12/2025Now that it’s common knowledge that AI hallucinates, why would an attorney rely on AI to draft pleadings without verifying output? 000
Rania Combs @raniacombs.bsky.social · 16/12/2025Beware: Urban VPN Proxy, 1ClickVPN Proxy, Urban Browser Guard, and Urban Ad Blocker are selling your private chats for profit. 030
Rania Combs @raniacombs.bsky.social · 21/11/2025“[L]earning from synthesized LLM responses led to shallower knowledge compared to gathering, interpreting and synthesizing information for oneself via standard web links.” gizmodo.com/learning-wit...gizmodo.comLearning With AI Falls Short Compared to Old-Fashioned Web SearchIn virtually all the ways that matter, getting summarized information from AI models was less educational than doing the work of search. 030
Rania Combs @raniacombs.bsky.social · 19/11/2025Science is amazing: www.broadinstitute.org/news/single-...broadinstitute.orgSingle prime editing system could potentially treat multiple genetic diseasesResearchers have developed a genome-editing strategy that targets a common cause of roughly 30 percent of rare diseases and could vastly improve access to gene-editing treatments for patients. 010
Rania Combs @raniacombs.bsky.social · 19/11/2025I really enjoyed talking with Ruby Powers about how using technology to make our practices more efficient gives us more space to focus on what truly matters: listening to clients, counseling them, and guiding them with care and empathy. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/p...podcasts.apple.comEp. 88: Don't Be a Bot: Reclaiming Empathy in the AI Era with Rania CombsPodcast Episode · Power Up Your Practice · 11/18/2025 · 45m 030
Rania Combs @raniacombs.bsky.social · 03/11/2025“We’re all chasing something—success, control, attention—but every chase ends in stillness. What matters is who we loved and how we showed up while we were still running.” open.substack.com/pub/everyday...open.substack.comA Nurse Recorded 300 Final Breaths—And Found Only 7 Things That Truly Matter in LifeAfter listening to the confessions of 300 dying people, I decided to completely change my life 010
Rania Combs @raniacombs.bsky.social · 31/10/2025Tech companies “have remade our world and have become unfathomably rich for it, all while being mostly oblivious or uninterested in the fallout.”https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2025/10/data-centers-ai-crash/684765/?gift=ZV-j7muNajQ0dFrn8kjD7oPCHvXfCafRv5YdL5pDuR0theatlantic.comHere’s How the AI Crash HappensThe U.S. is becoming an Nvidia-state. 020
Rania Combs @raniacombs.bsky.social · 24/09/2025Science is amazing! www.bbc.com/news/article...bbc.comHuntington's disease successfully treated for first timeOne of the most devastating diseases finally has a treatment that can slow its progression and transform lives, tearful doctors tell BBC. 041
Rania Combs @raniacombs.bsky.social · 21/09/2025“AI systems will always make a certain percentage of mistakes, no matter how much the technology improves” 000
Rania Combs @raniacombs.bsky.social · 27/08/2025What a devastating story about a company that appears to prioritize profits over safety. there should be safeguards to prevent AI from encouraging self harm in its users. techpolicy.press/breaking-dow...techpolicy.pressBreaking Down the Lawsuit Against OpenAI Over Teen's Suicide | TechPolicy.PressA California teen sought advice from OpenAI's GPT-4o on how to end his life. His parents are suing the company and its CEO. 020
Rania Combs @raniacombs.bsky.social · 06/08/2025Exactly! “If anyone asks you for cash or any sort of prepaid option like debit cards or gift cards, it’s a big flashing neon sign that you’re being scammed.” www.marketwatch.com/story/heres-...marketwatch.comHere’s how I barely talked my 80-year-old relative out of giving $40,000 to scammersHe was drawn in by a very sophisticated operation, and it took a lot of logic to convince him it wasn’t real 030
Rania Combs @raniacombs.bsky.social · 03/08/2025“Critical thinking is like an exercise. If you stop doing it, your body forgets it and you lose the talent” english.elpais.com/technology/2...english.elpais.comChatGPT dissidents, the students who refuse to use AI: ‘I couldn’t remember the last time I had written something by myself’Some college students are beginning to limit their use of artificial intelligence, so as not to hinder their own creativity, discipline and critical thinking 020
Rania Combs @raniacombs.bsky.social · 16/07/2025Love this: www.omaritani.com/blog/wabi-sa...omaritani.com5 Teachings From The Japanese Wabi-Sabi Philosophy That Can Drastically Improve Your Life — OMAR ITANIWabi-sabi is an ancient Japanese philosophy that motions us to constantly search for the beauty in imperfection and accept the more natural cycle of life. It reminds us that all things including us an... 000
Rania Combs @raniacombs.bsky.social · 12/07/2025Great explainer from Kelly Erb about the new tax bill. No one makes tax as accessible as @Taxgirl. 011
Rania Combs @raniacombs.bsky.social · 10/07/2025If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is: “Often the job will have an easy interview or no interview, promise to let you work from home, and let you start right away” apnews.com/article/job-...apnews.comJob scams are on the rise and more people are falling for them. Protect yourself with these tipsAs job-seekers look for work in an challenging environment, an increasing number are falling victim to scams that promise good pay for completing easy online tasks. 000
Rania Combs @raniacombs.bsky.social · 28/06/2025Team USA’s women’s U24 ultimate team just won the world championship! So proud of my daughter and all her teammates! 140
Reposted by Rania CombsJen Mercieca @jenmercieca.bsky.social · 26/06/2025“We wanted robots to clean the dishes and do our laundry, so we could draw pictures and write stories. Instead they gave us robots to draw pictures and write stories, so we could clean dishes and do laundry.” www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/how-ai-is-...bloodinthemachine.comAI Killed My Job: Tech workersTech workers at TikTok, Google, and across the industry share stories about how AI is changing, ruining, or replacing their jobs. 13284101
Rania Combs @raniacombs.bsky.social · 30/05/2025Would you want to live in a vegetative state, aware but unable to communicate your thoughts and wishes? The story of Ian Berg highlights the emotional and ethical complexities that can arise after serious injuries and the importance of advance directives. raniacombslaw.com/resources/ad...raniacombslaw.comTrapped Inside Your Body: Would you Choose to Live?Avoid family uncertainty by making your end-of-life decisions clear with an advance directive. Learn why it matters for peace of mind 000
Reposted by Rania CombsBren @kindofnerdy.bsky.social · 06/04/2025🚨 Hey, North Carolina! Please search this list to see if you - or others you know - have been singled out by Jefferson Griffin. If you're one of the 60,000+ voters on this list, please TAKE ACTION. Call your county BOE ASAP! Then tell Griffin to shove it! #RiggsWon thegriffinlist.com#search-linethegriffinlist.comThe Griffin ListA list of 60,273 North Carolina voters – these are registered voters who showed ID to early vote in the November 2024 election – whose votes Jefferson Griffin wants to not be counted. ... 16656570
Reposted by Rania CombsNicki Washington, Ph.D. @drnickiw.bsky.social · 04/04/2025If you are an NC resident and voted in November, please check if your name or the names of any family areone of the 60K votes being challenged. If so, confirm ASAP with your Board of Elections. You only have two weeks. The website to check linked in the reply. www.newsobserver.com/news/politic...newsobserver.comNC Court of Appeals gives over 60,000 challenged voters 15 days to prove eligibilityThe majority wrote that, even though they have the authority to completely throw out the contested ballots, they decided to instead mandate a cure period for most of the challenged voters. 324113069358
Reposted by Rania Combstaxgirl @taxgirl.bsky.social · 27/03/2025Be careful! With so many changes happening at SSA, scammers are trying to take advantage. If you're not sure whether there might be legitimate messages in your online govt account (including SSA and IRS), navigate directly to the site. Don't click through and don't respond to these kinds of emails. 1117
Reposted by Rania CombsAndrea Carr @andreacpa0.bsky.social · 14/03/2025i’m very busy, but also, i just thought about the fact that gene hackman’s wife probably predeceased him, which probably wasn’t what he or she expected when his estate docs were written up. curious if it will turn into a fight about who predeceased who 141
Rania Combs @raniacombs.bsky.social · 13/03/2025“[T]his administration is highlighting cutting cost in dollar figures while ignoring the human cost…The air we breathe and water we drink is a collective human right and more valuable than any dollar figure.” www.nbcnews.com/science/envi...nbcnews.comEPA administrator announces huge rollback of environmental regulationsLee Zeldin said he will reconsider a list of core EPA policies, including emissions standards for vehicles and the finding that serves as the basis for addressing climate change. 010